BYU Football

Late Wednesday afternoon, BYU announced its completed 2014 recruiting class.

The class consists of 17 high school recruits, two junior college recruits and one transfer player. Two of those 20 total players were early enrollees and had already signed with BYU prior to today.

Here is the player by player rundown of BYU's 2014 signing class.

All recruit rankings referenced are according to ESPN's recruiting rankings unless otherwise specified. High school statistics come from MaxPreps.

High School Recruits

Matt Bushman, 3-star TE (Tucson, Arizona)

A prolific receiving threat for Sabino High School, Bushman hauled in 123 receptions for 2,891 yards and 42 touchdowns during his three seasons of varsity football. Last season alone, he caught 63 passes for 1,583 yards and 26 touchdowns.

At 6'5" and 215 pounds, Bushman has yet to fill out his frame. He has plenty of time to do so, as he plans to go on his mission this summer and will first join the program in 2016.

Austin Chambers, 3-star OL (Shawnee, Kansas)

An offensive tackle in high school, Chambers also held an offer from the in-state Kansas Jayhawks.  He is expected to serve his mission before joining the program, so Cougar fans will most likely have to wait until 2016 to see what he can do.

Tyler Cook, 3-star OLB (Murrieta, California)

The 6'3", 220-pound outside linebacker from Southern California was one of the big prizes of BYU's recruiting class. He held scholarship offers from 15 different schools, including Miami, Arizona, Cal, Duke and Vanderbilt.

Over his three-year varsity career, he racked up 226 total tackles, 19 sacks, 18 additional tackles for loss and nine forced fumbles. Cook has been clocked as having a 4.51 time in the 40-yard dash, which could lead to him seeing playing time as a true freshman this fall.

Zac Dawe, 3-star DL (Pleasant Grove, Utah)

A defensive end in high school, Dawe is projected as a defensive tackle in college. He twice won the Utah 5A State Championship in wrestling for the Heavyweight division. He will go on his mission before joining BYU in 2016.  His older brother Parker is an offensive lineman for the Cougars.

Trey Dye, 3-star WR (Abilene, Texas)

Dye is the son of former Cougar great James Dye, who played for BYU in 1995 and 1996 and was arguably the top special teams player in team history.  His electric combination of speed and agility resulted in five kick returns/punt returns for touchdowns, and spawned "You punt, you Dye!" chants among the Cougar faithful.

Trey Dye possesses those same characteristics, as this highlight reel attests. He is electric in both the receiving and rushing games and could see solid playing time as a true freshman due to those abilities.  Depending on how he performs in fall camp, he could fill the hole at slot receiver left by the graduation of gutsy J.D. Falslev.

Kavika Fonua, 3-star ATH (Syracuse, Utah)

Fonua projects as a safety, which is where he started to gain national attention.  While playing safety, Fonua won the MVP award of Nike's Oregon Camp and also turned in an impressive SPARQ rating of 123.30 at the Dallas Combine, good for second at the event.

It is unknown whether he will play a season for BYU before going on his mission or whether he will go on his mission straight out of high school.

Teancum Fuga, 3-star DT (Huntington Beach, California)

Teancum goes by "Tico," but it is his last name that should pique the interest of Cougar fans.  His older brother Romney was the stalwart of BYU's defensive line for much of the past several years.

If his impact at the defensive tackle position for BYU is anything like his brother's, fans have a whole lot to look forward to. Fuga will go on his mission before joining BYU in 2016.

Jaterrius Gulley, 2-star DT according to Scout.com (Hoover, Alabama)

Gulley came out of nowhere to sign with the Cougars, getting offers from mostly smaller regional programs such as Memphis, UAB and Western Kentucky.

However, BYU's defensive coaches got their hands on some film of him about a month ago, and the recruiting process went quickly from there. 

While Gulley is somewhat raw, his size is a big pick-up for the Cougars. He is 6'3", 330 pounds, and that kind of size is something the Cougars could desperately use as they look to replace graduating space-eating DT Eathyn Manumaleuna.

