BYU football: QB battle will highlight spring practices

PROVO — While college basketball and March Madness rule this time of year, college football teams around the country are quietly conducting spring drills.

BYU, fresh off an 11-2 season and No. 12 national ranking, opens practice Monday with the first of 15 sessions allowed by the NCAA. Practices are closed to the public.

Of course, the biggest storyline will surround the quarterback situation as the Cougars look to replace three-year starter Max Hall. Junior Riley Nelson, who backed up Hall last season; sophomore James Lark, who returned home from a mission in December; and true freshman Jake Heaps, a high school All-American, will compete for the starting job.

Let the battle begin.

"I would say that they're equal as of right now," coach Bronco Mendenhall said Friday. "If you were to say, 'Who will probably get the first snap?' it would be Riley because he was simply here in the fall. James and Jake weren't. Just in terms of knowledge of what to do, he's probably at a higher level. That does not mean that he's been designated the starter. I'll probably get that question after Day One with members of the media asking me why (Nelson) was with the ones. Right now, it would only be based on knowledge. James and Jake are catching up."

A number of players, including several returning starters, will be held out of spring ball due to injuries, said Mendenhall.

Safety Andrew Rich (ankle and shoulder surgery), linebacker Jordan Pendleton (shoulder surgery) and offensive lineman Jason Speredon (who missed the entire 2009 season due to a torn rotator cuff) won't be participating. Neither will freshman receiver Ross Apo, who underwent shoulder surgery this winter.

Others who will see limited, non-contact action include offensive linemen Houston Reynolds (who suffered an ACL during fall camp) and Ryan Freeman (calf) and Marco Thorson; running back Mike Hague (ankle sprain); defensive lineman Jordan Richardson (shoulder surgery); and inside linebackers Brandon Ogletree and Shane Hunter.

That's a lot players who won't see action this spring, but Mendenhall said that amount of injuries and surgeries for this time of year is pretty typical.