You can hear the whispers with the start of this season, to BYU’s historic 1984 season. BYU has come out of the gate red out, thoroughly beating both UCONN and Texas on the road in weeks 1 and 2, 35-10 and 41-7 respectively. The Cougars have now entered the top 25 in the AP top 25 poll, and 15 in the ESPN poll, raising the question, can they run the table?
The spearhead to this surge in the early season has been Junior Quarterback Taysom Hill. Hill has won the FBS-Independent Offensive player of the week award two weeks in a row, showing considerable improvement in his accuracy completing 73 percent of his passes. However, Hill is the ultimate dual threat, churning out 196 yards rushing with 5 touchdowns. Athlon Sports currently has Hill 2nd on their Heisman list; needless to say he’s generating some national buzz. While Hill is obviously the catalyst of this BYU team there are however, several senior prospects worth noting.
After a shocking loss to UTSA in Week 1, Houston was able to regain their composure and defeat Grambling State 47-0. That performance featured the high-octane offense that many around the country expected to see from the young Cougars.
Here’s who to watch in the Cougar vs. Cougar Thursday night.By: Matt Vahey and Ian Kenyon
BYU Cougars
Alani Fua, LB, #5
Alani Fua is taking the step forward to fill the gap left by first-round draft pick Kyle Van Noy and was named to the Nagurski and Butkus Award watch lists entering this season. Alani Fua has the protypical size, at 6’5’’ and 234 pounds he is an athletic specimen on the field. In the first two games, he has showed that he has an NFL skill set, showing this off against Texas where he was all over the field, and recording a big time sack for the Cougars. Fua has a great combination of Strength and Speed, where he is asked to drop back in coverage on many occasions. He plays with a relentless motor, and being the key player on the defense he will need to continue his relentless play and prove that he can be next in line from BYU to be drafted.
Jordan Leslie, WR, #9
Leslie is a transfer student from UTEP where he has already graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Jordan has all of the physical tools to be successful; in 2013 his production dropped from his 2012 pace, but despite the drop in catches and yards he still consistently finds the end zone. At 6’3’’ and 215 pounds, he is a big target for quarterback Taysom Hill and shows the ability to run precise routes and gives himself the opportunity to make plays. Against the better competition, like the defensive backs of Texas, he showed off his skills and reeled in 7 passes for 85 yards and put his hands and athleticism on display. One example, while being double covered Leslie made quite the acrobatic catch for a big gain. If Leslie can continually produce as the season goes, he has the abilities to put up the numbers and hear his name called during the draft.
Michael Yeck, OL, #77
Going into the season, Michael Yeck was coming off a Season where he was the only lineman to start every game and received All-Independent honors including Phil Steele All-Independent First Team, as well as being named to the Outland Trophy watch list going into the season. Yeck has great size (6’8’’ and 294 pounds) and was productive last season, he has not started in either game this season due to a broken toe, keeping him out 3-4 weeks. He is expected be back in the coming weeks baring any setbacks.
Houston Cougars
Deontay Greenberry, WR, #3
The most talented Cougar is Greenberry, a 6’3”, 200-pound slot receiver. Greenberry is highly effective on seam routes because of his impressive catch radius and ability to adjust mid-air for the ball. He’s a raw route runner because of the offense he plays in, but he’s a mismatch no matter whom he faces up against. Greenberry has good speed for his size and is a fluid runner. He creates yards after the catch routinely with his burst and long-stride. Greenberry projects to have a second-day grade if he declares early.
Bryce Redman, OC, #58
The Cougars ran for 275 yards against Grambling State, mostly behind their senior center, Bryce Redman. Redman is undersized, standing 6’1”, 285-pounds, but he’s very good in space because of his quickness. He locates second-level defenders effectively and is able to seal off blocks. Redman struggles against big nose tackles due to his inability to anchor. As he adds size, this should improve. What could limit Redman at the next level is his lack of length. He doesn’t have the ability to punch defenders effectively because he must allow them to get close with his arm length. Right now, Redman has a late-round, UDFA grade, with upside to develop on a practice squad.
Joey Mbu, DT, #92
Mbu possesses good size at 6’3”, 312-pounds, but he hasn’t been able to use his physical tools consistently yet. He’s strong enough to eat up double teams, but doesn’t show good enough leverage or hand use when his role is to gap penetrate. His hands flash strength, but he won’t be confused for a pass rusher with his burst. There’s enough physical ability for Mbu to play at the next level as a role player, but he needs to keep his motor high and work on his overall hand use.
Efrem Oliphant, OLB, #50
An undersized linebacker for the Cougars, Oliphant flies all over the field to make tackles. He’s just 6’1”, 230-pounds, so he struggles to shed tackles consistently. He’s likely best cut out to play on the weak side in the NFL, where he won’t have to engage with lineman quite as often. Oliphant has good speed, but his tweener label will not help him. He’s an impactful player for this defense, and is worth keeping an eye on.
Notes:
–Cougars’ running back Kenneth Farrow had a breakout game against Grambling State, averaging 10 yards a carry for 130 total yards. Farrow is a junior that is key for the Cougars’ success.
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