Friday Mailbag: Recruiting Review, Chip Brown’s Comments, Top 10 BYU Freshmen Omissions, and the 1984 UPI Poll Results
Welcome to the Friday Mailbag where once a week I answer your questions and respond to your comments about Brigham Young Cougars football. As a quick reminder, there are three ways to submit a question:
1. Email: bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
2. Twitter: @BlueCougarFball and use #BCFmailbag
3. Leave a comment at the end of a BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL article.
On to the mailbag.
We have been inundated with recruiting news this week. MY HEAD IS SPINNING! I can’t keep track of it all. Is it possible to get a simple recap of what happened?
I have been feeling the same way. I will provide two lists for you: 1) Breakdown based on recruit status—interested in BYU, offered by BYU, committed to BYU, and 2) Recruiting class—2013, 2014, and 2015.
Interested in BYU
Calvin Johnson, Running Back
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 182 pounds
Hometown: Walterboro, South Carolina
High School: Colleton County High School
Other: 4.49 40, recently joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Denesheo Moore, Running Back
Hometown: Citrus Heights, California
High School: San Juan High School
Other: 5.09 40
Offered by BYU
Billy Green, Quarterback
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 196 pounds
Hometown: Shoreline, Washington
High School: King High School
Other: Trained by the same QB coach as Jake Heaps
Sam Tevi, Lineman
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 270 pounds
Hometown: Texas
Thomas Shoaf, Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 255 pounds
Hometown: Columbus, Indiana
High School: Columbus North
Dalton Schultz, Tight End
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 215 pounds
Hometown: South Jordan, Utah
High School: Bingham
Austin Kafentzis, Quarterback
Hometown: Sandy, Utah
High School: Jordan
Committed to BYU
Merrill “Meti” Taliauli, Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 305 pounds
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
High School: East
Jonryheem Peoples, Lineman
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 300 pounds
Hometown: Rigby, Idaho
Other: Made headlines by visiting Utah shortly after committing to BYU. Was rumored to have committed to Utah.
Addison Pulsipher, Lineman
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 270 pounds
High School: Temecula Valley (California)
Isaiah Kaufusi, Linebacker
Height: 6’2.5”
Weight: 175 pounds
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
High School: Brighton
Other: Plans to serve a mission. Will turn 19 in December 2014. Nephew of BYU defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi.
Neil Pau’u, Quarterback
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 190 pounds
High School: Servite (California)
Other: Brother of BYU freshman Butch Pau’u. Neil will serve a mission immediately after high school.
Johnny “Ku-J” Tapusoa, Safety
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180 pounds
Other: He is the nephew of former BYU player Mark Atuaia, and 2013 commit Trajan Pili is his cousin
Class of 2013
1. Jonryheem Peoples
2. Merrill Taliauli
3. Addison Pulsipher
4. Thomas Shoaf
5. Sam Tevi
6. Billy Green
7. Calvin Johnson
Class of 2014
1. Isaiah Kaufusi
2. Neil Pau’u
3. Dalton Schultz
Class of 2015
1. Austin Kafentzis
2. Johnny Tapusoa (he graduates high school in 2013, but his scholarship will be effective in 2015 following his mission)
Hope that helps!
University of Texas insider Chip Brown laid the blame on BYU this week for breaking things off with the Big XII. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t this a rehashed story?
I know the Chip Brown story got a lot of attention, but it was a rehash. This is what happened. The BYU team site for Rivals.com is trying to resurrect itself after separating with Deep Shades of Blue. Chip Brown writes for the Texas team site on Rivals. To help generate interesting content that was new on the BYU site, the Rivals connection was used.
The bottom line is this: nothing new has developed with regards to BYU and the Big XII since Monday. This week, the focus of decision makers in the Big XII has been on the 4-team playoff. Chip Brown was sharing old information.
I know that Jake Heaps kind of became an outcast when he left BYU, but thought his freshman year was good enough to make your Top 10 Freshman list. Just because he transferred that shouldn’t be held against him.
Heaps’ decision to transfer had nothing to do with him not making the Top 10. Heaps ended up at number 11. It was a tough call between he and Cody Hoffman. In the end, I couldn’t put Heaps above Hoffman because of Heaps’ low pass efficiency rating, very low average yards per attempt, and low number of touchdown passes (compared to the number of attempts he had—383).
Hoffman didn’t have anything ugly about his stats like Heaps did.
No offensive linemen in the top 10? BYU has had several offensive linemen start every game and play well. They have been named freshmen All-American, too.
The offensive linemen presented a unique challenge for this list. There are no stats published that show how well a lineman played. Since several freshman linemen have started every game, it devalues that accomplishment and tells me that lineman must be a position that is easier to start at as a freshman than other positions are. As for the “Freshman All-American” status, that is relative to other freshmen who played that same season. This list is comparing all the freshmen who have played at BYU over the last 40 years.
What was I supposed to do? Put a lineman on the list just because he started every game and earned freshman All-American honors? How can I adequately judge that what that lineman did was better than a defensive lineman with 52 tackles and 7 sacks?
In the end, I just decided to leave them all off the list. I agree that BYU has had some fabulous freshmen play on the offensive line, but given the nature of the position it is impossible to fairly rate their play against other positions.
Does anyone have the complete final 1984 USA Today/CNN football poll from early January 1985? I can get the teams but need first place votes and total points for the entire top 20. BYU finished first in this poll, before this poll became the coaches' poll. Thanks.
Here it is. First place votes are in parenthesis following the team record, but before the total points.
1984 UPI Top 20
1. BYU, 13-0 (28), 579
2. Washington, 11-1 (11), 561
3. Nebraska, 10-2, 508
4. Boston College, 10-2, 429
5. Oklahoma State, 10-2, 376
6. Oklahoma, 9-2-1, 345
7. Florida, 9-1-1 (1), 328
8. Southern Methodist, 10-2, 310
9. Southern Cal, 9-3, 245
10. UCLA, 9-3, 229
11. Maryland, 9-3, 175
12. Ohio State, 9-3, 166
13. South Carolina, 10-2, 143
14. Auburn, 9-4, 118
15. Iowa, 7-4-1, 73
16. LSU, 8-3-1, 48
17. Virginia, 8-2-2, 45
18. West Virginia, 8-4, 34
19. Kentucky, 9-3, 28
19. Florida State, 7-3-2, 28
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
1. Email: bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
2. Twitter: @BlueCougarFball and use #BCFmailbag
3. Leave a comment at the end of a BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL article.
On to the mailbag.
We have been inundated with recruiting news this week. MY HEAD IS SPINNING! I can’t keep track of it all. Is it possible to get a simple recap of what happened?
I have been feeling the same way. I will provide two lists for you: 1) Breakdown based on recruit status—interested in BYU, offered by BYU, committed to BYU, and 2) Recruiting class—2013, 2014, and 2015.
Interested in BYU
Calvin Johnson, Running Back
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 182 pounds
Hometown: Walterboro, South Carolina
High School: Colleton County High School
Other: 4.49 40, recently joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Denesheo Moore, Running Back
Hometown: Citrus Heights, California
High School: San Juan High School
Other: 5.09 40
Offered by BYU
Billy Green, Quarterback
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 196 pounds
Hometown: Shoreline, Washington
High School: King High School
Other: Trained by the same QB coach as Jake Heaps
Sam Tevi, Lineman
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 270 pounds
Hometown: Texas
Thomas Shoaf, Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 255 pounds
Hometown: Columbus, Indiana
High School: Columbus North
Dalton Schultz, Tight End
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 215 pounds
Hometown: South Jordan, Utah
High School: Bingham
Austin Kafentzis, Quarterback
Hometown: Sandy, Utah
High School: Jordan
Committed to BYU
Merrill “Meti” Taliauli, Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 305 pounds
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
High School: East
Jonryheem Peoples, Lineman
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 300 pounds
Hometown: Rigby, Idaho
Other: Made headlines by visiting Utah shortly after committing to BYU. Was rumored to have committed to Utah.
Addison Pulsipher, Lineman
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 270 pounds
High School: Temecula Valley (California)
Isaiah Kaufusi, Linebacker
Height: 6’2.5”
Weight: 175 pounds
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
High School: Brighton
Other: Plans to serve a mission. Will turn 19 in December 2014. Nephew of BYU defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi.
