Predicting The Depth Chart: 2015 BYU Linebackers

We continue taking a look at the potential BYU depth chart when the Cougars take on Nebraska this September. It’s early and there is still a whole lot of time for things to change, but we are going to take a look at what we think it should be. We previewed the offensive side of the ball last week and have previewed the safeties and cornerbacks earlier this week. Today we’ll take a look at the 2015 BYU linebackers.

Oct 9, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Brigham Young Cougars linebacker Sione Takitaki (53) comes up with a fumble late in the second quarter against the UCF Knights at Bright House Networks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

The Starters

The Outsiders- Fred Warner, Sae Tautu

Fred Warner is a no brainer. He’s got all of the tools to be the have a career similar to Kyle Van Noy’s BYU career. He’s good in coverage, he can play the run, he gets to the quarterback and he also can make an impact on special teams. Warner is a special player and should be on the field as many snaps as he possibly can be. There are a lot of questions as to who will start and what the rotations will be with the linebacker corps as a whole, but this one is easy.

Sae Tautu is a relative unknown among Cougar fans. He played behind Bronson Kaufusi and Michael Alisa for much of last year but when he got playing time he made plays. The junior linebacker should have a larger role in the defense next year. He does a good job of setting the edge and he doesn’t miss tackles. Both of those things BYU struggled with last year so Tautu would be a great addition here. He’s nowhere near the lock that Warner is but I do think that he will be the frontrunner going into Nebraska.

The Insiders- Harvey Langi, Manoa Pikula

Harvey Langi had a lot of hype going into last season. The highly recruited Bingham Miner and Utah transfer made headlines when he decided to transfer to BYU after his mission. The second that he got to Provo people could see his athleticism and potential. He never solidified himself throughout the season and I’ve seen some fans start to write him off. Because he made so many headlines before playing at BYU it’s easy to forget that Langi returned home from his mission just weeks before Fall Camp. With a full year of offseason conditioning behind him, I think that Langi will separate himself this season.

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Manoa Pikula is who I would place my money on starting opposite of Langi in Lincoln, though, I’m not very confident. Pikula will be a senior this year and has the experience and talent to be a tackle machine this season. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the year-to-year progression from Pikula that most thought we would see. I think his leash is short because there are similarly talented players that will be nipping at his heels but I think we see Pikula running with the ones to start the season.

Outsiders We’ll See A Lot- Troy Hinds, Sione Takitaki

Warner is going to eat up a whole lot of reps, as he should, but he is still going to have times that he will need a breather. On the other side, Tautu will have a shorter leash and there are very talented players behind them.

It would not surprise me at all to see Sione Takitaki or Troy Hinds in the starting lineup come September. Takitaki burst onto the scene against UCF last season. He showed his ability to get into the backfield. He may be the best pure pass rusher on the team and that skill will get him on the field. He needs to learn assignments and be more disciplined in the run game and pass coverage but his ability to get to the quarterback will be too much to ignore.

Hinds had attention from just about everybody in the country when he came out of Davis High School before he ultimately picked BYU. Last year Hinds didn’t do much outside of special teams but he, like Langi, was working off his mission legs. Now that he’s had a full year to get back into football shape I expect that we will see the player that was so impressive as a high school player. Hinds will push hard for a starting position.

Insiders We’ll See A Lot- Austin Heder, Teu Kautai, Jherremya Leuta-Douyere

Kautai is a very good player that saw a fair amount of time during 2014. He showed his potential against Middle Tennessee State last season when he registered three sacks in that game. He’s got a lot of the skills to be successful but he is not quite at the same level as Langi. He is definitely more consistent than Langi was last year and the trust factor that Bronco Mendenhall has with Kautai will certainly earn him early playing time.

Austin Heder was yet another linebacker that was working off missionary legs going into last season. Now the 6’2″ linebacker is back and will have many chances to showcase the talent that earned him a BYU scholarship. I really like Heder’s game. He reminds me of Brandon Ogletree. He’s just a solid football player. I think that Pikula is the starter but I wouldn’t be even a little surprised if Heder beats him out between now and September.

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Leuta-Douyere not only has one of the best names on the football team, he also brings a lot of talent. He saw a lot of time in 2014 and proved to be a solid option. I don’t think he’s enough of a playmaker to be the every down guy, but I do think he’s a consistent and solid option that Bronco Mendenhall would feel comfortable turning to.

The Next Tier- Tyler Cook, Phillip Amone, Va’a Niumatalolo

All three of these players are wild cards. They’re all young and have basically no game experience but they all have a lot of talent. I like the way that Cook gets to the quarterback from the outside. I see shades of Spencer Hadley when I see Cook play. Niumatalolo and Amone are both tackle machines that I would feel comfortable with seeing playing time. Due to depth, I think that we’re a year away from seeing significant reps from these three players but I think that each of them have potential in their BYU careers.

Nov 29, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws under pressure from Brigham Young Cougars linebacker Teu Kautai (25) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

More Names To Watch Out For

I don’t think that the guys on this list will get much playing time this season. But, it’s February and I’m just a blogger so there is a lot of time for each of them to prove me wrong:

Butch Pau’u (He’s extremely talented. I think his mission legs keep him off the field in 2015 but he’ll be a stud.)

Rhett Sandlin

Steven Richards

Adam Pulispher

DJ Doman

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