PROVO, Utah – BYU football began its second week of spring practices on Monday afternoon in the Indoor Practice Facility.
The Cougars used an uptempo practice with more team 11-on-11 work to fill their Monday practice.
BYU's offense returns several key pieces, including every player that started on the offensive line in 2019. Outland Trophy candidate Brady Christensen and Rimington Trophy candidate James Empey both return for their junior seasons after starting the last 26 games together.
Pro Football Focus rated BYU's offensive line the No. 12 unit in the country last season, and noted Empey as the No. 10 returning offensive lineman in 2020, with Christensen as No. 20. The two anchor a group that has 115 combined starts.
Junior Keanu Saleapaga returns with 19 starts, including 11 last year, while senior Tristen Hoge is back with 18 starts. Senior Chandon Herring also returns after having started 12 of 13 games last year while sophomore Blake Freeland is back after starting seven games as a true freshman in 2019. Sophomore Clark Barrington and senior Kieffer Longson also have four and three starts, respectively.
In addition to those with starts, the Cougars also return Ethan Atagi, JT Gentry, Harris LaChance and Joe Tukuafu who all have playing experience. Brevan Ward, Brayden Keim, Mo Unutoa and Seth Willis, a newcomer, all look to get their first action at BYU in 2020.
The following quotes are selected from BYU's post-practice media availability.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake
After five practices, I feel really excited about where we’re going. We have some guys that got banged up a little bit, but they’ll heal up and we’ll keep rolling with it. I see a lot of progress and great competition, and I’m looking forward to it.
On any potential injuries in Spring
There are a lot of guys that have tons of experience that don’t need much more. Troy Warner comes to mind; he’s having a great spring, but I don’t know how much more he really needs other than just polishing up. There’s other guys that need to compete, and we’ve got to have a great balance between them getting as good as they can and working on their craft, but also getting them to fall camp.
On the O-Line
We have high expectations for them, and our whole team needs to push them to get better. The urgency has to be there, and that’s what we’re focusing on. We’ve got a lot of guys competing for the five spots. It’s been fun already in the first five practices, but I see them all getting better.
We’re welcoming Kieffer [Longson] back, and Mo Unutoa is in the mix too. Tristan [Hoge] has been hurt for a little bit, but now he’s back. There’s a lot of guys who’ve played a lot of games and have the experience, so it’s going to be fun.
BYU offensive line coach Eric Mateos
On steps to accomplish goals in spring
The No. 1 thing is to become the leaders of our team. That's really the goal. Last spring it was like I just got here before spring and was just trying to learn who everybody was and learn their personalities. Now the bar has been raised this offseason for us.
I make a big deal to them that they haven't done anything in 2020. They deserve no praise, haven't earned a yard or a point or any of that yet. We are just trying to keep that mentality of bringing it every day. The goal for this unit is to be the group that everybody on our team can look at as setting the standard for how tough and smart we can be.
Offensive lineman James Empey
On the first week of camp
So far everything has been good. Everyone is meshing together. Unit wise, I feel like we were meshing today. I think we are trying to get better at the things that we didn't do so well at last season. We are trying to take the next step as a unit, as an offense and as a team. We a trying to correct our flaws and be the best we can be. We are using this spring to really get better and take advantage of every minute of it. We have a lot of fight, everybody is competitive and wants to get better and has a lot of drive.
Impressions on the unit
We have guys. It is nice to have Tristen Hoge back and playing at a high-level as well as Brady Christensen. We also have guys like Clark Barrington, Chandon Herring and Blake Freeland and those guys that are stepping in and being positive. Kieffer Longson is now healthy and can play again. It is nice to have all these guys back and playing again. We have a long way to go and we aren't nearly close to where we need to be yet but I feel like we have the guys to do it.
On the coaching staff
Coach Mateos and Coach Grimes are both good at pointing out the ugly truths and holding you to the goals and standards that you have set for yourself and your unit. Every great coach does that and keeps you to keep your goals and help you accomplish what you want to accomplish. Sometimes it is recognized in those ugly truths and at times last year we didn't play up to where we needed to be but I think the guys in our room are taking it one day at a time and striving to build on everything.