HB Arnett’s
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Vol. 35, Issue 16 – November 10, 2014
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Millinery, Mendenhall and Makeovers
Last week I underwent an image makeover. I went from a Curmudgeonly Codger to a Caballero Cowboy (Caballero is Spanish for Gentleman).
The photos above are “selfies” taken last week less than two hours apart. What a difference a new hat can make. Okay, a shower, shave and shirt didn’t hurt either.
I liked my new image. Then I asked my image manager (wife) if she thought the new cowboy hat made a difference. Her response was, “No, you have a Big Hat, but you still have No Cattle.”
Would a Mendenhall new hat makeover help the current state of BYU football? What if Bronco switched hats from mentor, minister and manager of men, to strictly the hat of a football coach only? Would it make a difference in the direction BYU football is headed and this season’s record?
I’ll let my wife answer that one. “Big Hat, No Horses.”
Bronco actually has horses in his personal home pasture, he just doesn’t have enough of them on his football roster. When his best horse was hobbled (Taysom Hill) Bronco’s stable and this season began to sink and stink.
In my opinion, Bronco doesn’t need a makeover in persona, personality and public relations, even if he may be at times too eccentric and odd for my tastes. He just needs more and better horses and then he can wear any hat he chooses and be loved by all.
With a lack of horses so obvious this season, does it mean the current BYU football fedora is flawed when it comes to recruiting? Or did Bronco and his staff just suffer because of a horse hiatus in the LDS market?
Are the BYU recruiting restrictions and cattle guards too big of a hurdle for any hat Bronco wears to overcome?
I am a firm believer that players make the coach and not vice versa. Bronco doesn’t need any new hats, he just needs new horses and better players and more of them.
Here is my hat of hope for the future with a list of current commitments for next year and beyond.
Let’s start with the biggest horses of them all. BYU will only be as good as their quarterback. If you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have anything.
I hate to admit it, but in my opinion and to prove my point, Utah would the Pac 12 champion and playing in the Final Four of the Bowl Selection system this January if they had a better quarterback.
I don’t know where or what BYU will be playing for next season, but I can guarantee it won’t be for anything significant without a thoroughbred at quarterback. Here then are the quarterback horses in Mendenhall’s future corral. Let’s start with the Triple T’s; Taysom, Tanner and Trent.
Taysom Hill. If he comes back healthy, he could be the Secretariat of a season next year that features games against Nebraska, Michigan, UCLA and Boise State to open the year. Video.
Tanner Mangum. Will be back this spring from a mission and in the program in the fall. This guy is a special talent. If Robert Anae wants to get BYU back in the passing game business, then this is the go-to horse. Video
Trent Hosick. Will arrive from Arizona Western JC. If Robert Anae sticks with his go fast go hard offense and Hill isn’t healthy, this will likely be the guy. Video.at Missouri. Video at Arizona Western.
Hatful of other Horses
Kody Wilstead. A senior at Pine View HS in St. George, he will head out on a mission early next year and then come back to play as a Cougar QB. Video
Jaren Hall. The son of former BYU running back Kalin Hall, this athlete still has a senior year in high school next season before signing with BYU. Video.
All of the quarterbacks above have all committed to BYU. Here is one more that hasn’t as of yet committed to any school, but he has the BYU bloodline and breeding and must be considered.
Britain Covey. Is a lock to be named Mr. Football in Utah this year. Video.
Other verbal commits for the 2015 BYU signing class.
Elias Miller, Running Back, Las Vegas HS, NV…Video
Jeremiah Ieremia, LB, Hurricane HS, UT…Video
Tevita Mounga, DL, Vista Murrieta HS, CA…Video
Akile Davis, WR, DeSoto HS, TX…No Video Available
Riley Burt, DB, Box Elder HS, UT…Video
David Lui, DL, Pittsburg HS, CA…Video
Khari Vanderbilt, DB, San Jose City JC, CA…Video
Devin Kaufusi, DL, Timpview HS, UT…Video
Will Sedgwick, LB, Laguna Hills HS, CA…Video
Mika Tafua, DL, Kamehameha HS, HI…Video
Dayan Lake, DB, Northridge HS, UT…Video
Other commits for 2016 Class besides Jaren Hall
Hirkley Latu, DB, Kahuku HS, HI…Video
Skyler Southam, K, Wasatch HS, UT…Video
Counting Cards and Scholarships
I saw a movie called “21” a few years back. It was based on an MIT professor and some students he recruited to implement a card counting system he came up with to beat the casinos while playing blackjack.
