2012 BYU Cougars

[Colonel_Reb]

The Cougars have started 18, 16, 15, 16, 16, 16 and 14 Whites since '05, making them one of the Whitest teams in the country since CF started tracking teams. This season they will have several new starters, as a bunch of last year's stars (mostly White) graduated. Sadly, non-whites are on the rise at BYU much as they were a little over a decade ago, except that now the poly pipeline is being opened up even more. There are a couple of mixed players who some might consider White, but I'm not going to include them here. It is frustrating to see this team changing so much, but the caste system knows no borders. Unless some changes happen between now and September, BYU will probably start no more than 12 Whites during this season. :sad:

Some White backups include SS Craig Bills, FS Skye PoVey, WLBs Kevan Bills amd Austen Jorgensen, MLB Zac Stout, NT Jordan Richardson, DEs Remington Peck and Mike Muehlmann, QBs James Lark, Taysom Hill and Jason Munns, FB David Foote, WRs Brett Thompson, Cody Raymond, JD Falslev, and Dallin Cutler, RT Michael Yeck, and C Blair Tushaus.


Offense
QB Riley Nelson
FB Zed Mendenhall-in a fight for the position
TE Marcus Mathews or Austin Holt
LT Ryker Mathews
LG Braden Hansen
C Houston Reynolds
RG Brock Stringham
RT Braden Brown


Defense
BLB Brandon Ogletree or Tyler Beck
SLB Spencer Hadley
SS Daniel Sorenson
FS Mike Hague-in a fight for the position

 

[FootballDad]

Although the white starters for BYU have declined, they still have a Snow Plow up front, and the defense has two DB's and LB's, caste positions for sure. I think that the number of white starters will rise by the time the season starts, as slow-footed polys are replaced by their betters.

 

[Deadlift]

If anyone is wondering what happened to defensive end Graham Rowley.. he is going on a church mission. Here's an article about their Poly d-line, how things are shaping up:

Tialavea returned home in December and has since enrolled full-time anew at BYU. While the timing of his mission departure wasn’t ideal, his return could be perfect timing.

BYU will be without the services of Graham Rowley and Hebron Fangupo — both of whom saw starter’s playing time along the defensive front last season — for 2012. Enter Tialavea and his wealth of experience and defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi could very well have his third starter alongside expected starters Eathyn Manumaleuna and Romney Fuga.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...-after-unexpected-mission-service.html?pg=all

 

[Colonel_Reb]

FootballDad, I hope you are right about the numbers going up before the season gets here. More importantly, I hope BYU's recruiting doesn't get any worse.

Deadlift, with most of their team being Mormons and most of them going on missions, I'm hopeful that this team will rebound in terms of Whiteness over the next couple of seasons. There are just way too many polys on this team, even considering the Mormon poly pipeline.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

reports from BYU's camp say that JD Falslev has locked up the starting slot receiver spot, and that he will also be getting touches at tailback (where the Cougars have HUGE question marks).

black receivers Apo and Hoffman are the projected starters on the outside entering the season, but there are three freshman wideouts who, according to the coaching staff, are simply making too many plays to keep off the field.

6-foot-6 Mitch Mathews (the younger brother of likely starting tight end Marcus Mathews) is one of the fastest players on the team and can jump out of the gym. just coming back from his mission, he had locked up the 4th receiver spot until he got banged up last week.

Dylan Collie, the younger brother of BYU record-setter Austin, doesn't "look like a wide receiver" ... except that he's always open, always catches the ball, and seems to make a play every time he gets an opportunity. consequently, the coaches say he will likely be in the receiver rotation this year.

Alex Kuresa virtually re-wrote the Utah record book as a high school quarterback, but he's shown "surprising athleticism" in camp and reports have him earning reps both at wide receiver and at running back.

we'll see if any of these reports pan out, but don't be surprised if one or more of these young cats make some plays for the Cougars this fall.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Marcus Mathews, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound junior brother of Mitch, has been moved from tight end to wide receiver. no one (except for perhaps receivers coach Ben Cahoon) seems to know if the move is permanent or just an additional way to get Mathews on the field.

with the BIG question marks at running back, a talented dual-threat at quarterback in Nelson, and a glut of (reported) talent at wide receiver, don't be surprised if BYU goes 4-wide an awful lot this year.

also, with the move of Marcus Mathews to wideout, junior Kaneakua Friel (White) appears to have taken the edge for the starting tight end spot over Austin Holt (White) and Richard Wilson (black), who are both still battling nagging knee injuries.

i also expect their base formation to be 3-wide receivers, and i doubt if they use a fullback very much unless things change drastically from reports out of camp.

 

[Highlander]

Bummer...

BYU true Frosh dual-threat QB, Taysom Hill, out for the year (and beyond) with knee injury:

http://www.cougarfan.com/article.as...cle_0bd0c51e-11af-11e2-89f0-0019bb2963f4.html

http://www.cougarfan.com/article.as...46746-88/hill-injury-knee-mendenhall.html.csp

 

[Liverlips]

I hope it is just a year ... this kid is very good.

 

[FootballDad]

I wouldn't say "beyond that". He is fortunate that it is just an LCL injury, as it is much less severe than an ACL/MCL in-the-very-center-of-the-knee injury. He should be full-speed by late Spring practice.