HB Arnett's 801 372 - 0819 hbarnett@fiber.net 1391 West 800 South - Orem, Utah 84058 Vol. 34, Issue 40 -July 8, 2014 Click <http://cougarclicks.com/product/Order-Cougar-Sportsline?ID=3173> Here To Order Or Renew Your Subscriptions BYU Football and the Statue of Liberty With the 4th of July holiday just celebrated, it seems appropriate to remember the inscription on the Statue of Liberty that was written by Emma Lazarus. Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door. There could also be a Statue of Liberty flavor to this fall's BYU football camp that is only a month away. I can't remember the year or the game, but I am sure that with a little research, I could find a game where BYU ran the statue of liberty play. I don't expect that play to be in the current playbook and doubt that we will see it used by Robert Anae this season. The Statue of Liberty itself, however, seems to be a part of this current football team. Here is my variation of the famous inscription as it relates to BYU's fall football roster. Give me your retired, retreaded and passed over players. Your huddled after every play masses, yearning for more playing time and or religious refinement. The refuse of your teaming squads of 85 scholarships. Send these, to Provo, those still in search of fame and game. I Bronco, lift my scholarship lamp beside the golden door and dream of still making an impact and maybe making the NFL. The terms teeming and masses may be an exaggeration, but you almost need two hands and ten fingers to count the number of transfers from other Division I programs that will fill the current roster. Taysom Hill, QB, Stanford Jordan Leslie, WR, UTEP Devon Blackmon, WR, Oregon Keanu Nelson, WR, Stanford Harvey Jackson, DB, Nebraska Chris Badger, DB, Notre Dame Drew Reilly, DB, Colorado State Michael Wadsworth, DB, Hawaii Vance "Moose" Bingham, K, Utah And maybe, probably, most likely. Harvey Langi, RB/DL, Utah Langi has said that he wants to enroll at BYU after playing a season at Utah and then serving an LDS mission to Florida. Click <http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865606467/Harvey-Langi-hopes-to-transfer -from-Utah-to-BYU-after-returning-from-LDS-mission-this-week.html> here to read his story. Throw in the juco transfers and it doesn't paint a rosy picture of BYU's high school recruiting strategy and results over the last few years. Here are the juco transfers on the squad: Christian Stewart, QB, Snow College De'Ondre Wesley, OL, Diablo Valley JC Trent Trammell, DB, City College of San Francisco Skye Povey, DB, Snow College Sam Lee, DB, College of Canyons Nick Kurtz, WR, Grossmont JC Marques Johnson, DL, El Camino JC Edward Fusi, OL, Mt. SAC JC Robertson Daniel, DB, DeAnza JC Josh Carter, DL, Eastern Arizona JC Scott Arellano, P, Foothill JC And Paul Lasike, RB, transfer from BYU Rugby team It's not to the teeming masses level, but here's head count of transfers that will see significant playing time this season for BYU. Let's start with quarterback. Both the starter and backup are transfers in Hill and Stewart. Paul Lasike is the closest thing to a transfer after crossing over from Rugby. Almost all of the wide receivers who will make an impact this season for the Cougars are coming from the huddled masses of other schools. They include Leslie, Blackmon, Kurtz and Nelson. The offensive line will feature two juco starters in Wesley and Fusi at center. Where there is a teeming of transfers who will see plenty of time on the field this fall is at defensive back. Those names include Daniel, Trammel, Povey, Lee. Throw in Wadsworth, Reilly and Badger and transfers and the defensive backfield are synonymous for the Cougars. The only two players that will see significant time that were recruited as a freshmen are Jordan Johnson and Craig Bills. A long shot high school recruit that could find the field is Trevor Bateman. Even the punter, Arellano, is a transfer. Here's hoping that BYU can take a cue from Emma Lazarus and use their plethora of players originally from other schools to play like Lazarus and "rise from the dead" doldrums of last season. DAVE ROSE NOW HAS A NICE INSURANCE POLICY AND PLAYER You are not supposed to be able to get insurance after the fact, but that is exactly what Dave Rose has done. The BYU basketball coach has been hoping that Kyle Collinsworth will be 100 percent healthy by the start of this coming basketball season. It still might happen, but if it doesn't, Rose now has protection against any lingering loss of Collinsworth. Jake Toolson is the underwriter that came unexpectedly to the rescue of Rose. Toolson was set to leave earlier this summer on an LDS Spanish Speaking mission to Virginia. Instead he is now in Provo working out with the Cougar basketball team. Here is the tweet sent out by Toolson explaining his situation: "Due to an anxiety disorder that I have struggled with my whole life I wasn't able to serve a mission at this time. Whether I leave in 3 months, a year, or come to find that I have a different mission in life, I have confidence that everything will work out the way it's supposed to. I am thankful to be surrounded by people who love and support me and most of all for a loving Heavenly Father." The 6-5, 210 pound Toolson can play the 2, 3 or 4. Our emphasis is on play. That is what he will do this coming season for BYU. Toolson is currently enrolled in school and on scholarship for the summer. Don't know the details on the scholarship, but he has one and it is all according to NCAA regulations. He won't have a grant in aid, however, in the fall or winter semesters. BYU already has its allotment allocated for this coming season. Toolson will not redshirt or gray shirt. He will play this season. If you are wondering what he brings to the table, it is Collinsworth-like abilities with an added bonus. He can shoot. Let me repeat. He can shoot and has major league range with his shot. He can't defend like Collinsworth and likely won't be the rebounder Collinsworth is, but this kid is tough and doesn't mind playing inside with the bangers. Like Collinsworth, he is one competitive sucker. The beauty of having a shooter with a big body like Toolson is that now Rose has options to take the defensive heat off Tyler Haws. With Chase Fischer and Toolson in the lineup together, there will be no cheating defenses on Haws. Teams will finally have to respect BYU's outside game beyond the arc. You won't see or hear BYU and Rose making a big deal out of Toolson joining the team for this season, but it was a windfall the Cougars that will be noticed for sure this season. There is no word yet on what Toolson's plans are ecclesiastically after the coming season, but for now he will be a contributor immediately. Here then is the scholarship roster for BYU basketball for the coming season. Ryan Andrus, 6-11, FR Nate Austin, 6-11, SR Jamal Aytes, 6-6, SO Frank Bartley IV, 6-3,SO Jordan Chatman, 6-5, FR Kyle Collinsworth, 6-6, JR Chase Fischer, 6-3, JR Skyler Halford, 6-1, SR Tyler Haws, 6-5, SR Isaac Neilson, 6-10, FR Josh Sharp, 6-7, SR Anson Winder, 6-3, SR Luke Worthington, 6-10, SO Non-scholarship for the coming season Jake Toolson, 6-5, FR Dalton Nixon, 6-7, FR Players returning for the 2015-16 season Cory Calvert Nick Emery Braiden Shaw Jakob Hartsock IS FOOTBALL FORECAST TOO SUNNY? Robert Anae, BYU's offensive coordinator, would be a terrible TV weatherman. His personality just isn't bubbly enough. That is what makes his "Home on the Range" forecasts for the upcoming football season so ironical. For those who have forgotten the lyrics of the state song of Kansas, the salient sentence goes like this: Where seldom is heard a discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy all day. In you didn't pay attention to Robert Anae and his comments during BYU's football media day, the normally curmudgeonly coach was absolutely bubbling with optimism. The same guy that kept repeating last year that the Cougars were a work in progress and always had a long way to go is now saying that he is encouraged by what he sees and expects significant improvement offensively. Anae's forecast for a very