Assessment of BYU Secondary by Coach Howell

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Presently states that the starters/backups heading into Fall Camp are:



Boundary Corner: Preseton Hadley (Mike Hague, Dequan Everett)

Field Corner: Jordan Johnson (Robbie Buckner, O'Neill Chambers)

Free Safety: Joe Sampson (Mike Hague, Chase Pendley)

KAT: Daniel Sorenson (Craig Bills, Skye PoVey)



This as a very talented, quick and hard hitting group of DBs. Howell believes that Sampson is NFL material.

This is a very underhyped aspect of BYU football the last few years. But our defensive secondary has been pretty dang good compared to BYU teams as we have known them. We all hated the 20 yard cushions so hopefully this means we will be able to play some man v man defense and crush a few teams along the way.

SImply put, this is the weakest aspect of BYU football historically, but definitely for the defense. IT takes elite athletes to be great corners, and BYU has struggled getting them. Now, we have better athletes at corner and safety. Dating back to 1996, name hte players BYU has put in the NFL from teh secondary. Very short list. Now, we have back-ups that would have started perhaps only 5-6 seasons ago.



Sampson is NFL material, and showed it last year. Hadley is the best boundary corner BYU has had in a long while. Big, physical and can run and put a hit on people. JJ might be the best cover corner BYU has had in since 1996 when all is said and done. And Sorensen is solid, with a back-up who has a serious high end.



I like our talent and depth in teh secondary. I can not even beleive I am typing that either. BYU usually tries to make do with a poor secondary, but this year, our secondary is solid and if Sampson is given room to roam, might even be disruptive(ala Polamalu).

Man... Combine that secondary with the linebacking core, and it looks like a wrecking crew. Can't wait to see the damage this defense is capable of inflicting.

Picking up on Lawboy's statement about allowing Sampson to roam...he did some of his most serious damage as a 5th wheel on passing downs - nickleback - where he could blitz, seek and destroy. If he is playing SS as an enforcer (like Andrew Rich) - wonder if Bills will get to take on that role. If so, that is some serious hurt patrolling the defensive backfield.



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So who is going to be left next year? Sheesh.

I hope we have the luxury of redshirting Bills. It sounds like we don't need him at safety this year if everyone stays healthy. It would be nice to have him for 3 more years after Sampson and Hague graduate.



If Chambers can't crack the rotation of the secondary I wonder if they will let him go back to WR. He would at least get on the field there.

It is pretty exciting to read this and think about The possibilities.

So what this means is that vs lesser teams, we dominate and vs the better teams on our schedule, we hold our own?

Remember ND last time? we looked like a High School team in the secondary. It was as embarrassed as I have been in a long time, except for Utah last year.

No wonder coaches were so high a year or two ago about this year. It really is too bad that a certain high profile gun slinger didn't pan out.

But, maybe WRiley Coyote can get the job done well enough!!

Chambers will be playing on Special teams too.

Assuming our speed on pass coverage is above par, also like to assess run stop support. Not sure about Johnson, but Hadley, Sorenson and Sampson were outstanding in coming up quick, wrapping up and taking down RBs.



Interesting fact is that we have JJ, Bills, and Sorenson returning for next year. Would like to see who we get from JC ranks in 2013.



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Ungoy wrote:
Man... Combine that secondary with the linebacking core, and it looks like a wrecking crew. Can't wait to see the damage this defense is capable of inflicting.

True, if the secondary can handle business, the linebackers can wreak havvock. This years's pass rush could be what we've been waiting for.



I agree with the named starters because they seem to be our best athletes. Sampson deserves the spot as a starter, but I'm worried we have 2 strong safeties and no true free safety. This is where we are weak. I can't remember a decent free safety in a while.



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dmcougar wrote:
It is pretty exciting to read this and think about The possibilities.

So what this means is that vs lesser teams, we dominate and vs the better teams on our schedule, we hold our own?

Remember ND last time? we looked like a High School team in the secondary. It was as embarrassed as I have been in a long time, except for Utah last year.

No wonder coaches were so high a year or two ago about this year. It really is too bad that a certain high profile gun slinger didn't pan out.

But, maybe WRiley Coyote can get the job done well enough!!

Can you post without mentioning your sister just once?

Wriley Coyote



Creative. Has a wring to it.



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