"We'll work around that, but I feel bad for Brandon," Mendenhall said. "I was very excited about the upcoming season for him specifically."

All of the new Cougars reported to fall camp except one, deep snapper Matt Johnson. Mendenhall hopes to learn more about Johnson's status by Tuesday.

Brighton High product Mike Hague, who signed last February as a running back, saw playing time at safety. "It's everything I expected and more," Hague said of his first day as a Cougar. "It was fun."

Starting quarterback John Beck was impressed with the bevy of newcomers. "I've seen a lot of recruits come in during the summer. We have a lot of new faces out today. I know if coach Mendenhall brought them here, it's for a reason. They are guys who can play and I expect a lot out of them."

Another new face was running back Harvey Unga out of Timpview High. Unga signed with the Cougars in 2005 but was not part of the program last season.

As for the veterans, Jake Kuresa and Dallas Reynolds swapped positions on the offensive line, with Kuresa playing guard and Reynolds tackle. "We'll switch roles for a while and see how it goes," Kuresa said.

Meanwhile, Dustin Gabriel, who played at safety last season and was moved to linebacker, has returned to safety, Mendenhall said.

Defensive lineman Russell Tiavlavea, who was suspended indefinitely during spring ball for a violation of team rules, has returned to the team. "I've been very pleased with the progress he's made," Mendenhall said. "He did everything he was asked to do, above and beyond. To this point, all criteria have been met."

Mendenhall met with his team Friday night in preparation for fall camp and the upcoming season. One of the issues he addressed was how close the program is to returning to greatness. The Cougars lost overtime games to TCU and Utah, then lost by a touchdown to Cal in the Las Vegas Bowl.

"That's simply a landmark for where we were after year one," Mendenhall said. "That serves as a starting point for year two. We'll start from there and move forward."

Saturday started early for Mendenhall. He awoke at 4:30 a.m. and said goodbye to his wife and three children, who departed for Montana as part of the Mendenhall family's annual fall camp arrangement. Holly Mendenhall and the boys traditionally spend the month of August in Montana on vacation while Bronco remains home to focus completely on football.

Not long after his family left, he was out the door, too, eager to begin preparations for the 2006 campaign. "There's a sense of reality and sacrifice that's being made," he said. "But once here, you just kind of slip into fall camp mode."

The Cougars will begin two-a-days on Aug. 11. There are 29 practices scheduled leading up to the season-opener. Four practices (Aug. 14, 16, 18 and 21) will be open to the public.

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E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com