The loss of Biegal hurts....

[Goatnapper'96]

there are a few positions that I view as more crucial than others wrt BYU landing top notch LDS athletes. Those positions are foremost offensive skill position players (predominately QB, WR and RB) and on defense it is OLB.

In order for BYU to be good it needs really good OLBs. It is rarely going to have elite level defensive backfields. It is usually going to have above average to very good DL and ILBs. IMO, the difference makers on BYU's defense are the OLBs. If they are good they cover a lot of sins of the lack of playmakers in the DB. If they are good and atheltic it allows BYU to put essentially 3 DTs, a position BYU should be able to recruit really well, on the DL. Losing Biegal is not going to hurt for a couple of years but lets not kid ourselves, there will be limits to how good BYU can be on defense if Kevan Bills spends 2 or more years as a starting OLB. Now I think BYU will get a great corps of LBs from this class, but I don't see one of them that has elite level athleticism for the outside. Plenty of great ILB options, and I think the Hinds kid could be a good WOLB but the real key to BYU's defense IMO starts with a SOLB who can get in space and cover. I think Biegal could do that. I think there was a reason he was BYU's #1 recruit this year.

[MarkGrace]

Yeah, stinks to lose him. I was never under the impression that we had a great shot, but of course it would have been great to get him and it still sucks to lose out.

[Indy Coug]

We'll just have to make do with the other 35 LBs in the program.

[byu71]

there are a few positions that I view as more crucial than others wrt BYU landing top notch LDS athletes. Those positions are foremost offensive skill position players (predominately QB, WR and RB) and on defense it is OLB.

In order for BYU to be good it needs really good OLBs. It is rarely going to have elite level defensive backfields. It is usually going to have above average to very good DL and ILBs. IMO, the difference makers on BYU's defense are the OLBs. If they are good they cover a lot of sins of the lack of playmakers in the DB. If they are good and atheltic it allows BYU to put essentially 3 DTs, a position BYU should be able to recruit really well, on the DL. Losing Biegal is not going to hurt for a couple of years but lets not kid ourselves, there will be limits to how good BYU can be on defense if Kevan Bills spends 2 or more years as a starting OLB. Now I think BYU will get a great corps of LBs from this class, but I don't see one of them that has elite level athleticism for the outside. Plenty of great ILB options, and I think the Hinds kid could be a good WOLB but the real key to BYU's defense IMO starts with a SOLB who can get in space and cover. I think Biegal could do that. I think there was a reason he was BYU's #1 recruit this year.

The mantra that many bought into 5-6 years ago that Bronco's attitude would mean BYU would get all the best LDS athletes I hope is totally debunked.

Hopefully we can now work very hard on getting good players whether they be RM material or not. I think Bronco has adopted that philosophy, but every once in a while when I hear him preaching about the "only" type of kids BYU will recruit, I get a bit nervous. Thankfully his actions do not meet his "rhetoric".

I appreciate being able to say this here. If I had said that on CB, I would have been lynched.

[jay santos]

I haven't followed this much, how high was Biegel rated? If he's a 4 star or above, I'd agree it hurts. But LB seems to be a position we do OK finding.

[Goatnapper'96]

We'll just have to make do with the other 35 LBs in the program.

Is there anyone other than Van Noy who is likely to have the athleticism to be able to cover on the edge?

Admittedly while I follow recruiting, I don't follow it as close as some. My impression was that the OLB pipeline gets pretty sparse in a couple of years. Of course there is plenty of time to get it fixed but at the BYU it is wise to sometimes take a more extended window view of recruiting. I like the OLB situation for the next 3 years but this kid could have been on in the pipline for after Van Noy.

I think the Joey Owens and Kevan Bills are solid but for BYU to be good, something that admittedly can't happen every year, that is one position it seems to be BYU needs to be better than solid.

[MarkGrace]

I haven't followed this much, how high was Biegel rated? If he's a 4 star or above, I'd agree it hurts. But LB seems to be a position we do OK finding.

Yeah, ****. Offers from Wisc, Mich, Mich St, Iowa, Tenn, etc. And, as mentioned by Napper, supposedly the top overall recruit on BYU's board.

[Borderline Divine]

C'mon Goat. Just how much OLB mojo is needed to contain the state of Idaho week in and week out?

[Goatnapper'96]

I haven't followed this much, how high was Biegel rated? If he's a 4 star or above, I'd agree it hurts. But LB seems to be a position we do OK finding.

He was pretty highly recruited. Offers from Wisconsin and Michigan. What I liked about him was he is also a stud hurdler. From what I gathered he can really move and would have fit in well as a SOLB. I also think with his dad being a college player he is likely to have the football iq/knowledge to play early. I view him as very similar to David Nixon in both ability and likelihood to be able to contribute early.

[Goatnapper'96]

C'mon Goat. Just how much OLB mojo is needed to contain the state of Idaho week in and week out?

Has Utah ever beaten a team from the state of Idaho in the last 20 years?

[Katy Lied]

that is one position it seems to be BYU needs to be better than solid.

Especially if you, like me, secretly harbor a wish to go back to the 3-3-1.

[Borderline Divine]

Has Utah ever beaten a team from the state of Idaho in the last 20 years?

We've been weak at OLB. Thats all.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Has Utah ever beaten a team from the state of Idaho in the last 20 years?

I think they have a convincing win over Idaho State under their belts, but Utah's winning percentage against Idaho schools since the McBride Era is a dazzling 0.167. A Ute dumb enough to use Idaho smack is a classic example of leading with one's chin.

[taekwondave]

I really don't see this being a problem. Our defense is so stacked right now, and if we put up a halfway decent showing this season record wise, I see our recruiting humming along just fine. We can't win em all, obviously, but hey, even some we don't win at first, we end up winning later (Fangupo, Kaveinga, etc).

[taekwondave]

By the way, I need an avatar. I feel like a troll. How do I get one?