BYU football: The Cougars’ three most important players in 2017-18

BYU football begins fall camp in just a few days. Before we know it, the Cougars will kickoff against Portland State.

BYU football has plenty of talent on its roster – and plenty of talent on the horizon with Kalani Sitake and Co.’s recruiting abilities.

That’s great news for Cougar fans.

But, talent isn’t everything. So as we count down BYU football’s most important players, don’t mistake it for most talented.

Some of these players are the most talented, but things like position depth, coaching schemes, and experience are also factored in.

Honorable Mentions

Senior Punter Jonny Linehan

I know, I know, putting a punter on a list like this seems ridiculous. But Linehan is a major weapon for BYU football. It might not have seemed like that during his debut season – fans groaned as the go fast go hard offense stalled and the Cougars punted – but in 2016-17 Linehan consistently pinned opponents deep in their own territory. With the defense playing as well as it was, it was difficult to put a drive together on BYU.

Senior Guard Tuni Kanuch

I’m big on experience up front. And Kanuch has tons of it. He’s played both guard spots during his career, adding to his versatility. Kanuch is also a terrific run blocker who plays with a mean streak that makes offensive line coaches drool. Austin Hoyt is behind Kanuch on the depth chart, and Hoyt is a solid player. But he’s also somewhat of a utility lineman for BYU football, having experience at right tackle as well as guard. If Kanuch goes down, that really hurts the Cougars’ depth, which is why he’s an honorable mention.

Junior Linebacker Butch Pau’u

Pau’u was extremely close to making the actual list. He’s immensely talented, and means a ton to the BYU football defense. That much was evident when he missed time and played hurt last season. But, ultimately another linebacker made this list, due to his more diverse skill set. Speaking of which…