Neil Pau’u, Quarterback
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 190 pounds
High School: Servite (California)
Other: Brother of BYU freshman Butch Pau’u. Neil will serve a mission immediately after high school.
Johnny “Ku-J” Tapusoa, Safety
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180 pounds
Other: He is the nephew of former BYU player Mark Atuaia, and 2013 commit Trajan Pili is his cousin
Class of 2013
1. Jonryheem Peoples
2. Merrill Taliauli
3. Addison Pulsipher
4. Thomas Shoaf
5. Sam Tevi
6. Billy Green
7. Calvin Johnson
Class of 2014
1. Isaiah Kaufusi
2. Neil Pau’u
3. Dalton Schultz
Class of 2015
1. Austin Kafentzis
2. Johnny Tapusoa (he graduates high school in 2013, but his scholarship will be effective in 2015 following his mission)
Hope that helps!
*****
University of Texas insider Chip Brown laid the blame on BYU this week for breaking things off with the Big XII. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t this a rehashed story?
I know the Chip Brown story got a lot of attention, but it was a rehash. This is what happened. The BYU team site for Rivals.com is trying to resurrect itself after separating with Deep Shades of Blue. Chip Brown writes for the Texas team site on Rivals. To help generate interesting content that was new on the BYU site, the Rivals connection was used.
The bottom line is this: nothing new has developed with regards to BYU and the Big XII since Monday. This week, the focus of decision makers in the Big XII has been on the 4-team playoff. Chip Brown was sharing old information.
*****
I know that Jake Heaps kind of became an outcast when he left BYU, but thought his freshman year was good enough to make your Top 10 Freshman list. Just because he transferred that shouldn’t be held against him.
Heaps’ decision to transfer had nothing to do with him not making the Top 10. Heaps ended up at number 11. It was a tough call between he and Cody Hoffman. In the end, I couldn’t put Heaps above Hoffman because of Heaps’ low pass efficiency rating, very low average yards per attempt, and low number of touchdown passes (compared to the number of attempts he had—383).
Hoffman didn’t have anything ugly about his stats like Heaps did.
*****
No offensive linemen in the top 10? BYU has had several offensive linemen start every game and play well. They have been named freshmen All-American, too.
The offensive linemen presented a unique challenge for this list. There are no stats published that show how well a lineman played. Since several freshman linemen have started every game, it devalues that accomplishment and tells me that lineman must be a position that is easier to start at as a freshman than other positions are. As for the “Freshman All-American” status, that is relative to other freshmen who played that same season. This list is comparing all the freshmen who have played at BYU over the last 40 years.
What was I supposed to do? Put a lineman on the list just because he started every game and earned freshman All-American honors? How can I adequately judge that what that lineman did was better than a defensive lineman with 52 tackles and 7 sacks?
In the end, I just decided to leave them all off the list. I agree that BYU has had some fabulous freshmen play on the offensive line, but given the nature of the position it is impossible to fairly rate their play against other positions.
*****
Does anyone have the complete final 1984 USA Today/CNN football poll from early January 1985? I can get the teams but need first place votes and total points for the entire top 20. BYU finished first in this poll, before this poll became the coaches' poll. Thanks.
Here it is. First place votes are in parenthesis following the team record, but before the total points.
1984 UPI Top 20
1. BYU, 13-0 (28), 579
2. Washington, 11-1 (11), 561
3. Nebraska, 10-2, 508
4. Boston College, 10-2, 429
5. Oklahoma State, 10-2, 376
6. Oklahoma, 9-2-1, 345
7. Florida, 9-1-1 (1), 328
8. Southern Methodist, 10-2, 310
9. Southern Cal, 9-3, 245
10. UCLA, 9-3, 229
11. Maryland, 9-3, 175
12. Ohio State, 9-3, 166
13. South Carolina, 10-2, 143
14. Auburn, 9-4, 118
15. Iowa, 7-4-1, 73
16. LSU, 8-3-1, 48
17. Virginia, 8-2-2, 45
18. West Virginia, 8-4, 34
19. Kentucky, 9-3, 28
19. Florida State, 7-3-2, 28
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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