Part 1 Defensive Backs



The 2011 season turned out to be quite a roller coaster, as Jake Heaps entered the season as an entrenched starter, but struggled more and more as the year wore on. Enter Riley Nelson, and the Cougars managed a ten-win but turbulent season behind the once again split leadership. Now Heaps has transferred, and Nelson finally gets his chance as a senior to have the team all to himself, as the Cougars embark on their second year as an independent. The coming season features a more challenging schedule, particularly on the road, so the Cougs have their work cut out for them.

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 13 full-year starters coming back in 2012. There are 6 returning starters on offense, while 7 starters return on defense, along with 8 other players who also started at least one game at some point during the 2011 season. There are also 2 return missionaries back who were multi-year starters prior to leaving.

Defensive Backs:

In 2011, BYU enjoyed great depth in the secondary, a rarity for the Cougars. Fortunately for 2012, many of the players from a year ago return, with a number of them registering multiple years on the team. A couple of spots are open for competition, and given BYU's new found depth in the defensive backfield, the fight for playing time looks to be as fierce as ever. The depth may also lead to Coach Mendenhall electing to go to a nickel defense more often than he has in recent seasons. From the 2011 team, BYU loses free safety Travis Uale and boundary corner Corby Eason.

Personnel:

The most experienced returning secondary players are full year starters Daniel Sorenson and Preston Hadley. Sorenson, a junior, started every game last year, with 61 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 6 pass breakups and 1 fumble recovery. Hadley, a senior, also started every game last year, with 51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 quarterback hurry, and an eye-popping 14 pass breakups.

Other players that have seen playing time include Jordan Johnson, Joe Sampson, Jray Galea'i, Robbie Buckner, O'Neill Chambers, Skye Povey, Chase Pendley, Cameron Comer, Craig Bills, and DeQuan Everett. Redshirt sophomore Johnson played in all thirteen games last year as a primary backup and on special teams, totaling 16 tackles, 2 interceptions and 1 pass breakup. Senior Joe Sampson played in 12 games in 2012, and recorded 23 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, 3 pass breakups and 2 quarterback hurries. Galea'i, a redshirt junior, played in 4 games in 2012 and had 1 tackle. Redshirt senior Robbie Buckner played in 6 games a year ago, with 1 pass break up. The senior Chambers sat out last year, and has switched positions from wide receiver. The junior Povey played in 11 games last year, mostly on special teams, and had 1 tackle. Pendley, a redshirt junior, appeared in 3 games last season on special teams, registering 1 tackle. Redshirt sophomore Comer played in 3 games last year but did not record a statistic. Bills, a true sophomore, returns from his mission after playing significant minutes in 2009. Everett, a redshirt senior, played in 5 games a year ago with 2 tackles.

There is only one defensive back who has been on the team but without playing time heading into this season, and that is redshirt freshman Trevor Bateman, who redshirted prior to his mission.

Newcomers at defensive back include return missionary true freshman Jacob Hannemann and incoming scholarship players Matt Hadley, Sawyer Powell, and Rhett Sandlin, all freshmen.

Projected Starters:

There's essentially no question as to starters at strong safety and boundary corner. Daniel Sorenson will reprise his role as the starter at strong safety, and Preston Hadley will take over duties at boundary corner after an outstanding season last year. Field corner and free safety are a bit more up for grabs. The 2012 spring prospectus lists Jordan Johnson as the starter at field corner, and Joe Sampson as the starter at free safety. Those players would appear to have the inside track to start, and Johnson's increasing duties as his freshman season wore on seem to indicate he will likely be the starter. Sampson, however, is being pushed hard by Mike Hague, who may split time at safety and will almost certainly be the nickelback. Hague is listed as the backup at both free safety and boundary corner, so he will see the field plenty even if not designated a starter. Johnson is being pushed by senior Robbie Buckner, while Jray Galea'i returns to back up Sorenson, and Craig Bills provides quality depth at free safety. The sheer number of players with time on the field at defensive back illustrates the experience and depth available for 2012.

Outlook:

The outlook in the defensive secondary is very bright indeed. The two returning starters are proven players, and Cougar fans can anticipate strong campaigns from each of them. Johnson showed flashes of greatness as a true freshman, and Sampson shined when he was on the field last year. Additionally, BYU has a bunch of good players behind the starters, many of whom have played significant minutes in prior years. Altogether, the mix ought to mean that the Cougars will have an effective defensive backfield in 2012, particularly when considering the strength of the front seven.