This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Provo • Assuming defenders Kai Nacua, Travis Tuiloma and Logan Taele and offensive lineman Kyle Johnson return healthy after having offseason surgery, BYU's football team this fall will look a lot like it did in 2015.
New coach Kalani Sitake and first-time college coordinators Ty Detmer and Ilaisa Tuiaki inherited a talented group of about 16 returning starters — eight on each side of the ball, if center Tejan Koroma gets back after withdrawing from school in January.
But if Sitake's first spring camp, which concluded last Friday with a practice and short scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium, showed anything, it is that the Cougars will play much differently in 2016.
In short, the offense directed by Detmer will scrap Robert Anae's "Go Hard, Go Fast" approach and huddle up after almost every play. Whoever emerges from what should be an intense and spirited quarterback battle — senior Taysom Hill or sophomore Tanner Mangum — will line up under center more often than not and engineer a pro-style attack with multiple formations and lots of motion.
Detmer loves to hunt on his Texas ranch, but the shotgun won't be utilized much, if at all. No more spread; no more zone reads — although that particular formation/play could be revived if Hill wins the job to more fully utilize his outstanding running ability.
Speaking of which, with 71.6 percent of their 2015 rushing yards returning, and senior Jamaal Williams back in the fold after missing the 2015 season, the Cougars will run the ball more, especially if Johnson and Koroma make it back.
"The foundation has been set in all the offensive positions," Mangum said. "We are in a good position now to just keep improving. Spring camp got us ready to do stuff on our own this summer, then hit the ground running in the fall."
If there is a concern on offense, it could be at receiver where the Cougars are trying to replace the production of Mitch Mathews and Devon Blackmon. But Sitake isn't worried.
"We are fine at receiver," he said. "Right now with Nick Kurtz and Moroni [Lualu-Pututau], and Mitch Juergens and also Garrett Juergen [switching from defense] and [Colby] Pearson, there are a lot of good bodies, and guys that can run. I don't think we are as thin as people think."
Highly touted Snow College receiver Jonah Trinnaman joins the corps this summer.
The defense directed by Tuiaki and former Southern Utah head coach Ed Lamb is still in the "morphing" stage, Tuiaki said Friday, but is transitioning from Bronco Mendenhall's favored 3-4 into a 4-3 alignment. A pair of pass-rushing specialists who were considered outside linebackers last year, Sae Tautu and Sione Takitaki, are now defensive ends.
"It is coming along great," Sitake said of the transition. "I think Steve [Kaufusi] feels a lot more comfortable with the D-line being in a four-man front than anything else. We will use some odd [fronts] at times, but I think it was a good jump-start to what we will need from the defense, as far as being in the 4-3."
BYU has never had the right personnel in the secondary to play man-press coverage, but Tuiaki, Lamb and new secondary coach Jernaro Gilford believe they can do that more than ever with seasoned cornerbacks Michael Davis and Michael Shelton and converted receiver Akile Davis. Former corners Micah Hanneman and Jordan Preator will join the uber-talented Nacua at safety.
"We want to put the best 11 on the field. That's the goal. That is never-ending," Sitake said. "So it is always a process to get the best 11 guys on the field. And most guys want to start and get on the field as soon as they can. With that and the desire to get on the field, and with what we will need as a team, I think we will be able to get the best product out there."
Freshman Troy Warner has emerged as a possible two-way player, because he saw time in camp as a receiver and a defensive back.
"Overall, I am happy with where the team stands right now, and I think we are right on track with where we need to be," Sitake concluded.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU springs forward
How BYU football will change under Kalani Sitake:
• Offense will slow down, huddle up more and transition away from the spread/shotgun approach to more of a pro-style attack with quarterback under center.
• The Cougars want to run the ball more in 2016 due to a strong crop of outstanding ball carriers such as Jamaal Williams, Algernon Brown and Squally Canada.
• Defense will also change schemes, lining up in a 4-3 front instead of Bronco Mendenhall's favored 3-4.
• In the secondary, BYU's cornerbacks will play more man-press coverage and less zone.