I don’t know if Dave Rose and his recruited students/basketball players have a good enough system to finally win the WCC and advance in the NCAA tournament, but I’m positive that Rose can count to 13.
That’s the number of scholarships that can be allotted for any given season by NCAA rules. I’m also sure that Rose’s math skills are much better than mine, but count with me just for fun.
Scholarships Allotted for This Year 2014-15
Ryan Andrus, Freshman
Nate Austin, Senior
Jamal Aytes, Sophomore
Frank Barley IV, Sophomore
Jordan Chatman, Freshman
Kyle Collinsworth, Junior
Chase Fischer, Junior
Skyler Halford, Senior
Tyler Haws, Senior
Isaac Neilson, Freshman
Josh Sharp, Senior
Anson Winder, Senior
Luke Worthington, Sophomore
Non-Scholarship Players for This Year
Kyle Davis, Junior
Jordan Ellis, Junior
Corbin Kaufusi, Freshman (actually playing with a football scholarship)
Dalton Nixon, Freshman
Jake Toolson, Freshman
My Projected Scholarships for Next Season 2015-16
Jamal Aytes, Junior
Frank Barley IV, Junior
Jordan Chatman, Freshman or Sophomore (Depending on redshirt status this season)
Kyle Collinsworth, Senior or gone to NBA (Stated earlier that if he has big season, he will come out for draft)
Chase Fischer, Senior
Isaac Neilson, Sophomore
Luke Worthington, Junior
Jake Toolson, Freshman or Sophomore (Depending on redshirt status this season)
Kyle Davis, Junior
Corbin Kaufusi, Sophomre (Football won’t carry him again as a sophomore)
Nick Emery, Freshman
Zac Seljaas, Freshman
Jakob Hartsock, Freshman
Braiden Shaw, Freshman
I count 14. According to my math, that’s 1 over the limit.
Missions in the Mix?
Ryan Andrus stated at his signing that he would play a year and then leave for an LDS mission. The word I get now is at the present time Jake Toolson does not have future mission plans. The question mark will be Dalton Nixon. If he stays for another year, Rose will be two scholarships short. If he goes, then he has 14 players for only 13 grant in aids.
Scholarships for 2016-17? Here is where it gets very, very interesting.
Jamal Aytes, Senior
Frank Bartley IV,Senior
Jordan Chatman, Sophomore or Junior
Isaac Neilson, Junior
Luke Worthington, Senior
Jake Toolson, Sophomore or Junior
Kyle Davis, Senior
Corbin Kaufusi, Junior
Nick Emery, Sophomore
Zac Seljaas, Sophomore (Depending on mission plans)
Jakob Harsock, Sophomore
Eric Mika, Sophomore
TJ Haws, Freshman
Braiden Shaw, Sophomore
Shaw and Hartsock signed in 2013-14 and Haws signed last year. Barring some adjustments for missions or outright withdrawals of scholarships, Rose is already up to 14 scholarships and still will have to find a spot for Frank Jackson if Jackson stays committed to the Cougars.
I guarantee that Rose will find a spot and scholarship for Frank Jackson, the ultra-talented guard from Lone Peak. He is Rose’s top recruiting priority for the next two years. If somebody has to go to accommodate Jackson, Rose will find a way. Just like he would have found a way to get Jabari Parker on scholarship.
If you are wondering why Jackson is now not a 100% lock for Rose and the Cougars, it is because he is getting big time recruiting rushes from the big boys of college basketball.
Here is what Frank Burlison, a well-respected basketball writer and scout, had to say about Jackson after his blow up summer play and a recent outing at West High in SLC November 1 for the first-ever West Coast Elite All-Star Camp/Utah.
“Jackson scored with something bordering on absurd ease, either in transition or half-court settings, by way of pull-up jumpers – from just about any point at or within the arc – and explosive forays to the rim, around or over the top of defenders.