Chandon Herring, 3-star OL (Gilbert, Arizona)

Another offensive tackle that fans will have to wait a couple years to see play.  Herring plans to serve his mission before joining the program in 2016.

Isaiah Kaufusi, 3-star OLB (Salt Lake City, Utah)

The nephew of defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi, Isaiah played both LB and WR for Brighton High School, but projects as a defensive player in college.

At just 180 pounds, Kaufusi will need to pack on some weight if he is to remain a linebacker.  Otherwise, he will most likely wind up in the secondary. He has time to fill out his frame though, as he will go on his mission before joining BYU in 2016.

Tejan Koroma, 3-star C (Allen, Texas)

Koroma is a big pickup for the Cougars.  He comes from one of the powerhouse high school programs in Texas, the Allen Eagles (the high school team with the $60 million stadium).

At 6'0", 250 pounds, Koroma is a bit undersized for an offensive lineman, but the fact that he was named to the Texas all-state team as a center is a testament to his abilities.  If his size proves to be an issue, Koroma is also an extremely capable fullback. BYU's less-than-stellar recent blocking abilities just got a big boost with Koroma, who hopes to compete for playing time right away.

Uriah Leiataua, 3-star DL (Compton, California)

Leiataua provided the biggest surprise for the Cougars on signing day.  After being committed to Stanford, he shocked the country by signing a letter of intent with BYU today. This is a huge steal for the Cougars, as Leiataua can play both defensive end and linebacker.  He will go on his mission out of high school before joining the Cougars in 2016.

Earl Mariner, 2-star DT (Topeka, Kansas)

At 6-4, 300 pounds, Mariner continues the trend of adding size to the defensive line with this year's class.  He will go on his mission before joining BYU in 2016.

Isaiah Nacua, 4-star DE (Provo, Utah)

One of the biggest gets of the whole recruiting class for BYU, Nacua kept Cougar fans guessing until the end. He committed to BYU last June, but then opened his recruitment back up in November. Eventually, he stayed in the family, as his brother Kai is a safety for the Cougars.  He will go on his mission before joining the team in 2016.

Michael Shelton, 3-star CB (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Shelton is already on campus, as he was an early enrollee and signed with the Cougars back in December.

While his signing may have not made waves nationally, he is an incredibly important pickup for BYU.  Cornerback is the one position that BYU consistently struggles to fill, and often has to go with JuCo players and converted safeties in order to staff the position.  Getting a true corner straight out of high school could pay major dividends for the Cougars for years to come.

Sione Takitaki, 3-star ILB (Romoland, California)

BYU had to beat out Wisconsin, Washington State and Arizona (amongst others) for Takitaki's services. He played mostly outside linebacker in high school, but projects as a defensive end for BYU.  He has the opportunity to come in and compete right away for playing time this fall.

Fred Warner, 4-star OLB (San Marcos, Callifornia)

Warner's commitment was the crowning moment of this recruiting class.

Out of all the high school players in this year's class who could have an immediate impact on the Cougars this season, Warner is the best bet.

An athletic freak with stellar reaction time and quick feet, Warner was being recruited heavily by USC and Washington (amongst others). In the end, he stayed true to the verbal commitment he gave the Cougars last year.  This was the single biggest signing of BYU's 2014 recruiting class.

Junior College Recruits

Devon Blackmon, 4-star WR (Riverside City College)

A former Oregon commit and high school teammate of RB Jamaal Williams, Blackmon looks to have an immediate impact for the Cougars.  An extremely agile athlete, Blackmon could have an impact at both WR and on special teams. 

It remains to be seen how the coaches will choose to use him, but expect to see Blackmon on the field quite a bit this season for the Cougars. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Nick Kurtz, 4-star WR according to Rivals.com (Grossmont College)

Another early enrollee, Kurtz signed with the Cougars in December and is already on campus.

At 6'6" and 205 pounds, Kurtz has elite WR size. He is expected to replace graduating BYU legend Cody Hoffman, and very well could be the team's number one receiver by the time the season starts.

He has two years of eligibility remaining. Kurtz's signing is second only to Warner's in terms of importance for BYU.

