Make room for 'Tannermania'!

I think we all knew that Tanner Mangum was an impressive get for BYU, but, after the attention he was receiving for his stellar play this past week at Nikes "The Opening" football camp, it's safe to say we are pleasantly surprised/excited.

Also exciting was the amount of attention he received on Twitter because of his stellar play. Sure, it's nothing close to the amount of attention that Jimmer received on that very same medium (despite playing on an inferior and abject network), but considering he was an alternate to even be there, these praises scratch us all right where we itch.

The future of the QB position at BYU is in good hands, and here are some of those impressive tweets.

Dwayne Bowe's thoughts on Mangum:
BSU player Jeron Johnson and his obvious irritation upon learning Mangum wasn't going to Boise State despite being from the area:
The token ridiculous BSU-fan statement design to convince himself that he didn't want Mangum anyway:
More praise from ESPN personalities and outlets:

This picture also came up early on in the Google Image search. They must have thought I meant Magnum instead of Mangum.

New Commitments for BYU

BYU held its annual "Junior Day" today, and with it came a few commitments from footballers. Congratulations to Phillip Amone, a linebacker from Florida, and Austin Hoyt, an offensive lineman from California. Here are some highlights:

Phillip Amone:



Austin Hoyt (played TE in high school):



Congrats, guys, and good luck!

UPDATED

Another commit. This one from Bobby Wolford, another LB from Florida. Here are the highlights:



UPDATE

Brayden Kearsley, an offensive lineman from Oregon, also committed. He's actually a recruit for the class of 2013. I haven't been able to find a highlight video of him on YouTube, but here is an interview:

Premature Box Score Prediction: BYU at Ole Miss

In order to fill up some space in this blog during the summer, I thought I would throw out some predictions for the upcoming football season, and I definitely welcome your predictions - negative or positive. This prediction is for the opening game in Oxford, Miss., on September 3.

BYU 42, Ole Miss 20

Passing
Heaps: 24-34, 318 yards, 3 TDs

Rushing
Quezada: 18 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD
Di Luigi: 11 carries, 58 yards
Kariya: 8 carries, 30 yards, 2 TDs

Receiving
Apo: 6 catches, 125 yards, 1 TD
Jacobson: 6 catches, 53 yards
Hoffman: 5 catches , 82 yards, 1 TD
Mahina: 2 catches, 19 yards
Di Luigi: 2 catches, 18 yards
Kariya: 2 catches, 8 yards, 1 TD
Quezada 1 catch, 13 yards

Defense
Rushing yards allowed: 103 yards
Passing yards allowed: 181 yards
INTs: 1
Fumbles Forced/Recovered: 3/2

I think this game would definitely be different if it was played three or four weeks later, but for now, Ole Miss has a heck of a lot more unanswered questions than BYU. For example, the Rebels still haven't selected a starting QB yet, and it's between three possible QBs. With a new offensive coordinator, the last thing Ole Miss needs is a guy under center that didn't have the majority of the reps in fall camp. But that's what they are going to get unless they pick a started EARLY in fall camp. They'll have to rely on RBs, and BYU's rushing defense is one thing I am not worried about.

Also, Ole Miss' defense is what caused its 4-8 2010 record, and it only returns 4 starters. Two starters are lost from the secondary, and it was bad last year. This is why I had so much optimism in putting together BYU's offensive predictions. This seems like a pretty good opportunity for BYU to showcase its new offense.

BYU and Ole Miss both had bad 2010 seasons, but BYU finished 2010 playing its best football. That can't be said about Ole Miss, and I have serious doubts about Ole Miss' ability to make vast improvements by Week One.

Feel free to leave a comment with your own prediction(s).

The Great Heaps Mission Debate

This is a subject in which I am surprised such debate exists: should Jake Heaps serve a full-time mission?

It is easy to give the answer of "yes," because we have been taught all of our lives that every worthy young man should serve a mission. So, by that token, the decision is not a decision all, because it has already been made for him.

Except for a little thing called "agency."

For me, the answer was easy. I went and did what was expected of me. It was a decision I had made years and years before acting on it. But there is a different set of circumstances surrounding Heaps' mission decision compared to my circumstances, and I don't think people understand the difficulty of Heaps' decision.

Those in a third-person perspective looking at it, say, "There's no question or decision about it. Just go!"

I would wager a small fortune none of those people were ever the #1 QB prospect in high school as a senior. They were likely not given the starting job at the most visible position on the BYU football team as a freshman - a dream come true for Heaps, I'm sure. The bottom line is they have no idea the sacrifice Heaps would be making.

Heaps has worked so hard throughout his entire life to one day be a QB in the NFL. Two years is an immense sacrifice for anyone, but for a QB, that's two years away from the game. Two years off a possible NFL career.

Saying "yes" to that decision is almost definitely saying "good-bye" to the possibility of being drafted in the first round. Teams like to draft younger QBs to groom them to be their quarterback.

People know BYU as a "QB Factory," but do you remember who the first returned missionary BYU QB to start in the NFL was? John Beck, a mere three years ago. A BYU QB not going on a mission is not a new topic.

Remember former #1 QB prospect Ben Olson? He served - and I give him ultimate props for doing so - and his college career did not turn out how he would have preferred. Not that it is because he served a mission, but if you were in Jake Heaps' position, wouldn't that scare you a tad?

The answer to the question of whether to serve is non-existent, because whether or not Jake Heaps should serve a mission is not even a question - at least not for me or you. It is a private decision between Heaps and the Lord. He is the one going. He is the one that needs to be committed.

Agency is one of the most sacred possessions we have as children of our Heavenly Father, so how dare anyone try to rob him of that?

I understand the thought that Jake Heaps should be an example to the younger kids in the church. However, I am from the Charles Barkley School of Philosophy. It is not Heaps' job to be a role model. Jake Heaps wants to play football, not raise your kids.

Why criticize him for not going on a mission? Why not appreciate him for the good kid he already is? Why try to fit him into a role he may not want to fulfill? There are plenty other people on the BYU football team or other teams willing to be that guy.

For example, here is a video on Utah basketball legend Tyler Haws.

After a very successful freshman season on the BYU basketball team, he chose to serve a mission. Tyler Haws' example screams "Here! Here's a role model!" Why waste time making someone else fit into a role that is already being fulfilled by guys like Tyler Haws?