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Provo • BYU's football team wrapped up spring camp with a practice and a 40-play scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Friday afternoon in front of hundreds of former players on campus for Alumni Day.

It was somehow fitting, then, that coach Bronco Mendenhall said after the workout that the "story of the spring" was a quarterback who has exhausted his eligibility, outgoing senior Christian Stewart.

No, things aren't really that bad at the school once known as the "Quarterback Factory." It just appears that way.

As has been well-documented, Stewart was called back to help out in spring camp because the Cougars had no other healthy quarterbacks who could test the defense and help the receivers develop adequately. He played the part on Friday as well, directing the offense on three touchdown drives in five possessions.

"Just the acceleration [of progress] and the discovery of what our team was would not have happened" without Stewart's contribution, Mendenhall said.

But what about the future?

Taysom Hill should be cleared for contact shortly and will return from a fractured leg in fall camp. If he stays healthy, it is a moot point.

But behind the senior, the Cougars will be as young and inexperienced as any team in the country. Tanner Mangum, who returns from a church mission in June, will battle incoming freshman Beau Hoge and, possibly, injured sophomore McCoy Hill (foot) for the backup spot.

"We've got really good answers at the quarterback position coming in this fall," said offensive coordinator Robert Anae. "That was just not the case right now this spring. But with that said, I do believe we made progress in our individual groups in the offense."

Anae said the defense was a "vanilla version" of itself on Friday, which is why the offense rolled again, much like it did in last week's more official scrimmage. Mendenhall, who is now overseeing the defense, agreed, to a point.

"I would say [the defense] is a work in progress, still," he said. "The physical conditioning, mental toughness and resiliency, if we get all that exactly right, then eventually the schematic part and the execution will [come]."

The defense actually started well, holding the offense to a three-and-out and then a field goal attempt before the floodgates opened. Freshman walk-on Sam Morrell had three tackles, Garrett Juergens and Grant Jones had pass breakups and returned missionary Ryan Jensen knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage.

Mendenhall said there isn't one aspect of the team that will keep him up at night the next four months as the Cougars head into the offseason, saying the inexperience at backup quarterback will be covered up by an offensive scheme that doesn't require as much experience as it does athleticism.

"So, yeah, that is something that I am not losing sleep over," Mendenhall said. "Some people can look from the outside and say, 'yeah, who is your backup?' I can't say right now. But, man, I feel pretty good about who we have coming to compete for that spot."

Anae is also bullish on Mangum (who participated in a spring camp before departing to Chile) and Hoge, the son of ESPN NFL analyst Merril Hoge. He is also "100 percent confident" that Taysom Hill and running back Jamaal Williams (knee injury) "will be back to their former selves, if not a better version" of what they were before the injuries.

"I am very excited at the [quarterbacks] coming into the program," Anae said. "They will be young and inexperienced, but they are talented. They are the exact type of quarterback that we feel can come to BYU and elevate our program. There has been some attrition at that spot. All I can say is watch this young group of quarterbacks develop. I feel very confident the future of BYU football is in great hands."

drew@sltrib.com witter: @drewjay —

Highlights

• Outgoing quarterback Christian Stewart directs all five series and leads the offense to three touchdowns.

• Running back Nate Carter catches a TD pass and rushes for another TD.

• More than 1,000 former players and family members attend Alumni Day.