Depth in BYU secondary already being tested

When BYU safety Dustin Gabriel's season ended early due to foot surgery, it underscored the importance of health and readiness in the Cougar secondary.

David Tafuna, Corby Hodgkiss and Kellen Fowler are in a battle to see who replaces Gabriel alongside senior leader Quinn Gooch. Tafuna started in Saturday's scrimmage and may hold on to the job. Aaron Attig and former Bingham star Jordan Pendleton are also in the picture at strong and free safety.

A pair of seniors, Kayle Buchanan and Ben Criddle, currently man the cover and field corner positions in the Cougar's shifting zone coverage behind the 3-4 front. But both are recovering from injuries. For Criddle, it is foot surgery. Buchanan said his injured shoulder is healed.

In the meantime, secondary coach Jamie Hill believes he's got more experience, more bodies and more flexibility than a year ago.

"Our new players came to camp in better shape than I thought they would, and they're picking things up fast," said Hill.

Still, the success of BYU's secondary depends on health and fledgling depth, the focus of the past two recruiting years.

Buchanan was an MVP in football, soccer and baseball at Santa Clara High near San Jose. Criddle, a walk-on junior college transfer, earned a scholarship after excelling last season in the nation's No. 10-ranked scoring defense.

"In football, you are never a hundred percent because every week you are getting nicked and banged around," said Buchanan, who is having the best fall camp of his career.

Sophomore Brandon Howard is pushing Buchanan for the cover corner spot vacated by Justin Robinson.

Other corner candidates include Louisville redshirt freshman transfer Brandon Bradley, senior Andre Saulsberry, freshman G Pitman, freshman Brannon Brooks and Timpview walk-on Scott Johnson, now a junior.

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall said Howard has impressed him as much as anybody in camp the first week.

"We're off to a fast start and finishing even faster," said Howard of this fall's workouts. "Coach Hill is really tough on us out there."

A year ago, Howard, a redshirt freshman, said he was swamped. He could never get himself in a position to compete for a starting job.

Howard, an All-American track shuttle sprinter in high school, said this summer is different.