PROVO, Utah - At the conclusion of the second week of spring football, BYU continued preparations for the 2012 season with a Friday afternoon practice outside.
The practice was also the annual Coaches Clinic, an event where the team hosts several of the top high school coaches in the state, along with a few from across the country.
Many of BYU's starters are out recovering from injury this spring but will be back for fall camp and ready to start the upcoming season. With those injuries several young players are receiving opportunties to earn a spot on the field.
"It is great because those players out will be back for the fall but its a great chance to train the depth," head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "We are able to cross-train a lot of players and so when guys come back it will give us instant depth."
Ezekiel Ansah is getting work as an outside linebacker as well as a defensive lineman and linebacker Spencer Hadley who recently switched to from middle linebacker to outside is seeing a lot of time at his new position.
In the team scrimmage portion of practice quarterback Riley Nelson was able to move the offense down the field with a long pass of 30 yards to wide receiver Cody Hoffman. Running back Michael Alisa helped out with an 11-yard scamper and Nelson tried to get another big pass into the end zone but it was broken up by defensive back Jordan Johnson, nearly picking the ball off. The drive stalled and kicker Riley Stephenson got some work in, connecting on a 36-yard field goal.
Ansah batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage on quarterback James Lark's series after Lark connected with wide receiver Terenn Houk for an eight-yard gain. Houk made an athletic grab on the reception, wrestling the ball away from an oncoming defensive back.
The team will resume practice on Monday for the third week of spring football.