2016 by Position Group Concern

[snoscythe]

Concur on the concerns with the OL, but I had to go with ST, since I don't think I could even name who our kicker and punter are going to be. Maybe that is just my ignorance shining through, though.

Why did I think he had graduated?

Wishful thinking?

[SpiffCoug]

OL concerns me as well. For spring, this is what the depth chart looked like:
OL starters:
71 Austin Hoyt 6-8 270 Sophomore
78 Tuni Kanuch 6-3 330 Junior
54 Parker Dawe 6-3 295 Senior
73 Ului Lapuaho 6-7 330 Junior
75 Brad Wilcox 6-7 320 Senior

Hoyt has played in 9 games with 2 starts.
Kanuch has played in 24 games with 7 starts.
Dawe has played in 12 games with 2 starts.
Lapuaho has played in 21 games with 18 starts.
Wilcox has played in 39 games with 13 starts.

That's 105 games and 42 starts (21 games & 8.4 starts on average).

On the DL you have the following:
Tomasi Laulili, JR, 6-4, 288. 25 games played with 1 start.
Logan Taele, SR, 6-2, 299. Played in 35 games with 11 starts.
Kesni Tausinga, SR, 6-1, 301.Played in 11 games.

There is one more starter to be found amongst:
Roman Andrus, SO, 6-4, 282. 1 game played (Wagner)
Moses Kaumatule, SO 6-2, 262. 7 games played.
Tevita Mo'Unga, SO, 6-2, 322. 7 games played.
Merrill Taliauli, SO, 6-2, 293. 2 games played back in 2013.
Maurice Maxwell, SR, 6-4, 260. 0 games played for BYU.
Travis Tuiloma, SR, 6-2, 301. Is injured and who knows if he'll be ready for the 2016 season.
There is also Handsome Tanielu, JR 6-2, 285 but he's not even listed on the most recent BYU roster.

It just seems like there is more returning talent on the OL than DL.

[redneckjedi]

That's the thing - it seems like we're always loaded at OL and worried about the DL, but the DL overperforms and the OL underperforms. Maybe that was a function of Bronco being great at getting more out of his guys and our OL coaches / conditioning coaches not being great at it (Hey, let's get all our O-line to drop tons of weight so they're faster, even though nobody else does that!), maybe we were bad at identifying good OL talent, maybe a mix, I don't know. But I haven't felt like we could dominate the line of scrimmage against anyone on offense since 2009. Well, unless that someone was Texas.

[Fido]

Spring game DL starters:
48 Tomasi Laulile 6-4 280 Junior
91 Travis Tuiloma 6-2 300 Senior (foot)
62 Logan Taele 6-2 293 Senior (shoulder)
31 Sae Tautu 6-4 246 Senior **transition from LB?

DL 2's
49 Moses Kaumatule 6-2 245 Sophomore (knee)
50 Tevita Mo'unga 6-3 340 Sophomore (leaving on mission?)
94 Kesni Tausinga 6-1 302 Junior
16 Sione Takitaki 6-2 240 Junior

Depth
59 Roman Andrus 6-4 265 Sophomore
Corbin Kaufusi 6-10 260 Sophomore
98 Maurice Maxwell 6-4 230 Senior
95 Cody Savage 6-6 245 Freshman
54 Merrill Taliauli 6-2 312 Sophomore

Swing players (LB/DL)
44 Troy Hinds 6-5 233 Sophomore
47 Scott Huntsman 6-4 220 Sophomore
51 Lene Lesatele 6-2 231 Junior

Joining in Fall
Handsome Tanielu 6-2 295 Junior - Transfer from Snow College
Zac Dawe 6-4 265 Freshman - Returned Missionary
Teancum Fuga 6-2 320 Freshman - Returned Missionary
Uriah Leiataua 6-4 240 Freshman - Returned Missionary
Felesi Tofi 6-3 280 Freshman - Returned Missionary
Kainoa Fuiava 6-5 295 Freshman - Class of 2016
Keanu Saleapaga 6-6 265 Freshman - Class of 2016

[HoosierCougar]

Concur on the concerns with the OL, but I had to go with ST, since I don't think I could even name who our kicker and punter are going to be. Maybe that is just my ignorance shining through, though.

Why did I think he had graduated?

Wishful thinking?

Or because he's not on the rugby squad this year (to focus on punting)?

[snoscythe]

I think the OL will be the most-improved group, at least by perception.

The last O-lineman BYU had drafted was Scott Young....in 2005. BYU did not have a single offensive lineman drafted during the Anae/Doman/Anae years of spread, go-fast-go-hard, and nitro offenses. Why? Because the NFL doesn't want that type of offensive lineman. There are a few guys from BYU who have made it as UFAs (Matt and Dallas Reynolds, Ray Feinga), but they've done it in spite of BYU's offensive philosophy. BYU has landed solid OLine talent, but it's largely been wasted in an offense built to succeed regardless of Oline play, rather than one that demands solid Oline play.

Now BYU is returning to battle-in-the-trenches offenses, and you're actually going to see the Oline with hands in the dirt outside of the "and-goal" counts. They're going to have time to catch their breath between plays and communicate in the huddle and all the way up to the next snap. The standards of linemen benching 400# and squatting 700# may (and should) return. And most importantly, they all get to eat a lot more now that Anae/Wintrich aren't trying to turn them into track stars and they get more free food under the new NCAA regs.

It's a shiny new world for Olinemen at BYU. (and tight ends too, if we had any on the roster)

[Jarhead]

Biggest position group concerns for me...
Offense: Offensive Line
Defense: Yes

[SpiffCoug]

With Koroma back, I'm sticking with my DL pick.

[scott715]

Can I change mine now?