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It is time for me to make my first fearless prediction about Michael Alisa. If Michael's stays healthy for BYU, I predict he will be the first RM to rush for a 1000 yards in a season. Especially if BYU continues to hate on its fans and choose to stay independent!
In looking at top RM rushers at BYU, I found this pantheon of greatness: Fast Freddie Whittingham and the tenacious tandem of Mark Atuai and Hema Heimuli. What we know about these 3? One has a chicks name and one has a chick for a brother (hardy-har-har). The top rushing season for any of these 3? 582 yards by Fast Freddy in 1989.
Unless either Lakei Heimuli or Casey Tiamalu are RMs, the torch for a chance for the BYU to have a premier RM rb has been passed to Michael Alisa. The RM gives BYU some advantages, obviously in the offensive and defensive lines. For the skill players it has rarely been a boon. However, in no position on the field has this been more obvious than at RB. I know Atauia was a heavily recruited RB out of HS and so was Fui Vakapuna. Neither ever really reached their perceived potential at BYU. I don't ever remember a glimmer from Atauia so he might have been overrated. Fui, on the other hand, I thought was really hampered by the injury bug. I thought he really showed potential to be BYU's first premier RM RB the first 6 games of 2006 until he hurt himself against SDSU and never seemed to recover. Perhaps Fui is a premonition of what happens with Michael Alisa? I would think that RB is the hardest position to recover from a mission. The pounding it takes requires peak physical condition to avoid injury. Perhaps RM's are unable to get back into that condition or while working back to that level they sustain injuries in their first year or two home? Obviously, BYU is not historically a place with a heavy emphasis on rushing the ball. Until Jamal Willis, I think the years of good rushing stats were the results of shitty qb play instead of an emphasis on rushing the ball. However, systematically BYU has sought for more balance between rushing and passing since about Give Me the Ball Jamal was prowling on LES. If Alisa can avoid the debilitating injuries that RBs get and RMs seem to get more often, I really think this kid is going to be a good one. He doesn't have the power of Unga but he has a punch and has more athleticism and break away quickness. Right now he strikes more similar to a Curtis Brown type of back that can slash but still get the extra couple of yards after contact and always fall down falling forward. I don't really have a feel for how well he can catch ball out of the backfield as that is vitally important for a BYU every down back, but I think he should be all right as he appears pretty athletic in change of direction. If he can avoid injuries the rest of this year and come back next year 5-10 lbs of muscle heavier and with a better grasp of the offense, both passing and rushing, he really has a shot to be a real good one, IMO.
Interesting find and in reality perhaps Kyle Van Noy coming to the BYU might be the reason BYU found its next premier back by accident. Without Van Noy, Alisa is likely still playing OLB. Sometimes I wonder about our coaching staff's ability to identify good RB talent. Well, in their defense they didn't lose Harvey Unga by trying to turn him into a LB. But their next best RB recruit they did try to play LB - but Michael wasn't really a premier back in HS so I can understand that decision. Either way it seems to this homer that he has found a home where he can really flourish if he can just stay healthy.
In looking at top RM rushers at BYU, I found this pantheon of greatness: Fast Freddie Whittingham and the tenacious tandem of Mark Atuai and Hema Heimuli. What we know about these 3? One has a chicks name and one has a chick for a brother (hardy-har-har). The top rushing season for any of these 3? 582 yards by Fast Freddy in 1989.
Unless either Lakei Heimuli or Casey Tiamalu are RMs, the torch for a chance for the BYU to have a premier RM rb has been passed to Michael Alisa. The RM gives BYU some advantages, obviously in the offensive and defensive lines. For the skill players it has rarely been a boon. However, in no position on the field has this been more obvious than at RB. I know Atauia was a heavily recruited RB out of HS and so was Fui Vakapuna. Neither ever really reached their perceived potential at BYU. I don't ever remember a glimmer from Atauia so he might have been overrated. Fui, on the other hand, I thought was really hampered by the injury bug. I thought he really showed potential to be BYU's first premier RM RB the first 6 games of 2006 until he hurt himself against SDSU and never seemed to recover. Perhaps Fui is a premonition of what happens with Michael Alisa? I would think that RB is the hardest position to recover from a mission. The pounding it takes requires peak physical condition to avoid injury. Perhaps RM's are unable to get back into that condition or while working back to that level they sustain injuries in their first year or two home? Obviously, BYU is not historically a place with a heavy emphasis on rushing the ball. Until Jamal Willis, I think the years of good rushing stats were the results of shitty qb play instead of an emphasis on rushing the ball. However, systematically BYU has sought for more balance between rushing and passing since about Give Me the Ball Jamal was prowling on LES. If Alisa can avoid the debilitating injuries that RBs get and RMs seem to get more often, I really think this kid is going to be a good one. He doesn't have the power of Unga but he has a punch and has more athleticism and break away quickness. Right now he strikes more similar to a Curtis Brown type of back that can slash but still get the extra couple of yards after contact and always fall down falling forward. I don't really have a feel for how well he can catch ball out of the backfield as that is vitally important for a BYU every down back, but I think he should be all right as he appears pretty athletic in change of direction. If he can avoid injuries the rest of this year and come back next year 5-10 lbs of muscle heavier and with a better grasp of the offense, both passing and rushing, he really has a shot to be a real good one, IMO.
Interesting find and in reality perhaps Kyle Van Noy coming to the BYU might be the reason BYU found its next premier back by accident. Without Van Noy, Alisa is likely still playing OLB. Sometimes I wonder about our coaching staff's ability to identify good RB talent. Well, in their defense they didn't lose Harvey Unga by trying to turn him into a LB. But their next best RB recruit they did try to play LB - but Michael wasn't really a premier back in HS so I can understand that decision. Either way it seems to this homer that he has found a home where he can really flourish if he can just stay healthy.
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