Signing day 2013: Offensive line is focus of BYU's 2013 recruiting class (+video)

Mendenhall said he and Gary Andersen have become good friends in recent years and that he loves the way Chasen Andersen plays the game.

Gary Andersen called Mendenhall Tuesday night to thank him for giving his son a chance to play at BYU.

"I love Chasen," Mendenhall said. "He came on a Junior Day two years ago. Even though his hair was long and all that, when he plays, he flies around and he loves BYU for what it is. That's really fun for me. I have extra responsibility to the parents of those type of kids, to make sure they make it. I like that."

The Cougars signed one quarterback, Billy Green, who is already enrolled in school and will participate in spring ball next month.

"He is really tough," Mendenhall said of Green. "He knows how to win football games, and he's passionate about being here."

In addition to the players that signed NLIs Wednesday, there are a few high school seniors who plan to go directly on LDS missions who have committed to BYU. The NCAA places a limit on the number of players a school can award each year.

BYU also released Wednesday its list of returning missionaries that will join the program in 2013: OL Jordan Black, RB Algernon Brown, LB Toloa'i Ho Ching, DL Tuni Kanuch, RB AJ Moore, LB Joey Owens, TE Bryan Sampson and DL Sae Tautu.