good offense and season is not par for the course or his character. This guy is a "tell it like it is" kind of guy. What he is telling us now is that he likes what he sees. He likes the offensive line and says they have made big time improvement. He loves his wide receiver group and their athletic abilities. He likes Taysom Hill's improved passing skills. He likes the offensive work ethic and toughness. It's almost like he is prognosticating perfect weather and a perfect season. Okay, he hasn't gone that far. As optimistic as Anae and Bronco Mendenhall are for this season, both are seasoned coaches that know that barometric lows and blown knees can ruin even the sunniest forecasts and best of seasons. BYU is loaded offensively. I'm on board with Anae with that assessment. But even the most Pollyannaish Cougar optimist has to acknowledge that football is still fickle. Too many fumbles in a game or a foot fracture to a key player is what makes a magical season for any team so hard to accomplish. As cloudy as that sounds, I still like BYU's chances this season for a big time year. Beginning in August with the start of our weekly publication schedule, we will detail the personnel and practices of fall camp. Until then, I'm aligned with Anae's azure skies assessment of the coming season. 2014 BYU Football Schedule Connecticut.Friday, August 29 at East Hartford.ESPN, 5:00 pm MDT Texas.Saturday, September 6 at Austin.Fox Sports 1, 5:30 pm MDT Houston.Thursday, September 11 at Provo.ESPN, 7:00 pm MDT Virginia.Saturday, September 20 at Provo...TV TBA Utah State.Friday, October 3 at Provo.ESPN, 8:15 pm MDT Central Florida.Thursday, October 9 at Orlando.ESPN, 5:30 MDT Nevada.Saturday, October 18 at Provo.TV TBA Boise State.Friday, October 24, at Boise.ESPN or ESPN2, 7:00 pm MDT Middle Tennessee.Saturday, November 1 at Murfreesboro.CBS Sports Network, 1:30 pm MDT BYE.Saturday, November 8 UNLV.Saturday, November 15 at Provo.TV TBA Savannah State.Saturday, November 22 at Provo.BYUtv, 1:00 pm MST California.Saturday, November 29 at Berkeley.TV TBA (most likely Pac 12 Network) Names and Games Let's start with the current list of BYU football commits and recruits that will sign with the Cougars next February. Click on names to see highlights of each Riley Burt <http://www.hudl.com/athlete/848926/riley-burt> , DB, 6-0, 195, Box Elder HS, UT Kody <http://www.hudl.com/athlete/471394/kody-wilstead> Wilstead, QB, 6-5, 215, Pineview HS, UT David Lui <http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1424082/david-lui> , DL, 6-3, 250, Pittsburg HS, CA Devin Kaufusi <http://www.hudl.com/athlete/622101/highlights/136284376> , DL, 6-5, 200, Timpview HS, UT Dayan Lake <http://www.hudl.com/athlete/522957/highlights/28392374> , DB, 5-11, 185, Northridge HS, UT Will Sedgwick <http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3266892/will-sedgwick> , LB, 6-2, 220, Laguna Hills HS, CA Mike Tafua <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avRmBBuBcrU> , DL, 6-3, 210, Kamehameha HS, HI Khari <http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3108985/khari-vanderbilt> Vanderbilt, DB, 6-2, 185, San Jose City CC, CA Now lets move on to a legacy recruit that has not announced his decision on where he will enroll to play college football despite being offered by BYU. Britain Covey <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMewuU4XzQE> , athlete, 5-9 160, Timpview HS, UT.This guy was proclaimed as untackleable in his appearance at BYU's camp last month. Not sure if untackleable is a viable word, but am sure of this guy's skills. The issue will be his size, or lack of it, as to where he will play at the next level. I have been around long enough to have some viable comparisons for this guy's athletic abilities. McKay Christensen was an incredibly elusive running back coming out of Clovis West HS in Fresno years ago. He was slightly bigger than Covey and was headed BYU's way, but was a first round pick (6th 1994) by the Angels and signed a MLB contract instead. In my opinion, Covey's skill set is reminiscent of him.