This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I hope you were able to catch the live chat I did this morning with Kevin Morris, the Tribune's digital director. Thanks to those of you who jumped online and submitted a question.

I will be doing a live web chat every Thursday at 11 a.m. this season, so please join us if you can.

One of the questions regarded the status of Corbin Kaufusi, the 6-foot-9 sophomore who is trying to make the transition from basketball to football. Can he really pull it off?

It appears that he is well on his way.

Monday, Kaufusi made the two-deep chart, and is listed as a potential starter at left end along with fellow sophomore Moses Kaumatule.

I asked him Tuesday if that came as a surprise.

"It was just an opportunity that presented itself," he said. "There are a lot of good players on the line, and so working with them has been great, and they've been helping me a lot. I am a little surprised, but at the same time they have been helping me do it, so I am thankful to them, and the coaches."

Kaufusi, who played in 70 basketball games and started in 36 the past two seasons, averaged 4.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He was a serviceable center, and BYU listed him at 6-10, 255 last season.

Now, he's listed at 6-9 (did he shrink?) and 270. He said it required a "leap of faith" to give football a try, but acknowledges that he can, and will, go back to basketball when the season is over.

"I think for me, more than playing time, it is just being part of the game," he said. "I can feel how fun it has been these last couple of weeks, before we have even played a game. It is like, 'wow,' I really do love football as well.' So, I am really happy with the choice I have made."

Kaufusi, brother of injured Baltimore Ravens defensive end Bronson Kaufusi, originally signed to play football for BYU, but grew on his mission and joined the basketball team when he got home.

"I think he has come along fast in his development," said defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki. "I didn't think that he would catch on as fast as he is now. He is reacting really, really fast with just seeing blocks and squeezing blocks and not being caught out in space. He covers so much space, too, and so that helps. But I mean, he has blocked a punt in some of our scrimmages. He has batted balls down. There have been some times when you tell him to stay away from the quarterback, to protect the quarterback, and he is ducking, and he is still in the way. He is going to add a lot to us, with just his size and his speed."

The big question is: how much will Kaufusi play on Saturday?

To me, it sounds like he will see some time in obvious passing situations, third-and-longs.

"Right now, we have got him rotating with the twos," Tuiaki said. "We have got five D ends that we feel comfortable playing right now. The other guys [not among those five] are still in development stage. But he will definitely get some time."