BYU football: Position Preview- Linebackers
By Ron Jensen
Position Changes
Ed Lamb moved from his position as Safeties Coach to Linebackers Coach before spring practices started. A few weeks ago, he gave a revealing interview on BYU Sports Nation. His comments not only showed who will most likely start this fall, but also reflected his excitement for what’s to come from his players.
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Said Lamb, “I really like the position changes that happened with Sione Takitaki moving from defensive line to outside linebacker, and then Zayne Anderson moving from safety to linebacker.”
Takitaki (6’2, 231, Sr) did well at defensive end last year. It’s obvious from the change that coaches feel he can have an even bigger impact at linebacker. He will take over the “Bo” position duties for the Cougar defense.
Anderson (6’2, 205, Sr) will play at the “Flash” linebacker spot. Lamb had this to say about the matter, “Coming out of spring, (he) was clearly the right guy for the position. I think he goes from a very good college safety, to an NFL prospect at the linebacker position.”
That is a bold statement, and it will be interesting to see if it proves true this season.
Speaking of Pau’u and these two projected starters, Lamb declared, “I think we have a lot of speed on the field, a lot of power. Those guys play the game at a high tempo.”
The Depth
Senior Matt Hadley (6’0, 215) returns after the NCAA granted him a hardship year due to the injury he sustained last season. As Lamb states, “Matt Hadley…that gives us at least four starting, winning caliber players…”
He also brought up the names of Riggs Powell (6’2, 215, Sr) and Adam Pulsipher (6’1, 220, Sr) as two other probable contributors. He said that, “…those guys are really pushing as well for significant playing time.”
It’s obvious that Lamb is very optimistic about the abilities of the group. Will these athletes merit such high expectations come season’s end? It won’t be too long now before we know.