BYU Football: Three things we’ve learned so far from fall camp

BYU Football is almost two weeks into fall camp. Some questions have been answered, and new questions that have arisen from these answers.

No. 1 – Quarterback competition is between Mangum and Wilson

Everyone expected a four-man race when fall camp began. After Beau Hoge’s change to running back was announced, it turned out to be between only three. Now it appears the decision has been whittled down to just two candidates.

Tanner Mangum and Zack Wilson are both playing at a high level at this point. From an onlooker’s standpoint, they seem to be neck and neck in the race. Unless the coaches are playing coy for Arizona, it looks like their choice hasn’t been made yet.

The starter may not be revealed until the first kickoff, even if the decision is made sooner. This may cause more heartburn for Cougar fans, but regardless of whether the starter is named or not, in the next few days it should be obvious who is taking the first snaps against Arizona.

No. 2 – Running Back position wasn’t as deep as we thought

A few weeks ago, we had no idea who would be the feature back of the offense. However, we thought we knew who was in contention for the job.

We were wrong.

In an already crowed running backs room, three more options were added. As previously mentioned, Beau Hoge joined the group. Matt Hadley also returned to the pool from his regular linebacker spot. Defensive back, Tanner Jacobson made the switch as well, though injury will probably keep him out of the competition at this point.

Injuries to KJ Hall and Kavika Fonua, and Ula Tolutau’s suspension may have facilitated the additions. Still, with Squally Canada, Lopini Kotoa, and Riley Burt available, many fans felt the position was already manned sufficiently. Obviously, coaches did not feel the same.

These changes raise of a lot of questions about the running backs. Did they do this to acquire more depth, or is there something more to read into this action? Was it made because of the talents of these newcomers, or in response to the struggles of those already there?

No. 3 – Coaches are indecisive with secondary personnel

This might be the most shocking news of camp. It appears that the coaches are still experimenting with a variety of athletes in the defensive backfield. We already knew that Dayan Gwanwoloku and Troy Warner were switching to safety, but now it is unclear on whether this change will stick or not.

A virtual game of musical chairs is being played among each position and available player in the secondary. Honestly, despite what we’ve seen in practices, there’s no telling what direction the coaches are going to take.

It’s hard to tell if these decisions are based on a surplus of quality athletes or a shortage of capable contenders. The former is a great problem to have, but the latter is real reason for concern.

One thing is certain, it’s getting late in the game to not have this issue figured out.

Like it or not, most of what we’ve learned so far is that there are many questions yet to be resolved. As Cougar Nation patiently waits, hopefully coaches can find the answers before they take on the Wildcats on September 1st.