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BYU running backs coach Mark Atuaia has a law degree (from BYU), and is married to Elizabeth Wolfgramm, a former lead singer of the 1980s pop group "The Jets."

It is no surprise, then, that he's got a flair for the dramatic. That was on display after BYU's spring football practice at the IPF on Monday when I asked the third-year RBs coach how confident he is that star running back Jamaal Williams will be 100 percent when fall camp rolls around in early August.

"I am not a betting man, so I am not going to say anything yet. But I am hopeful that he will be ready. What he is coming back from is a very huge and devastating injury, and so again, I am cautiously optimistic about his progression," Atuaia said. "However, from what I see he is doing well and he is dancing a lot more now. So I think that is helping him rehab his knee, I guess."

Williams isn't practicing yet, but he was at Pro Day cheering on his former teammates and attended the scrimmage Friday night, much to the delight of young autograph seekers.

Mitch Harper asked Atuaia if there's a chance that Williams will redshirt if he isn't good to go by the time the opener against Nebraska on Sept. 5 gets here.

"Again, we will cross that bridge when we get there. Hypotheticals are for law school and I am done with that already. yeah, we will cross that bridge when we get there," Atuaia said.

Of more immediate concern is the injury suffered by OLB Sae Tautu on the first play of the scrimmage.

Coach Bronco Mendenhall said Tautu had an MRI on his right knee on Monday morning, but that the results hadn't been read as of 11 a.m. Mendenhall repeated what he said Friday night — that the "early diagnosis" was a sprain.

Projected starting cornerback Jordan Preator has not been practicing, and did not participate in the scrimmage on Friday. I finally remembered to ask Mendenhall why the sophomore from Fremont High (Plain City, Utah) has been out.

"Jordan Preator is being held out for academic reasons, currently," Mendenhall said.

Quarterback Taysom Hill missed practice Monday because he was sick.

"There is this thing that makes you lose your voice, bronchitis like, that is passing around," Mendenhall said.

It kind of went under the radar last week that BYU had hired former player and graduate assistant Justin Anderson to replace Geoff Martzen as its new director of player personnel. Anderson was most recently a coach at Nicholls State University in Louisiana.

"We had a really strong field of candidates, and Justin was exceptional. He was the last candidate to be interviewed, and did a phenomenal job. We are excited to have him," Mendenhall said. "He will start on the sixth [of April] and I am really excited with the direction our player personnel department will go with him at the lead."

Anderson hasn't been a recruiting coordinator before, and he has big shoes to fill because Martzen was phenomenal in his two years in Provo, by most accounts.

"Justin has been coaching at places that require you to not only coach, but recruit, and handle the personnel, etc.," Mendenhall said. "So he's not experienced in terms of job title. But as soon as you start talking to him, preparation and experience is again, versus the candidates we were looking at, he is really strong. So we think we used the point where we were as a launch point. We are going to gain momentum really quickly."

More comments from Mendenhall's session with reporters Monday morning:

On what he learned from the scrimmage:

"Nothing really different than what I hadn't learned already this spring — kind of just the consistency and manifestation of we are going to be able to throw and catch the ball well. I think our protection will be stronger than what it has been. I like the explosive nature of our receivers. Running back will be certainly strong and deep enough.

What are team are calling the bash brothers — meaning Steven Richards and Tanner Balderee — both got switched over from defense. Both are wearing No. 89 — I don't know how they are going to resolve that. They are adding a nice dimension to our offense, being able to block and then catch the ball on play action.

So ultimately, we really like what we have seen offensively.

Defensively, secondary still has to come along and be improved. Execution took a step forward. But I would still say quite a bit of work to go in terms of what I would like to see in terms of culture, effort and performance. But showing some signs."

On the secondary and where those guys need to take next step:

"So really, not only culturally, continuing to be sharp mentally and trying hard every day. And trying hard is not only physically. There is a lot of pressure in our secondary for those guys to identify, recognize and make adjustments. So they have to do that. And their fundamentals have to hold — which neither one of those are at the level I would like. Then the execution comes after that, so it is going to take time. They are working hard enough, it is just going to take more time than we thought."

On whether there is a bowl agreement yet for this season:

"Yeah, so Tom [Holmoe] will make that announcement. I know in principle, kind of [what are] the team or the games that would like us over the next couple of years. I basically then sign off and say, man, I am for that one if they want us. And then Tom takes it from there. So he will announce it when it is finalized."

On whether he talks about venues and destinations with his team and/or recruits:

"A step forward, excitement and optimism. And so we like it, and there are not only a bunch this year, but a lot the following years as well and that is the direction we are going as a program. So yeah, we want to play as many good teams on as many great stages in front of as many people as possible, wherever that is."