Part 2 Linebackers



In 2012, the BYU Cougars were a Jekyll and Hyde team, with one of the most dominating defenses in school history paired with an offense that largely struggled, in spite of flashes of ability and some playmakers in the skill positions. Even with the offensive struggles, BYU was in each of their five losses a year ago deep into the fourth quarter, with the majority of those games coming down to the last possession. But a loss is a loss, and Bronco Mendenhall ultimately addressed the issue by changing out much of the offensive coaching staff and rehiring offensive coordinator Robert Anae. With one of the more challenging schedules BYU has ever had on tap for 2013, the BYU will need to continue to play great defense and improve on the other side of the ball to be successful.

When considering players who would have started all season but were injured along the way and players who started at least six games, BYU has 14 full-year starters coming back in 2013. There are 8 returning starters on offense, while 6 starters return on defense, along with 6 other players who also started at least one game at some point during the 2012 season.

Linebackers:

2012 was yet another strong season for Cougar linebackers, as the unit was the centerpiece of a defense ranked in the top five nationally. The good news for the 2013 season is that half of that outstanding unit returns, including the best player not only on the unit, but probably on the whole team in Kyle Van Noy. The bad news is that the other half of last year s group is gone, including USC transfer Uona Kaveinga and four year starter Brandon Ogletree. In order to match the production of the past couple of seasons, BYU will need to find a couple of excellent inside linebackers to fill those vacated spots.

Personnel:

Two full year starters return for BYU at linebacker, in the form Kyle Van Noy and Spencer Hadley. Greyshirt senior Van Noy had another outstanding year in 2012, starting in every game and recording 53 tackles, 13 sacks, 2 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 8 quarterback hurries, 5 passes broken up, 2 blocked punts, and 2 touchdowns. He is a one man wrecking machine. Hadley, a true senior, also started every game last year, and finished with 55 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 quarter back hurries, 1 pass broken up, and 1 touchdown.

Other linebackers that return with playing experience include Uani Unga, Alani Fua, Manoa Pikula, Austen Jorgensen, Jherremya Leuta-Douyere, Tyler Beck, and Teu Kautai. Redshirt senior Unga played in every game last year with 28 tackles including 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass broken up. Redshirt junior Fua played in every game last year, totaling 13 tackles and 1 interception. Pikula is a redshirt sophomore who played in 12 games last year, recording 9 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss. Jorgensen, a redshirt senior, played in 4 games last year with 2 tackles before being forced to take a medical redshirt due to injury. True sophomore Jherremya Leuta-Douyere played in 10 games last year with 1 tackle and 1 quarterback hurry. Beck is a redshirt senior who played in 4 games last year with 1 tackle. Redshirt sophomore Kautai played in 2 games last year but did not record as statistic.

Linebackers who have been on the team but without playing time are senior Kevin O Mary; redshirt juniors Tanner Cox and Robert Wood III; redshirt sophomore Kevan Bills; and redshirt freshmen Jordan Egbert, Nathan Bayles, and Matthew Relei.

Newcomers at linebacker are returning missionary true freshmen Toloa'i Ho Ching and Joey Owens; true freshmen walk ons Tanner Huber and Blake Lord; JC transfer Kalolu Utu (who may play defensive end); and incoming scholarship true freshmen Rylee Gautavai and Trajan Pili.

Projected Starters:

Two spots are clearly spoken for. Van Noy will reprise his roll as the will linebacker as one of the strongest players in the country. Hadley returns opposite Van Noy at sam linebacker. Clearly the outside linebacker spots are as stocked as any fan could hope for. The inside linebackers are a lot less clear. With the loss of Zac Stout to suspension, and based on last season s rotation, Unga and Pikula appeared to have the inside track, with Unga playing mike and Pikula buck. Unga s 2012 statistics are very impressive for his limited playing time. In a surprise out of spring camp, Pikula was not listed as the starter. Instead, Tyler Beck appears in that spot, indicative of a strong camp. Those two should battle through fall to be the starter.

Backups listed in the prospectus are Leuta-Douyere at will, Fua at sam, Pikula at buck, and Ho Ching or Jorgensen at mike. Ho Ching s early appearance on the two deep also hints at a solid spring performance.

Outlook:

There are going to be some new faces in the middle, and replacing Kaveinga and Ogletree is no small task. That being said, Van Noy is the heart and soul of the Cougar defense, and after three outstanding years comes back for what ought to be a triumphant senior season. With the leadership at the outside combined with a fine season by Unga last year in a relief role, BYU really only needs to find a serviceable buck to put a fearsome linebacker group on the field in 2013.

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You can read Part 1, Defensive Backs, here: http://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=10764744