Football: BYU's Mendenhall talks recruiting
BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall spent a good chunk of time at the MWC media gathering Monday in Las Vegas talking about his recruiting philosophy.
He shed some light on the current scholarship situation in Provo.
Most notably, though, Mendenhall reiterated that he expects recruits -- be they highly rated or barely known -- to persuade BYU coaches that they want to attend BYU, rather than be begged to come.
"I think it is degrading as a coach to try to convince at 18-year-old young man why he should come to your place," Mendenhall said. "I know that's contrary to most recruiting thoughts, but I like young men who know what they want."
Mendenhall said BYU currently has 12 commitments from the class of 2009 (including USU transfer Riley Nelson), then he added, "the players left [that BYU has offered] that haven't committed are probably the highest level of recruits we've ever had a chance to get, collectively as a group."
On that list is Hawaii linebacker Manti Te'o, Timpview lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo, Bingham linebacker L.T. Filiaga, Spanish Fork tight end Richard Wilson, Highland lineman Latu Heimuli, Northridge safety Chris Washington, California receiver Brett Thompson and Kyle Van Noy, a linebacker from Reno, Nev.
"I hope they choose BYU and convince us why we ought to take them," he said.
Asked whether that philosophy makes it hard when the recruits are also hearing from the likes of USC and Notre Dame, Mendenhall gave the following reply, then laughed as hard as many reporters who have covered him for years have ever heard him laugh.
"No question," he said. "They have one program telling them, ‘come here and we promise this and this and this.' And then they have [Mendenhall] asking them, ‘Why should I take you?"
Among the other recruiting revelations:
* The Cougars started recruiting for the class of 2009 as if they would have 15 scholarships, but Mendenhall now says he will give out as many as 19.
"I have always oversigned each year, but it has worked out, and I've never actually been over. We've been under [every year] because of attrition, graduation, players getting married, leaving the program, etc.," he said.
* The coach said BYU could get a couple more commitments before fall camp starts. "The benefit of [thinking they would only have 15] is that it has made us more thorough. It has made us more diligent in all the evaluations. We've done a better job of narrowing it down faster than we normally do."
* One scholarship is available to a walk-on this fall camp because Texas receiver Atem Bol did not qualify and is likely headed to Snow College or another junior college. Another scholarship may open up if California running back Seta Pohahau, who is on the bubble, fails to qualify.
Mendenhall said the criteria to earn a scholarship as a walk-on is to have a 3.0 GPA and be in the two-deep on the depth chart. If no player emerges, he could use the scholarship for the following year's signing class.
* Asked whether BYU's facilities are a big recruiting draw, he said, no.
"Our [recruiting] strategy is very unique in that I have to be convinced that they want to come, and why they should be able to be on our team. And players that want to be coddled and catered to, don't come, and some are good LDS players...I want players that really want to be ...We just call it passion for BYU. We want them to be passionate about the chance to play for BYU. And I really don't have any time for those that want to be convinced. Many have said that's why we wouldn't succeed. I would argue that is the reason we are. There are walk-ons that are pretty darn close to scholarship players that are proving to help us win games."
-- Jay Drew
He shed some light on the current scholarship situation in Provo.
Most notably, though, Mendenhall reiterated that he expects recruits -- be they highly rated or barely known -- to persuade BYU coaches that they want to attend BYU, rather than be begged to come.
"I think it is degrading as a coach to try to convince at 18-year-old young man why he should come to your place," Mendenhall said. "I know that's contrary to most recruiting thoughts, but I like young men who know what they want."
Mendenhall said BYU currently has 12 commitments from the class of 2009 (including USU transfer Riley Nelson), then he added, "the players left [that BYU has offered] that haven't committed are probably the highest level of recruits we've ever had a chance to get, collectively as a group."
On that list is Hawaii linebacker Manti Te'o, Timpview lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo, Bingham linebacker L.T. Filiaga, Spanish Fork tight end Richard Wilson, Highland lineman Latu Heimuli, Northridge safety Chris Washington, California receiver Brett Thompson and Kyle Van Noy, a linebacker from Reno, Nev.
"I hope they choose BYU and convince us why we ought to take them," he said.
Asked whether that philosophy makes it hard when the recruits are also hearing from the likes of USC and Notre Dame, Mendenhall gave the following reply, then laughed as hard as many reporters who have covered him for years have ever heard him laugh.
"No question," he said. "They have one program telling them, ‘come here and we promise this and this and this.' And then they have [Mendenhall] asking them, ‘Why should I take you?"
Among the other recruiting revelations:
* The Cougars started recruiting for the class of 2009 as if they would have 15 scholarships, but Mendenhall now says he will give out as many as 19.
"I have always oversigned each year, but it has worked out, and I've never actually been over. We've been under [every year] because of attrition, graduation, players getting married, leaving the program, etc.," he said.
* The coach said BYU could get a couple more commitments before fall camp starts. "The benefit of [thinking they would only have 15] is that it has made us more thorough. It has made us more diligent in all the evaluations. We've done a better job of narrowing it down faster than we normally do."
* One scholarship is available to a walk-on this fall camp because Texas receiver Atem Bol did not qualify and is likely headed to Snow College or another junior college. Another scholarship may open up if California running back Seta Pohahau, who is on the bubble, fails to qualify.
Mendenhall said the criteria to earn a scholarship as a walk-on is to have a 3.0 GPA and be in the two-deep on the depth chart. If no player emerges, he could use the scholarship for the following year's signing class.
* Asked whether BYU's facilities are a big recruiting draw, he said, no.
"Our [recruiting] strategy is very unique in that I have to be convinced that they want to come, and why they should be able to be on our team. And players that want to be coddled and catered to, don't come, and some are good LDS players...I want players that really want to be ...We just call it passion for BYU. We want them to be passionate about the chance to play for BYU. And I really don't have any time for those that want to be convinced. Many have said that's why we wouldn't succeed. I would argue that is the reason we are. There are walk-ons that are pretty darn close to scholarship players that are proving to help us win games."
-- Jay Drew
4 Comments:
"I hope they choose BYU and convince us why we ought to take them,"
That is the single most arrogant comment I have ever heard come out of Provo. Most of the guys he is talking about are being offered by the top programs in the nation, and BronKo expects these kids to 'convince' him that he should give them a scholarship?
Yep. It's great. Isn't there an old quote that says a simple man defending his homeland will fight longer and harder than a dozen hired thugs? Apply that sentiment to football, and you have Mendenhall's strategy.
Unlike Utah, a scholarship to BYU is actually worth something.
The fact that Utes hate Bronco Mendenhall so much and treat every word he utters as a threat to their livelihood makes me like him all the more.
Keep up the good work, Coach.
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