Transfer Players

Jordan Leslie, WR (UTEP)

Wide receivers coach Guy Holliday reunites with the most prolific receiver from his time at UTEP.

Leslie is a 6'3", 210-pound senior who graduated from UTEP and will be enrolling as a graduate student at BYU. During his career in El Paso, Leslie had 125 receptions for 2,015 yards and 15 touchdowns. Leslie is the other player besides Kurtz who is most likely to be BYU's number one receiver this fall.

Overall, BYU focused heavily on the defense as well as the offensive line with this class, while adding a few instant impact receivers.

While they failed to add anyone in the two most high-profile positions (QB and RB), Taysom Hill and Jamaal Williams have those positions well provided for at least the next two years, so there was no sense of urgency to fill those positions.  A very solid class for BYU, even if it wasn't the flashiest.

Let us know what you think of this year's recruiting class.

“Our goal is to win a national championship."

These words have been spoken by Bronco Mendenhall countless times, ever since BYU dived into FBS independence. It is a worthy goal for all football programs—to be the best team in the country.

But is a national championship truly possible with Mendenhall at the helm?

I may not be one to judge, but the obvious answer is no.

To get to the national championship, not to mention winning it, the Cougars would almost certainly need to be undefeated and ranked higher than a Group of Five (Mountain West, C-USA, etc.) champion. From there, the selection committee would need to pick BYU.

The committee takes a good look at quality wins, strength of schedule and rankings. It would be necessary for the Cougs to have a strong schedule and essentially run the table, which is unlikely.

Bronco has a high winning percentage at BYU, but the closest he's gotten to undefeated is 11-2 (three times). That trio of two-loss seasons includes great wins, with triumphs over six ranked teams, but were haunted by bad losses.

Mendenhall's squads lost to Florida State, UCLA and Arizona, all of whom ended the regular season at 6-6.

It's been the same story since 2005; BYU wins most of the games it is expected to win and loses most of the ones in which it is the underdog. Mendenhall is 5-12 against ranked opponents, and although he has a few solid upsets on his resume, that kind of record is far from elite.

Not to mention the bad losses in which BYU was favored. In the last two years, the Cougars lost very winnable games against Utah, Virginia and San Jose State.

It is easy to blame factors other than the coaching for mistakes, but the final scores don't always tell the story.

Hideous play-calling, amateur clock management and poor preparation have been the story of back-to-back five-loss seasons. When you are trying to go on a "Quest for Perfection," maybe you should spend more time prepping for the week's game than the fireside.

BYU showed plenty of improvement from the Virginia game to the bowl, but some of the same mistakes still existed from week one. Notably on offense, there is a long way to go for Robert Anae and his staff.

I understand that there are plenty of people out there that love Bronco. He seems like a great guy, and at BYU, it is important to have that type of head coach. But on the field, he isn't someone that will get BYU to a national championship, much less win one.

I'm not a disgruntled spectator looking for a scapegoat. Mendenhall has given new life to this Cougar program, but the steam from the John Beck and Max Hall days is quickly fading.

Look at it this way—in any occupation, if you set a goal for yourself and the program, only to fall well short of it for nine years, will you keep your job?

Here’s a wake-up call to all Cougar fans. Put down the blue Kool-Aid and realize that Bronco will never take BYU to an elite level. That is the main goal of independence, but with this coaching staff, it isn’t going to happen.

In the words of Geoffrey Chaucer, "All good things must come to an end."

Amen, Geoffrey. Let’s stop settling for good, and move on to great.

"Out with the old, and in with the new."

It's a phrase common to college football, applicable in countless scenarios. But from injuries to ineligibility, there may not be a more difficult part of a season than watching a senior play his final game.

BYU felt this impact last December after middle linebackers Uona Kaveinga and Brandon Ogletree hoisted up the Poinsettia Bowl trophy, marking the end of two successful careers. It appeared that the void left by the duo of defenders could not be filled any time soon, much less by the following season.

