2016 Scholarship crunch

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IIRC, he was planning on playing for a year before a mission. He is a 2-star RB who is described as fitting the legacy of big backs Robert Anae likes to have in his offense (think Manase Tonga, Harvey Unga, Algernon Brown).



Sounds like he was an Anae guy--but when push comes to shove there just isn't room.

Interesting that we have players who were recruited and committed to coming to a special and unique BYU experience that are now getting the old heave-ho before the staff is even defined.



I have to think that this also means the hopes of some fans of having Harvey Unga as RB coach is less likely too, why have a big bruising player as a coach if you don't want those kinds of players?

There is a scholarship crunch, no doubt. I removed Zane Anderson, Scott Huntsman, and Tevita Mo'Unga from the count as they are expected to be serving missions after being on the team this year.



These RMs are back, listed as scholarship players, and early enrollees in January:

LB Rylee Gautavai

OL Keegan Hicks

WR Inoke Lotulelei

OL Addison Pulsipher

OL Thomas Shoaf

DL Merrill Taliauli

DB Johnny Tapusoa



DB Tanner Jacobsen transferred in from Texas Tech post mission and is enrolling in January.

LB Jeremiah Ieremia returned home from his mission early (I believe--I had him down as returning next year) so I'm not sure if he has a 2016 scholarship or not.

RB Jamaal Williams is assumed to be back.

RB Charles West is assumed to be on the team in 2016.



Other potential RMs who may be back for Fall (not confirmed) and would be getting scholarships include:

WR Jake Arslanian

OL Austin Chambers

DL Zac Dawe

OL Chandon Herring

LB Isaiah Kaufusi

DL Uriah Leiataua

RB Patrick Palau

LB Trajan Pili



So by my count not including any seniors honored at senior day (including Taysom Hill), there is 88 scholarships allocated and only 85 available.



If 2016 commits Keenan Pili and Max Tooley stick and play a year before their mission (as expected), that would make 90 scholarships allocated. Taulapapa would have been 91. So this certainly isn't the only guy who will not end up playing on the team.



This number can be trimmed if Keenan Pili and Max Tooley went on missions this year instead of playing for a year first--but I don't know if that is a possibility. And perhaps a few RMs end up going elsewhere or being cut from the team to make up the difference. But every new big player commit they get is going to be pushing someone out of the bottom of the list.

Thanks for the analysis.

Usually when a coach leaves a school there are a few players who transfer. I'm sure we will see over the next few weeks a couple players leave the program. I personally don't think we will see Jamal or Taysom back with the team in 2016.



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I know little about recruiting, but espn has Keaton Torre rated pretty high. Any idea why he was one of the guys with a scholarship pulled?

Torre surprises me a little bit. He was one of the guys listed as an early enrollee in January.


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Maybe it has to do with the QB depth chart:

Tanner Mangum (So)

Beau Hoge (So)

Koy Detmer (So)



Hayden Griffitts (RS Fr walk-on, returns from mission 2017)

Kody Wilstead (True Fr, returns from mission 2017)

Jaren Hall (True Fr, 2016 commit planning on a mission, returns 2018)



Torre would jump in at the 4th spot there as a true Fr with no mission plans. So they would be carrying 3 sophomores and a freshman who all expect to be around for the next 4 years with 2 more joining them in a year. They probably decided to use the scholarship elsewhere.

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I think this is the last year where the missionary age change impacts recruits as the big wave of returners is coming home. There is 13 scholarship RMs to come home in 2017 if I'm projecting correctly. The 2016 class has 10 players leaving on missions and 3 expected to join them from last year's team. So it feels like things are balancing back out.

My confusion on this issue is as to what CBM was going to do about this over-extension. I know generally you over-extend because there are always a few that don't ever arrive, but we haven't normally seen people turned away at this late of a date in the recruiting. Interesting as to how this will shake out, but I hope the best for the two we know so far that were committed to their offers, only to see them evaporate in their very hands.

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I really feel bad for Keaton Torre. He was set to enroll at BYU next week, and just got his offer pulled and needs to reopen recruiting. Sucks for that kid....hard.

It sounds like Torre is getting interest from Utah, UNLV, Yale, Harvard and Colorado State so it sounds like he will work something out.



But it appears that maybe it is Detmer is looking for certain things in the QBs:
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Twitter has also indicated he is looking for pro-style tight ends.

Fido wrote:
It sounds like Torre is getting interest from Utah, UNLV, Yale, Harvard and Colorado State so it sounds like he will work something out.

Sounds like a pretty bright kid.

If I had to make a quick turnaround decision like Torre is facing, get into a place like Harvard or Yale.



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He should go to UVA. I think he'll be a tremendous athlete, in the vein of Britain Covey.

hawkwing wrote:
He should go to UVA. I think he'll be a tremendous athlete, in the vein of Britain Covey.

If he is a good athlete, smart and knows football we should be able to do something with him if not at QB. I hate seeing Utah and other places turn these type of guys into all-studs at different positions. Of course, we have Nacua. He's the only one I can think of that was turned from QB into athlete/stud

TulaneVandyRiceCoug wrote:
If I had to make a quick turnaround decision like Torre is facing, get into a place like Harvard or Yale.



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I'm not sure why more of these guys who are smart and good at football, but super long shots at the NFL or NBA don't go to Harvard, Yale, etc. to come out of someplace with that reputation totally debt free is a huge boost up in your career.

BTW, am I just reading too much into all this, or do the media and many felliw posters seem to be placing the blame of scholarship crunch on the new coaching staff rather than questioning Bronco's and his staff's intentions with the overcommitments?