Football: Utes & Cougs Whiffed On Their Top Guys
By listening to coaches talk, reading a few of the accounts in the Utah newspapers this morning and watching a few television news shows last night, one would think that Brigham Young and Utah got all the football players they went after on signing day.
Hold on a minute, folks.
While it is true that both schools picked up some gems, the fact of the matter remains that both apparently missed out on that one player they wanted the most, and that's got to hurt.
Actually, one could argue that BYU failed to get four of the five highest-ranked LDS prospects in the land. If the Cougs really want to break into the BCS and challenge for a national title -- and that's a really big 'if' -- they simply have to get the very best LDS players.
Yesterday, they didn't.
Sure, Bingham's Austin Holt, the four-star tight end who committed a year ago, followed through on his promise.
But what about the others?
Four-star linebacker Uona Kaveinga (that son of a bishop!) chose USC, while three/four-star center Hamani Stevens picked Oregon. Locally, Timpanogos defensive end David Kruger a four-star guy in some circles (Rivals.com), signed with Utah and Cottonwood's five-star linebacker Lynn Katoa signed with Colorado.
To be fair, Kruger had deeper ties to Utah than BYU, despite living in Utah County, and Katoa was never recruited by the Cougars and is only marginally LDS, from what I've been told (though not by him; I've never asked).
Still, not getting Kaveinga and Stevens -- losing them to BCS schools at the last minute -- really stings.
The highest-ranked LDS quarterback in the country, Kevin Prince of Crespi High in Southern California, also bypassed the Cougars. He de-committed to Washington at the last minute and signed with UCLA, saying he will grayshirt his first year and possibly go on an LDS Church mission.
BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said Wednesday that BYU didn't recruit a quarterback because it is loaded at that position. Too loaded to pass on a guy whom UCLA and Washington wanted?
As far as Utah goes, the Utes are still holding out hope that four-star offensive lineman Benji Kemoeatu changes his mind once his parents return home and decides not to fax that letter of intent to West Virginia. Because he's not 18 yet, he has to have a parent or guardian's signature on it to make it valid.
It is a tough loss to swallow for Utah fans because Kemoeatu's three older brothers all played for the Utes, with huge success. The program sent two of the brothers to the NFL, for heaven's sake, and it can't persuade the next in line to follow in their footsteps?
Like I said, that's got to hurt.
Hold on a minute, folks.
While it is true that both schools picked up some gems, the fact of the matter remains that both apparently missed out on that one player they wanted the most, and that's got to hurt.
Actually, one could argue that BYU failed to get four of the five highest-ranked LDS prospects in the land. If the Cougs really want to break into the BCS and challenge for a national title -- and that's a really big 'if' -- they simply have to get the very best LDS players.
Yesterday, they didn't.
Sure, Bingham's Austin Holt, the four-star tight end who committed a year ago, followed through on his promise.
But what about the others?
Four-star linebacker Uona Kaveinga (that son of a bishop!) chose USC, while three/four-star center Hamani Stevens picked Oregon. Locally, Timpanogos defensive end David Kruger a four-star guy in some circles (Rivals.com), signed with Utah and Cottonwood's five-star linebacker Lynn Katoa signed with Colorado.
To be fair, Kruger had deeper ties to Utah than BYU, despite living in Utah County, and Katoa was never recruited by the Cougars and is only marginally LDS, from what I've been told (though not by him; I've never asked).
Still, not getting Kaveinga and Stevens -- losing them to BCS schools at the last minute -- really stings.
The highest-ranked LDS quarterback in the country, Kevin Prince of Crespi High in Southern California, also bypassed the Cougars. He de-committed to Washington at the last minute and signed with UCLA, saying he will grayshirt his first year and possibly go on an LDS Church mission.
BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said Wednesday that BYU didn't recruit a quarterback because it is loaded at that position. Too loaded to pass on a guy whom UCLA and Washington wanted?
As far as Utah goes, the Utes are still holding out hope that four-star offensive lineman Benji Kemoeatu changes his mind once his parents return home and decides not to fax that letter of intent to West Virginia. Because he's not 18 yet, he has to have a parent or guardian's signature on it to make it valid.
It is a tough loss to swallow for Utah fans because Kemoeatu's three older brothers all played for the Utes, with huge success. The program sent two of the brothers to the NFL, for heaven's sake, and it can't persuade the next in line to follow in their footsteps?
Like I said, that's got to hurt.
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