Is BYU recruit fast? Yes sir!

One thing some people always fret about when it comes to BYU football is the ability of staff members to recruit speedy players.

This 2010 class signed by Bronco Mendenhall on Wednesday is no exception to that kind of scrutiny. While it's a class loaded with talented linebackers and running backs, one particular athlete sticks out in the speed department. His name is Drew Phillips, a 5,000-yard rusher from Boaz, Ala.

Allegedly and reportedly, this Phillips kid has speed. He's been clocked at 4.39 seconds for 40 yards. Phillips returned four kickoffs for touchdowns this past year and holds the Boaz school record for returning a punt 99 yards. In his highlight video, he looks like a blur and everyone else looks like cardboard cutouts.

BYU recruiting coordinator Paul Tidwell said Wednesday that this 2010 recruiting class is the fastest and most athletic BYU has recruited.

"Yes, I'd say it is, from the big guys to the little skilled position players," he said. "Just the four guys who came in mid-year (Kyle Van Noy, Josh Quesada, Jake Heaps and Ross Apo), they're running well and we're excited."

Tidwell said according to 40-yard dash times on record, Phillips should be the fastest.

I decided to find out more about Phillips, so I called his high school coach, Drew Noles. Calling high school coaches about recruits is one of my favorite things to do in February. They are a riot. Noles is a veteran coach in the deep South with one of those trademark accents laced with "yes, sir" here and there.

And yes, I know high school coaches love to talk up their players. That's why it's fun to plug in to their take.

One thing about football in the South, said Noles, is tough football is a trademark. It isn't for pansies. Noles ran the Power I and opponents loaded up for Phillips on every play. Still, Phillips averaged 6.5 yards a carry for his career.

"Yeah, but is he fast?" I asked. Folks in Provo want to know if he's got speed.

"First, it all starts with his speed," said Noles. "He has tremendous speed. He is one of the fastest football players in the state of Alabama, and that also goes for track and field. He has breakaway speed. He gives you opportunities to score from anywhere on the field. He has great vision and that is something you just can't teach or coach.