BYU gets 18 on preseason All-Independent Team
On Monday morning, Phil Steele published his preseason picks for the 2015 All-Independent Team. Taysom Hill along with 17 other Cougars were named to that list. Hill was named as the first-team quarterback. Seniors Jamaal Williams, Mitch Matthews, Bronson Kaufusi, Manoa Pikula, Trevor Samson and Adam Hine, along with sophomore center Tejan Koroma were named to the first-team along with Hill. Hine earned the first-team selection as a kick returner. He also earned second-team honors as a running back.
Wide receivers Devon Blackmon and Mitchell Juergens along with offensive lineman Ryker Mathews, Kyle Johnson, and Tuni Kanuch round out the second-team offense. Defensive lineman Travis Tuiloma and Graham Rowley along with linebacker Troy Hinds and defensive back Micheal Davis were named to the second-team defense.
Sep 20, 2014; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back Jamaal Williams (21) warms up before facing the Virginia Cavaliers at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
It was a list dominated by both BYU and Notre Dame. The Cougars had 18 players selected and the Irish had 25. It might come as no surprise to anyone that Hill was selected as the top quarterback out of the independent teams. In four games last year, Hill completed 66.7 percent of his passes and averaged 92 yards rushing a game and 287 yards of total offense a game.
With offensive weapons like Jamaal Williams, who is expected to be ready for fall camp after missing all of spring while recovering from knee surgery, and Mitch Mathews who had nine touchdown receptions in 2014. He also had a career-high 16 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Nevada on October 18th.
Koroma, who started all 13 games last season and who earned accolades on every freshman All-America Team in 2014, is back to anchor a BYU offensive line that has the duty to keep Taysom Hill clean and injury-free.
Kaufusi, who will be moving back to defensive end in 2015, and Pikula, who was the leading tackler in 2014, anchor the BYU defense. Kaufusi will try to wreak havoc in opponents backfields and build on the 11.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks he racked up in 2014. Pikula will continue to manage the inside linebacker position and is one of the most durable players on the BYU roster as he has played in 38 of 39 games over the previous three seasons.
Trevor Samson is about as reliable as they get. He connected on 12 of the 14 field goals he attemped in 2014 in his first season as the kicker at BYU. He also connected on 62 of 63 point after attempts. With a schedule that has Nebraska, Michigan, Boise State, UCLA, Missouri, and Utah State on it, Samson may be called upon much more than in 2014.
Hine, who had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Virginia back on September 20th, gets the nod as the as the first-team return specialist once and will be a key component in helping the BYU offense gain good field position. He was named to the FBS All-Independent Team and Phil Steele All-Independent First Team as a kick return specialist in 2014.
Most if not all of the preseason hype is just that. Hype. As much as people might want to use these preseason predictions as a guide for what will happen over the course of a 12-13 game season, it really doesn’t matter until the games actually start and the product on the field does that talking. It is great for BYU to get this kind of exposure and like it has been talked about, this could be a special season for the Cougars. It could also be a repeat of 2014. When September 5, 2015 rolls around, we will then have a better idea if all these accolades are deserved or just part of the life of college football.
Sep 20, 2014; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back Adam Hine (28) returns a kickoff against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half at Lavell Edwards Stadium. The Cougars won the game 41-33. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports