Cougars' offensive line looking bigger and better for fall camp

PROVO —

When BYU's fall football camp begins, Bronco Mendenhall will get a significant boost from a truckload of athletes, something he sorely lacked this past spring.

These are big guys and they're mature and older, just like many opponents like to complain about. And that sits just fine with folks in Provo; they're back in the rocking-chair player business again.

While most everyone's eyes will be on the battle for the starting quarterback spot, that highly visible competition would not be possible — in a meaningful way — if it weren't for the big guys up front providing those QBs multiple looks in different situations for long periods of practice time.

Gary Patterson, head coach of defending MWC champion TCU, said there is no way you can truly test and learn the pocket presence of a quarterback unless you see him multiple times in live drills in 11-on-11.

"You can see how he reacts, how he handles the pressure and how he progresses," Patterson said. "If you can't do that, you really don't know."

Fortunately for Patterson and the Horned Frogs, they're at least three to four players deep along their offensive and defensive lines.

At BYU, the O-line may be a strength this year. But back during spring practice, when Riley Nelson, Jake Heaps and James Lark were trying to impress, the Cougar offensive line lacked depth. Mendenhall had to run practices with a kind of smoke-and-mirrors plan. Injuries, postseason surgeries, graduation and players' departure for missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints left line coach Mark Weber with about eight available bodies — depending on the day.

That's no way to test or prepare a QB.

This has happened before in spring, and when it did, Mendenhall is quick to remind the media, people were worried and wondered if somehow the Cougars would struggle to field a decent offense in the fall.

Turned out, Max Hall was just fine and led the Cougars to a MWC title.

One has to admit, however, that the O-line looked mighty spotty this spring. Some of the practices resembled a fire drill because Mendenhall had to get in and out of 11-on-11 team sessions so quickly to protect what players he had on the field.

This fall is different. The O-line numbers have doubled. And where BYU is unique, Mendenhall says, is that the Cougars can have a 40 percent turnover in personnel every year, in part to missions. This is a month when the troops have arrived and other folks are healed.