My opinion on Mo.

Mo is the kind of guy you want to be around. He's kind, driven and hard working. He's a loved teammate that has the favor of the guys around him. He's given 2 years of his life in service of the church and should be commended. The coaches love him, he has their attention and admiration for being who he is. I'm even captivated by his amazing size, enthralled by his stature and massive physique. He's a fun story and I'm excited to watch him grow.

Here are the reasons I believe he's a project:

He needs to learn the game.
We all grew up in this country with the basic verbiage of the line of scrimmage, gap protection, and goal line. We know the rules and structure of the game. Big Mo needs to learn these things and understand what's being yelled at him. Can he learn it? Sure, but it'll take time. I want him to receive that time without lofty projections and impatient fans demanding to see him on the field.

E Tuiaki's defense utilizes athletic Dlinemen.
As a DT in E's system, you have slant, stunt and twist responsibilities. You have to have the speed to get out on an end around and cover the contain. You have to spark gaps and explode from your stance. You have to have lightning reflexes and agility to change direction and pursue. Mo, at his current weight, isn't capable of these basic football moves. He needs to slim down and find better core and body control. He has learned to come from a stance, but it's a slow delivery. He can push Tejan back, but it's a slow, one-dimensional push. His ability to quick step a gap doesn't exist. I'd like to give him time to develop these things before giving him too much air time and praise.

Football conditioning.
Because of his massive body, he gets exhausted very quickly. After a few plays, his delivery slows and his big push becomes much less effective. He needs time to work on his cardio and needs to drop weight to relieve some of the strain on his lungs and heart. This is something he can improve over time. With dedication and hard work, he could get his body to a point where he could last through a 12 play drive, but that day won't be this year in my opinion.

His size is the weapon but it's also the enemy.
As I've mentioned above, he needs a body transformation. You can't leak out of your stance in D1 football, no matter how big you are. You can bench press a 1977 Cadilac, but if you don't have explosive movement, it doesn't help you in this game. Again, can he do it? YES! But a transformation like that takes a year, sometimes 2.

So, the bottom line. I love Mo, I want him to be the next T.J Barnes or John Jenkins, but he's long ways away. We look at Vince Wilfork as being a massive man, but even he played at around 350 pounds. I don't know if constant praise and update is the best thing for him. I don't know if size recognition helps him in his football development. I want to do what's best for him, and I think that's letting the story go and giving him space and patience to grow in the game.
I also believe he can be used this year in FG/PAT block. I think his movement is too slow right now to be used in a goal line situation. I'm sure those PAT moments will draw plenty of attention from the fans. I know you'll all love him up like you did me at one point in my life. BYU fans were the best fans to play for.

I also want to spend time on the guys who've earned the DT 2 deep. The guys that will be in the action down in and down out. This is where I've spent the bulk of my time and attention. That's why you hear me talking about Tevita Mo'unga, Handsome Tanielu, Solomone Wolfgramm, Kesni Tausinga, or even the freshman phenom Lorenzo Fauatea. These guys deserve the spotlight because they'll be the ones knee deep in a 12 play drive giving the fans everything they have. I think they deserve the praise and attention, I think they're ready for the praise and attention.

So, getting pressed to deliver the Daily Cup of Mo, when I know he's at least a year out from truly contributing has me irritated. It's not fair to Mo, it's not fair to the fellas on the 2 deep and it's not time best spent for me, BUT......If that's what you all want, I'll continue to monitor his development and give you the Daily Cup of Mo.

Love you BYU fans. Never stop being as passionate as you are. I know I take a beating on this board, so I stay away when I can, but it's that passion that I loved when I played for you. I hope this helps you see what I see.