Cougars secure another elite QB

PROVO — The BYU quarterback derby to replace John Beck keeps getting more crowded, now that Glendale Community College freshman Brendon Gaskins has tossed himself into the fray with Snow College's Cade Cooper.

Gaskins, who attended the University of Nevada for one semester after an LDS mission to Uruguay, will have three years to play and is enrolled to start classes with Cooper next week at BYU. Gaskins and Cooper, the NJCAA offensive player of the year, will challenge Max Hall and Jacob Bower, both returning Cougars.

"I know Cooper and we're both aware of each other, and the competition for the quarterback job will not only make that a stronger position, but will make BYU football better," Gaskins said.

Cooper said Wednesday that he wasn't aware of Gaskins being enrolled at BYU.

"It's no big deal to me," Cooper said. "I know where I stand and feel comfortable with my position."

Gaskins, who will walk on, is 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and runs a 4.7 40. He lists his best attributes as arm strength and reading defenses. Gaskins earned All-Region 18 first-team honors and was second-team WSFL behind Cooper.

Gaskins helped lead Glendale to a No. 5 ranking and 9-1 regular season record as a freshman. He signed with Nevada and attended the WAC school for a year. After a coaching change, Gaskins wanted to transfer to BYU, but Nevada refused to grant him a release, so he enrolled at Glendale Community College in Arizona.

Gaskins ranked second behind Cooper in the WSFL passing statistics, completing 153 passes for 2,071 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.

In high school in Farmington, N.M., Gaskins threw for more than 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. He signed with Nevada out of high school and then went on a mission. He returned from his mission in September 2004 and enrolled winter semester at Nevada.

"When I enrolled at Nevada for spring ball, my clock started, so 2004 became my redshirt year," he said.

Gaskins will be a sophomore at BYU.

"In high school, we ran the Texas Tech offense that Robert Anae ran at Texas Tech," Gaskins said. "I attended the summer camp at Texas Tech in high school, as did my coaches."

Said Glendale coach Joe Kersting: "As a person, he's one of the finest young men I've ever coached. He is hard working and very generous to others and expects the most from himself.