Football: News, notes and nonsense from BYU's non-padded camp
As I mentioned in a previous post, I spent a good chunk of Wednesday at BYU's non-padded camp watching prospective recruits and chatting with parents and some of the players. A few observations.....OK, more than a few:
* Coach Bronco Mendenhall zipped from station to station in a golf cart, occasionally sipping on a Jamba Juice to beat the 97-degree heat and frequently getting out to get better looks at players, provide instruction or talk to assistant coaches such as Brandon Doman, Patrick Higgins and Lance Reynolds.
* Florida receiver O'Neill Chambers and West High running back Garrett Nicholson, signees from the 2008 class, were there and spent some time watching the high schoolers work out. Chambers said he is staying with Nicholson's family for a few days and will return in mid-July to begin his Cougar career in earnest.
* Steve Heaps, father of super-recruit/quarterback Jake Heaps, was wearing a green baseball cap with a block-letter ‘S' on the front. I mistakenly figured it was a Michigan State cap and asked if Jake was hearing from the Spartans. Turns out, it was a Skyline Spartans cap from Jake's high school in Issaquah, Wash.
Oops.
Coincidentally, when BYU plays at Washington on Sept. 6, Jake will be in Portland, Ore., preparing to play a prep football game that night. However, Hawaii's Punahou High and all-everything linebacker Manti Te'o will be in Seattle and will play that night across town at Seahawks Stadium.
* Jake Heaps, of course, easily stood out as the top quarterback at the camp, despite being a year younger than most of the others. The kid can throw the football. Wow. A few months ago, after watching Heaps thrown at the Las Vegas 7 on 7 camp, I posted something about not being impressed. I stand corrected.
* Two other QBs stood out -- a kid wearing an Alta football shirt whom I assume was Ammon Olsen, and another rising senior named Jerry Slota, from Parker, Colo.
Slota's father said his son isn't being recruited by BYU. Jerry went to Utah's camp on Tuesday hoping to get noticed because he's a multi-threat quarterback who runs well and would seemingly fit the Utes' spread offense. He's not well-known because he missed a good portion of his junior season with a fractured elbow.
When they heard BYU was having a non-padded camp this week, they decided to stick around an extra day and attend.
Mr. Slota said Idaho's Taysom Hill and Logan's Jeff Manning were at the Utah camp, along with a quarterback from Texas named Derek Thompson whom the Utah coaches seemed really, really interested in.
* Watched the receivers for a while and four in particular (that I could identify) stood out: Bingham's Michael Edmunds, Timpview's Travis Van Leeuwen, Sky View's J.D. Falslev and Tooele's Jordan Clemente.
Edmunds, of course, is still waiting for his first offer, which is amazing because he is 6-foot-5, rarely drops a pass and runs extremely well for a boy that size. He said he is going to Washington's camp on Friday (as is Van Leeuwen) and thinks, just maybe, that the Huskies might offer.
Falslev is fast and runs great routes, but might not have the height that Division I programs are looking for. He reminds me a lot of Jordan's Cody Raymond, who ended up signing with Snow College despite having one of the most prolific receiving careers in state history.
Clemente, also a track and basketball star at Tooele, reportedly has an offer from Weber State.
* Several Snow College coaches worked the camp, including head coach Steve Coburn, and Coburn mentioned that the Badgers are getting defensive lineman David Angilau, a former BYU player who was suspended for violating team rules a few months ago.
* Coach Bronco Mendenhall zipped from station to station in a golf cart, occasionally sipping on a Jamba Juice to beat the 97-degree heat and frequently getting out to get better looks at players, provide instruction or talk to assistant coaches such as Brandon Doman, Patrick Higgins and Lance Reynolds.
* Florida receiver O'Neill Chambers and West High running back Garrett Nicholson, signees from the 2008 class, were there and spent some time watching the high schoolers work out. Chambers said he is staying with Nicholson's family for a few days and will return in mid-July to begin his Cougar career in earnest.
* Steve Heaps, father of super-recruit/quarterback Jake Heaps, was wearing a green baseball cap with a block-letter ‘S' on the front. I mistakenly figured it was a Michigan State cap and asked if Jake was hearing from the Spartans. Turns out, it was a Skyline Spartans cap from Jake's high school in Issaquah, Wash.
Oops.
Coincidentally, when BYU plays at Washington on Sept. 6, Jake will be in Portland, Ore., preparing to play a prep football game that night. However, Hawaii's Punahou High and all-everything linebacker Manti Te'o will be in Seattle and will play that night across town at Seahawks Stadium.
* Jake Heaps, of course, easily stood out as the top quarterback at the camp, despite being a year younger than most of the others. The kid can throw the football. Wow. A few months ago, after watching Heaps thrown at the Las Vegas 7 on 7 camp, I posted something about not being impressed. I stand corrected.
* Two other QBs stood out -- a kid wearing an Alta football shirt whom I assume was Ammon Olsen, and another rising senior named Jerry Slota, from Parker, Colo.
Slota's father said his son isn't being recruited by BYU. Jerry went to Utah's camp on Tuesday hoping to get noticed because he's a multi-threat quarterback who runs well and would seemingly fit the Utes' spread offense. He's not well-known because he missed a good portion of his junior season with a fractured elbow.
When they heard BYU was having a non-padded camp this week, they decided to stick around an extra day and attend.
Mr. Slota said Idaho's Taysom Hill and Logan's Jeff Manning were at the Utah camp, along with a quarterback from Texas named Derek Thompson whom the Utah coaches seemed really, really interested in.
* Watched the receivers for a while and four in particular (that I could identify) stood out: Bingham's Michael Edmunds, Timpview's Travis Van Leeuwen, Sky View's J.D. Falslev and Tooele's Jordan Clemente.
Edmunds, of course, is still waiting for his first offer, which is amazing because he is 6-foot-5, rarely drops a pass and runs extremely well for a boy that size. He said he is going to Washington's camp on Friday (as is Van Leeuwen) and thinks, just maybe, that the Huskies might offer.
Falslev is fast and runs great routes, but might not have the height that Division I programs are looking for. He reminds me a lot of Jordan's Cody Raymond, who ended up signing with Snow College despite having one of the most prolific receiving careers in state history.
Clemente, also a track and basketball star at Tooele, reportedly has an offer from Weber State.
* Several Snow College coaches worked the camp, including head coach Steve Coburn, and Coburn mentioned that the Badgers are getting defensive lineman David Angilau, a former BYU player who was suspended for violating team rules a few months ago.
2 Comments:
Yet another article on BYU, just go ahead already start your new blog Jay, this is ridiculous
Have we offered Heaps yet? Do you think he would even considering coming up here to the U Jay?
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