That's where Uani 'Unga came in. An Oregon State transfer, the Mike linebacker walked into fall camp as the projected starter at his position. But with a bevy of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, it looked like he could end up as the "other guy" on the field.

But the opposite happened, and at this point of the season, 'Unga deserves the MVP award for BYU's 2013 team, on either side of the ball. 

How could a little-known player earn such a prestigious award, especially when facing the likes of fellow linebacker Kyle Van Noy, wide receiver Cody Hoffman and quarterback Taysom Hill?

The answer lies in the question; 'Unga isn't the Most Outstanding Player nor the Most Skilled Player, but the Most Valuable Player. He plays a position that doesn't have the depth of Van Noy's, Hoffman's or Hill's, and his health and availability are more crucial than any other for BYU.

No disrespect to the trio of stars just mentioned. All have NFL potential and are unquestionably the biggest stars on the team. In fact, from a statistical angle, 'Unga isn't even the best-rounded player on the defense.

Player	Tackles	TFLs	Sacks	INTs	QBHs
Uani 'Unga	106	6	0	0	1
Kyle Van Noy	56	15	4	2	13
Alani Fua	54	4.5	3	2	2
Robertson Daniel	53	1	1	0	0
Daniel Sorensen	50	3	0	2	0
Craig Bills	47	1	0	0	0
Eathyn Manumaleuna	44	6	0	0	1
Skye PoVey	38	0	0	1	0
Spencer Hadley	36	2.5	1	1	1
Blake Morgan	33	0	0	0	0
Mike Hague	29	1	1	0	0
Bronson Kaufusi	27	4	2	1	2

'Unga is head-and-shoulders above the rest in total tackles, but trails in every other category. But it is what is behind the stats that really separate him from others. He has shown his toughness, as evidenced by playing through a chest injury against Virginia. Despite getting hurt in the first quarter, he played deep into the fourth and racked up a team-high 10 tackles.

If 'Unga were to face a season-ending barrier, his position would be in more jeopardy than any other on the field. Of course, KAT safety doesn't have much more leeway, but Michael Wadsworth and Chris Badger could make ends meet if Daniel Sorensen were to become unavailable.

The same can be said at weak-side linebacker or wideout, Van Noy's and Hoffman's positions. Alani Fua and Jherremya-Leuta Douyere, despite primarily playing on the strong side, could fill in at KVN's spot, while Skyler Ridley, Ross Apo and Terenn Houk back up Hoffman.

It's a different situation at quarterback, where we don't know a whole lot about the backups. With the solid running game BYU has, a small drop-off at quarterback wouldn't be life-or-death, but the Cougar QB's behind Hill haven't shown enough to prove very much.

But at Mike linebacker, 'Unga's position, there is almost no depth behind the starter. The only player to have more than one solo tackle on the year is Teu Kaitai, and he has a mere two.

'Unga is not the player that has NFL scouts watching every second of his film. He may not be the most skilled, athletic or dominant linebacker on the field, nor does he have his name in his record books like others. But Uani 'Unga is the most valuable player on Bronco Mendenhall's 2013 team, an award which is very well-deserved.

Aside from coaching, there isn't a bigger factor in college football success than recruiting—almost everything stems from how successful coaching staffs are in drawing high school players.

And considering the Honor Code that BYU has to work with, the Cougar coaches have eclipsed most reasonable expectations.

But yesterday's triumphs can't win today's battles; BYU has another star-studded group to pull in. The Cougs have offered over 40 players in the 2014 class, 10 of which are 4-star recruits, and they have gained commitments from 17, per ESPN.

But the work is far from over. With less than three months until national signing day, head coach Bronco Mendenhall and his staff still have a lot left to do before their final class will be assembled. There are a lot of gaps that they will want to fill with new players, and with this season's ending approaching, here's an update on BYU's recruiting efforts.

Key Needs: LB, TE/WR, DB

The biggest blow to BYU's team, on either side of the ball, will be at the linebacker position. Only one linebacker in BYU's starting rotation will be back next season (Alani Fua), and although there are plenty of young players that have the experience to step in to a first-string role, it should be an emphasis in recruiting.

