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BYU receives pledge from All-American QB

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John | 2:33 p.m. May 26, 2008

Another example of BYU using LDS Church missions as a two year recruiting tool. The NCAA needs to put in a rule that still enforces the year of lost eligibility when transferring after an LDS mission.

Down with Brent Guy | 2:35 p.m. May 26, 2008

If USU had even a sub-decent head coach, Riley would stick around. Get rid of Brent Guy, and get someone here who wants to coach football the Utah State way with Utah players. Good luck to you Riley, you only did what any player with half a brain would do and that is run from the sunken ship.

RR | 2:43 p.m. May 26, 2008

Wow, what are the Aggie faithful going to say about this? This guy seemed to be a born Aggie. Hall has already proven to be one of the top QB's in the nation. No way he'd take Hall's place, but could replace Hall.

I don't blame the guy. If he has that much talent, he wants to go where he can use it the best-win. I wouldn't go to USU either, especially when each year the win total is shrinking, instead of growing, like it should.

Comments continue below

Josh | 2:46 p.m. May 26, 2008

John,

BYU lost the #1 overall high school recruit, Ben Olson, to UCLA after his mission.

So, it can work both ways.

BYU fan | 2:47 p.m. May 26, 2008

BYU fan, and I agree with John.

Also a bit bothered by the fact that the missionary was given permission to basically open his recruiting while on a mission. A nominal, once-a-week email with his father about recruiting options are OK. Communicating with coaches whenever/wherever are not OK.

Anonymous | 3:05 p.m. May 26, 2008

As an Aggie, this really stinks. The gloating from already obnoxious BYU fans is going to be really hard to stomach.

I'm resigned to my opinion that USU will always be bad in football, but at least I'm not a bandwagoner... I'll always stick with 'em.

I wish BYU had the backbone to come to Logan and play basketball in the Spectrum, one of the few good chances we have to really beat the cougars.

Anonymous | 3:10 p.m. May 26, 2008

More Yootar fans.

Give it up guys! It's time for you to go to the cooler!

Razor One | 3:13 p.m. May 26, 2008

I agree that recruiting on the mission works both ways, sometimes it hurts BYU, evidently this time it helped. I just thought Bronco made a point of saying that BYU wouldn't recruit other schools players and would appreciate if other schools didn't recruit Y players.

McKay | 3:19 p.m. May 26, 2008

Although I don't agree with a one being recruited while on his mission, if anybody thinks the Y is the only one who does this, you are crazy. Any player from the Y who was highly recruited gets re-recruited while on their mission by schools all across the country.

Not that impressed. | 3:30 p.m. May 26, 2008

I personally don't think he is that big of a signing. He would fit better in the Utes system. He is more of a run threat than the typical BYU throwing QB.

Good athlete, but doesn't fill the need in a QB that byu uses.

Doug S | 3:33 p.m. May 26, 2008

In my day, making detailed plans for post-mission life while still in the field was frowned upon as "trunky" behavior.

BYU football is a religion unto itself, I guess.

tyo | 3:42 p.m. May 26, 2008

BYU doesn't actively recruit other schools' missionaries-unless those missionaries contact BYU. I'm willing to bet that's how it went down with RJ (just like with guys like Max Hall, Tom Sorenson, Brandon Bradley and Malosi Teo)

You guys are idiots | 3:47 p.m. May 26, 2008

NCAA rules state that a missionary or equivalent is recruitable after 18 months away. BYU loses a player or two from time to time. I doubt there was much of a disturbance to his service as they sent each other a few e-mails...and now that the decision is made, he can focus again on his work.

If you don't think all missionaries don't spend a little time thinking about and making some plans for what they're going to do when they return from their missions, you're naive. Same is true if you think Bronco is going to be disruptive to a missionary.

Get over it and grow up.

D2 | 3:53 p.m. May 26, 2008

Utah State really needs to get out of D1 football. Fall in line with the ranks of Weber State and Souther Utah.

Anonymous | 4:05 p.m. May 26, 2008

McKay,
I wonder how many mission presidents let their missionaries talk to schools outside of Utah? All over the country? I don't think so. He should definately lose a year of eligability. As an Aggie, I am angry, but it is hard to blame him. As RR said, you want to go where your talent will be show cased. On the other hand, it is pretty low of BYU to recruit when he should be concentrating on those more important things, as the article says. Are people still mad about Olsen? Give it up. Do you really want him over Hall? I can't believe Cougar fans are still this terrified of him. That is why you will drop the UCLA game at home this year.
Anonymous- What are you even responding to? Put that education to work.

