Tight end remains a big BYU question mark

It's a mystery and one of the biggest question marks in BYU football fall camp leading up to Saturday's opener with Washington.

The Cougars face the Huskies without a clear answer as to who is going to play tight end or how productive the new faces at that spot will be.

The QB deal aside, this is like Apple heading into the Christmas buying season uncertain of which new power supply to put in iPad boxes.

Tight-end-dom at BYU is a realm that's produced a line of All-Americans, including this summer's Hall of Fame inductee Gordon Hudson. Remember

Washington's head coach, former Cougar Steve Sarkisian? He benefited from having future NFL tight ends Chad Lewis and Itula Mili as targets in the mid-'90s.

Just how big is this vacancy?

A year ago, BYU All-American Dennis Pitta and overtime Ute-killer Andrew George combined for 829 of BYU's 5,553 total yards and 13 of 34 touchdowns

through the air. But more importantly, they were clutch in BYU's NCAA-leading third-down conversion percentage (55.62).

Pitta was a consensus All-American and George was the All-MWC second-team tight end behind Pitta. How does that happen in a Division I conference?

This year's candidates are redshirt freshmen Mike Muehlmann (6-5, 240) and Richard Wilson (6-2, 228), recently returned missionaries Devin Mahina (6-6, 225), Marcus Mathews (6-4, 200), and prep All-American Austin Holt (6-6, 230), with true freshman Bryan Sampson in the wings alongside LaVell Edwards' grandson Matt Edwards (6-3, 220).

Wilson is the fastest, Muehlmann is the most physical and Holt is the most hyped. All are capable in time.

Mahina might not see the field today due to a leg injury.

As a group, they've progressed, but nobody's Pitta. That's understandable. Although they're talented, they lack Pitta's confidence and what he showed

in strength, experience, work ethic, playmaking, knowledge, leverage, soft hands and leadership.

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall said earlier this week offensive coaches are prepared to use a short leash today with this rookie tight end corps. If

those in this group don't mess up, they'll stay on the field.

If they do, there's a backup plan Mendenhall says will be instituted on the fly.