The receiving corps will also be taking big blows when Cody Hoffman, JD Falslev, Skyler Ridley, Richard Wilson and Kaneakua Friel leave. Like the linebacker position, there are players including Devin Mahina, Eric Thornton and Mitch Mathews ready to step in, but a crop of young recruits would be good for the offense.

BYU's secondary has faced more problems this season than any other unit, and although a lot has stemmed from injuries, a strong recruiting class to strengthen the secondary could be a huge asset. BYU will lose key players including Daniel Sorensen, Mike Hague and Skye PoVey, so young players will play a big role next season.

Most Important Commits

Name	Rating	Position	Height	Weight
Isaiah Nacua	****	DE	6'3"	240 lbs
Fred Warner	****	OLB	6'3"	205 lbs
Zac Dawe	***	DT	6'4"	265 lbs
Sione Takitaki	***	ILB	6'2"	235 lbs
Matt Bushman	***	TE	6'5"	215 lbs
Cedric Dale	***	RB	5'8"	168 lbs
Trey Dye	***	WR	5'8"	164 lbs
Teancum Fuga	***	DT	6'1"	310 lbs
Chandon Herring	***	OT	6'6"	265 lbs
Tyler Cook-Nolan	***	OLB	6'3"	212 lbs
Michael Shelton	***	CB	5'8"	170 lbs
Neil Pau'u	***	QB-DT	6'4"	206 lbs
Austin Chambers	***	OT	6'5"	297 lbs
Kavika Fonua	***	S	6'0"	203 lbs
Earl Mariner	**	OG	6'3"	300 lbs
Tejan Koroma	NR	OC	6'0"	255
Nick Kurtz	NR	WR	6'6"	205 lbs

Of all the players BYU has gained commitments from, Fred Warner could be one of the most important to secure. With Kyle Van Noy and Spencer Hadley, the Cougars' top two outside linebackers, Warner could make a quick impact in Provo. He may not be the fastest OLB in the country, running a 4.8 40-yard dash, but he definitely has potential to be a solid player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8kZLEAOzzA

The most familiar commit to BYU fans may be junior college receiver Nick Kurtz. He hasn't received the most hype from recruiting outlets, but he got scholarship offers from teams from the PAC 12, SEC and the Big Ten, among others. At 6'6" and a playmaking machine, he could help fill the void filled by Cody Hoffman.

Lastly, a big duo of recruits to keep an eye on is that of Isaiah Nacua and Zac Dawe. The two in-state defensive linemen could add to a solid, run-smashing D, something that Coach Mendenhall loves to assemble. With the pair complementing Bronson Kaufusi on the line, BYU could have a great threesome next season.

Most Important Targets

Name	Rating	Position	Height	Weight
Solomon Thomas	****	DE	6'3"	256 lbs
Damien Mama	****	OG	6'4"	370 lbs
Tyler Luatua	****	TE	6'3"	243 lbs
Dalton Schultz	****	TE	6'6"	235 lbs
Andrew Mike	***	OT	6'6"	278 lbs
David Moa	***	DE	6'3"	236 lbs
Isaiah Kaufusi	***	OLB	6'2"	180 lbs
Uriah-Dillon Leiataua	***	DE	6'3"	232 lbs
Courtland Sutton	***	S	6'3"	195 lbs
Quinn Bailey	***	OT	6'5"	265 lbs

With the struggles at the tight end position for BYU in recent years, Tyler Luatua could be a huge player to pick up. Per 247Sports, BYU is a longshot to land the SoCal tight end, as Texas, Notre Dame and Alabama, among others, have offered Luatua. It would be quite the accomplishment if Mendenhall and his staff could land the nation's top tight end, per ESPN rankings.

Courtland Sutton would be another giant asset to BYU's defense, aiding a struggling secondary. Per 247Sports, The Brenham, Texas resident has Big 12 and Pac-12 teams on his tail, but with Daniel Sorensen losing eligibility after this season, BYU could be a great fit for Sutton.

All recruiting info is courtesy of 247Sports or ESPN unless otherwise noted.