This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • About five days ago, BYU coaches and players got the stunning news that star running back Jamaal Williams was withdrawing from school and would not be available to play in the 2015 college football season.
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae was willing to admit on Monday as the Cougars wrapped up their second practice of preseason camp that Williams' departure leaves a "huge, huge vacancy at the running back position to fill."
So how are they going to do that?
Saturday, running backs coach Mark Atuaia and coach Bronco Mendenhall hemmed and hawed when that question was put to them, but on Monday Anae said it will start with junior bruiser Algernon Brown and steady, lightly used senior walk-on Nate Carter.
"We are going to lean on Algie and Nate," Anae said. "We have capable guys. And over the summer, Algie and Nate really did a nice job. So right now, those are our two starting backs, and we will rotate them because we run so many plays. They've got to do it all."
Anae said senior Adam Hine is still recovering from offseason surgery on the Sesamoid bone in his foot and is not back at the other two aforementioned backs' level. He said sophomore receiver Mitchell Juergens will play a bigger role after getting six carries last year.
As of now, coaches aren't looking to move any players over from defense although several were running backs in high school, including Harvey Langi and incoming freshmen Dayan Lake and Riley Burt. Another ball-toting option is inside receiver Trey Dye, Mendenhall said on Saturday.
"Right now, we are just looking at the broader perspective," Anae said. "In a couple of days we will probably take a step back and assess, position-by-position."
Langi, the former University of Utah and Bingham High running back who is seemingly entrenched as the starter at middle linebacker, said returning to his old position "did run through my mind" when he heard Williams was gone.
"Dang, that would be so cool to run the ball," Langi said. "But that's not my call. My call is just to be a defensive player, be a mike linebacker, and be the best mike linebacker I can possibly be. … And they haven't come up to me and asked, hey, do you want to take some reps at running back."
Monday, walk-on RB Peter Welsh was added to the position group, replacing injured tight end Jackson Kaka on the 105-man roster.
"We have a lot of great running backs already," Langi said. "I have faith in them. I love them. There's no need for me to stress. There's already enough unnecessary stress for me."
Brown, a 6-foot-1, 229-pound product of Salt Lake City's Skyline High, described himself Saturday as a "powerful, fight-for-yards type of back" who is not as quick as Williams but who has improved his speed over the summer with the help of new strength and conditioning coach Frank Wintrich.
"I am pretty grateful [for last season's carries after Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury in the ninth game]," Brown said. "That's going to help me fill that role that Jamaal had."
Both Anae and Mendenhall said Monday that the situation with Carter, who still hasn't been awarded a scholarship, reminds them of how another walk-on, Bryan Kariya, stepped in for Harvey Unga in the 2009 opener to help the Cougars beat Oklahoma, 14-13.
"Nate, there's nothing he won't do to help our team in a positive way," Mendenhall said. "….Those are the players who are fun to have around the program and see get an opportunity. I am thrilled for him."
Mendenhall said Langi hasn't approached him about playing both ways, much like Nick Vigil did for Utah State last year, "but I've had everyone else in my neighborhood [mention] it."
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU's returning rushing leaders from 2014
Player GP Attempts Yards Ave. TDs
Taysom Hill 5 87 460 5.3 8
Algernon Brown 9 68 324 4.8 0
Nate Carter 8 46 290 6.3 1
Adam Hine 11 40 154 3.8 2
Mitch Juergens 13 6 23 3.8 0