Over the years, BYU has put together some interesting defensive backfields. A few years back they had four "less than athletic" guys that walked on to the team as the starting back four. They always have at least one guy that is under 5'10" and under 170 pounds. They are pretty much always the biggest weakness or question mark for BYU (besides maybe the special teams which has been equally adventurous in the not-so-distant past). I do not believe that this season will be much different for DBs. I read an article a little while back talking about the wealth and depth of options and talent at DB for BYU this season. Then I remembered, that's pretty much the same article BYU fans have read for the past few years: BYU has more options at DB than ever before. Yet every year, there is a tight battle and someone wins the job, and they are OK, but the back-up rarely ever plays. And the starter is rarely ever good. And when the back-up finally gets his chance, he proves why he lost the job to the not-so-good starter. Before I start buying into a solid group of BYU DBs, I want to see 6 guys play back there (and play well) that return the following season.
BYU is starting a lot of new faces, one of them potentially being a recently returned missionary who "looks really good" (but so did Pendleton and Jacobson, and they have been injured more often than not after their missions). RMs may be mature in spirit, but their bodies usually take a while longer to "grow up." Alright, enough with my diatribe, now for my rankings of the DBs that BYU will see, which is actually the best position group in terms of quality that BYU will see this season.
1) Texas
2) TCU
3) Oregon State
4) Ole Miss
5) San Jose State
6) Utah
7) UCF
8) New Mexico State
9) Hawaii
10) Idaho
11) Utah State
Texas may have one of the better groups of DBs in the country. They have a couple of young, though not inexperienced CBs, one a little thicker, one a little faster. Blake Gideon is entering his fourth year as a starter at Free Safety. Christian Scott started most of last season at Strong Safety, he is athletic, though a little undersized for a Texas SS (Texas usually has great SS's).
TCU only returns two of five starters in the secondary (remember they employ a 4-2-5), but they start three seniors. The other two are very inexperienced. They will be up to speed by game time, but chemistry and assignment-sound football is vital in Gary Patterson's D. It's not all about team speed. These guys have the speed, but how will they learn and how will they mesh, especially where I anticipate a couple of pre-BYU game losses for them.
Oregon State returns two starters, both seniors. The other two are juniors that have seen a lot of playing time over their first two years, even if most of it was on special teams. Combined the four projected starters had nearly 200 tackles last season, 4 INTs, and 11 pass breakups.
Ole Miss also returns two starters, both seniors. The other two starters will likely be JC Transfers that were there for spring ball. It is a pretty small secondary, and perhaps I am a bit too optimistic about them, but it is going to be a group of guys good enough to play in the SEC, and that's good enough for fourth on my list, regardless of experience, or lack of it.
San Jose State actually has a not-bad secondary, which is the only position I will rank them this high on! They return 4 senior starters, all of whom started at least a few games as sophomores, and a lot more as juniors. Free Safety Alex Germany is the weakest link in the group, but this should be a very solid group. It is certainly the most experienced group BYU will see all season.
Utah always seems to put together a good secondary. If this unit ends up being a top-flight unit though, then major kudos to the coaching staff, because this group is not the most physically gifted, it isn't full of the most highly recruited guys, and it isn't the most experienced group. They have 1 senior and 1 total start combined for the entire group. With that said, while they aren't exactly big, they aren't small either. Also, two of the projected starters have been in the program for 3 years. This group cries potential. It is a decently athletic bunch. Kyle will groom them into a tough bunch. It'll probably be a good unit by the end of the season. BYU gets to see them in week three, however, and potential rarely ever meshes perfectly by week three.
UCF is a fairly experienced bunch. Two of the three juniors that are projected to start made First Team C-USA last season. If it weren't for the strong safety position which looks very weak, I'd probably put them ahead of the U Crew.
Of the bottom four, Idaho is probably the most experienced but the least talented. Again, I am probably making unfair assessments of them b/c I only saw them play against Boise State last season. New Mexico State has the biggest group, with nearly as much experience as Idaho. Hawaii doesn't have much experience or size, but Richard Torres is a monster at SS. Utah State doesn't have much experience, much size, and, frankly, I don't think they are very good players. I know recruiting sites are overrated and all of that. Blah blah blah. However, none of the projected top 8 for Utah State had two stars next to their names on any recruiting site. Good coaching can make great players All-Americans, good players great, average players good, and bad players average. If Gary Anderson is a great coach, Utah State will have an average secondary.
I would put BYU's DBs between UCF and New Mexico State. Maybe by the end of the season, I will be proved wrong about this secondary. Maybe it really is loaded with talent and depth and ability. But going into the season, it's just words and a few analysts' opinions that it is so. If they have a great year, it's as likely to be because they aren't facing any good QBs, no premier WRs, and BYU's front 7 dominates as it is to be because they are good. I will always doubt the BYU secondary, it is just a matter of history. Don't tell me it's different until I can see that it is on the field. This group hasn't made a game-breaking/winning play since the 1996 Cotton Bowl. That's 15 years of never making the play. That's 180 games of everyone else saving their butt. We all have a right to be pessimistic about BYU's secondary.
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