BYU Football: 4 Cougars Who Could Surprise People This Spring

BYU officially kicked off its spring practices on Monday, which means football season is on its way. With only six months until the opening game at Nebraska, the Cougars are in full swing with their preseason preparation.

But with several returning stars, including quarterback Taysom Hill, receiving the spotlight, a handful Cougars may go unnoticed throughout the first few days of practice. Among those could be role players or potential starters who are waiting for their chance in spring to impress the coaches.

So, what players could end up surprising people this spring? Read on to find out.

After being one of the top JUCO prospects following the 2013-14 season, Kurtz sat out last year because of an injury suffered in practice. He will return this season as a redshirt junior and could turn into one of Hill's favorite targets.

At 6'6", Kurtz is a big yet athletic receiver. He has been compared to all-time Cougars receiving leader Cody Hoffman. He will have two seasons in Provo to live up to those expectations.

As another JUCO transfer who was sidelined last year by injury, Sam Lee will have his first opportunity to really shine this spring. He is a physical player who is best at boundary corner and will likely challenge Jordan Preator for the starting spot.

Health will be Lee's biggest issue, as he missed his freshman season at the College of the Canyons as well as two seasons at BYU. Should he stay healthy, he could be a great player in the Cougar secondary.

Devon Blackmon had a limited role on the BYU offense last year, but he could prove himself in spring practices and cement himself as a starter. He showed flashes of his potential last season and has the breakaway speed and open-field moves to be an exceptional special teams player as well.

With the right opportunity, Blackmon is the type of player who could lead BYU in receiving and have a huge senior year. We will have to see how well he performs in spring to know if he can surprise some people this fall.

BYU lost Paul Lasike and is still missing Jamaal Williams, so its depth at running back is a huge question mark. Toloa'i Ho Ching is the type of player who could step in and have a solid role behind Williams, Algie Brown and Adam Hine.

A standout linebacker in high school, BYU coaches moved him to running back following an LDS mission, and he has the speed and instincts to be a successful ball-carrier. If any sophomore has the potential to make waves in spring camp, it's Ho Ching.