Jackson, who recently re-opened his recruitment after “committing” to Brigham Young University a bit more than a year ago, has a reasonable opportunity to be rated right near the top – of not on the top, period – of all “shooting guards” or “combo guards” in this national class by the time he’s drilled his final jumper and banged on someone for the last time in an Lone Peak uniform some 16 months or so from now.”
You can read Burlison’s entire report on the state of Utah prospects in basketball by clicking here.
Add in, according to Burlison, that Utah is loaded with other prospects for the 2016 class and the reports that Rose has also offered a scholarship to 2016 signee Conner Harding of Highland HS in Pocatello and there is a definite logjam for grant in aids in 2016 that Rose and his staff will have to solve.
Counting Minutes at Point Guard
Kyle Collinsworth saw his first real action on a basketball court in a game last Saturday night in the Marriott Center as BYU mashed Seattle Pacific 75-40.
The important number in his stat line was minutes played. BYU eased Collinsworth back into action by playing him 7 minutes in the first half and 6 minutes in second.
If the 6-6 junior can’t get those numbers up to 30-35 minutes a game and soon, it will be a long season for the Cougars.
From my early glimpses, without a healthy Collinsworth, BYU is in big, big trouble at the point.
Rose has experimented with Skyler Halford as a backup alternative, but that is an experiment that may look good in the lab, but lacks on the court. Frank Barley IV is not the current answer either as Collinsworth’s backup. Anson Winder can play a few minutes, but he isn’t the answer either. BYU is already missing Matt Carlino more than they thought they would.
It’s all about Collinsworth’s and BYU basketball fans’ knees. Fans need to get on theirs and pray that Collinsworth stays sound with his.
BYU will now open the season for real this coming Friday against Long Beach State. Tipoff is set for 5 pm MST and the game will be televised live on BYUtv. We will get a good idea of who Dave Rose has in mind for a redshirt year and also what he plans are long term for the season at the point.
Riveting is Not a Word That Describes BYU’s Next Two Football Games
There is a little irony, in my opinion, that BYU basketball opens their season with two exhibition games against non-division I opponents and BYU closes their football season with exhibition games against two non-division I opponents.
Officially, UNLV, BYU’s opponent this coming Saturday in Provo, and Savannah State are both D-I football programs…on paper, but they are a long way from that real status with their records and performances this season.
BYU is a 23 ½ point favorite over the Rebels who are coming to town with a current 2-8 record. Savannah State is currently 0-10.
$5 ½ is the opening line on how much BYU season ticket holders will have to pay their neighbors and ward members to use those season tickets for these last two home games. Free tickets just may not cut it, especially if it rains, snows or blows.
That of course is an unfair assessment of the last two home games. Feel Good games would be more accurate. These two games will give BYU and Bronco Mendenhall a chance to feel good about qualifying for a Bowl game and give all those backups and seldom used players their best chance yet for seeing action.
This will give them a reward for all the hours of practice and pain they have put in during the season. For them, these are riveting and rewarding contests.
And had Taysom Hill not gone down with a broken ankle and had not BYU’s defense been exposed as ordinary, and had BYU a 9-0 record, this too would have been a riveting discussion among BYU fans and national pundits about strength of schedule.
As it is, most BYU fans will simply be riveted to their seats at home in their favorite arm chair for these last two games in Provo.
TV Timetable
BYU vs. Long Beach State
Friday, November 14 at Provo
Tipoff: 5:00 pm MST
TV: BYUtv
BYU vs. UNLV
Saturday, November 15 at Provo
Kickoff: 5:00 pm MST
TV: ESPNU
BYU vs. Arkansas State
Tuesday, November 18 at Provo
Tipoff: 7:30 pm MST
TV: BYUtv
BYU vs. Southern Virginia
Wednesday, November 19 at Provo
Tipoff: 7:30 pm MST
TV: BYUtv
BYU vs. Savannah State
Saturday, November 22 at Provo
Kickoff: 1:00 pm MST
TV: BYUtv
BYU vs. San Diego State
Monday, November 24 at Maui
Tipoff: 9:30 pm MST
TV: ESPN2
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