RE: You guys are idiots | 4:11 p.m. May 26, 2008

Did you say the same thing when Ben Olsen reconsidered? I'm sure you did!!!!!

And isn't Bronco supposed to be "raising the bar", shouldn't he be taking the high road and not messing with some missionary's head.

Get over it and grow up is right... you need to grow up and realize that you think this is OK because the kid chose to come to BYU. If he was opting to leave, you'd be screaming for legal action... '01 BCS ring a bell?

At least my aggies are still taking the moral high ground... I guess Bronco is just another football coach of just another college football team.

l | 4:11 p.m. May 26, 2008

at least we used up a year of his playing eligibility before sending him down south :)

Aggie Fan | 4:14 p.m. May 26, 2008

It's true. Athletes are fair game, released from their LOI, 18 months after leaving their previous university. Of course, we should expect a number of BYU fans to rub it in, that's just how they are for the most part. Arrogance and self righteousness come with the territory. But realistically, USU football is so bad that you can't blame the kid for going elsewhere where he can better display the talents he has. Until USU football gets serious about improving the program by hiring a legitimate D1 head coach who knows how to win, who can recruit, motivate, and who players want to play for, this is what Aggie fans can expect.

J. | 4:17 p.m. May 26, 2008

I do have a problem with BYU playing N. Iowa- but I have no problem with this. A kid goes on an LDS mission and wants to play at the school of that same religion. What a surprise. It is interesting how many of the great LDS football players are playing for the U. Utah State is in this mix somewhere-just don't know where?

BYU | 4:36 p.m. May 26, 2008

He called BYU, are they supposed to tell him "no thanks". HE CALLED THEM!!!

Eugene | 4:35 p.m. May 26, 2008

No matter the reasons, Larsen and his family make the decisions to where he plays. While I'm a diehard Coug, I do feel that Utah State should have expected it since the program continues to suffer through the football doldrums without any relief in sight. Winners want to play in winning programs. I'm sure it was a tough decision for the Loganite, but what else could he do? Sometimes you have to jump ship when your own ship is sinking beneath the waves.

TrooBloo | 4:40 p.m. May 26, 2008

Maybe it's just me, but I thought the Trib's story on Riley Nelson's decision was a better take on it. Dick Harmon sometimes seems a little too close to the subject to be able to see it clearly.

huh | 4:57 p.m. May 26, 2008

That's nice that BYU can get ahold of missionaries while they are in the field. Best of luck to Nelson. Cheap on the Cougars part.

It's not that hard | 5:03 p.m. May 26, 2008

What are they supposed to tell him? Are you serious? "Forget yourself and go to work" comes to mind.

You can tell him that you'll talk about it with him when he comes home. You can tell him to focus on his mission. You can tell him that football or even school isn't as important as what he should be doing. You can also tell him that he's a complete traitor and BYU QBs not named Steve Young never make it in the pros anyway, so maybe he should have picked somewhere else.

There's a list. Feel free to add to, but you certainly can't take away.

wa byu fan | 5:16 p.m. May 26, 2008

munns is in the mtc right now headed to mexico

Good for him | 5:20 p.m. May 26, 2008

Make a quick (and easy) decision about your future, get back to work.

USU Grad.

John | 5:28 p.m. May 26, 2008

You people need to get a life.

This college football crap is of no consequence at all.

Grow up.

RE: BYU | 5:30 p.m. May 26, 2008

How do you know he called them? He called them from Spain? Not likely. But I guess you must be an insider with all the info.

Ekim | 5:32 p.m. May 26, 2008

As usual, all usu uggies are whiners. Take your pitchford and toss some hay.

re:anonymous | 5:34 p.m. May 26, 2008

by yootar fans do you mean utah? I wouldn't want this kid at the U, especially with the young guys already in the system!

BM | 5:36 p.m. May 26, 2008

So much for Donco encouraging athletes to keep their word and honor their commitments. I guess it only works one way in his mind.

Riley must have been living too righteously on and off the field for Utah State.

Go COUGARS!! | 5:35 p.m. May 26, 2008

I heard that some Yootah recruits were contacted while in prison so it goes both ways.

Anonymous | 5:44 p.m. May 26, 2008

Mendenhall should have told the kid to concentrate on his mission and then talk about coming down to the Y after he returns home. Mendenhall acts very "hoiler than thou" but to recruit a kid while he's on his mission is classless. Isn't this the same Mendenhall who spent all day on sunday looking at game film while at New Mexico instead of going to church? Did Mendenhall go on a mission? Didn't think so. Did Mendenall ever go to church before coming to the Y? Didn't think so, either. Classless!

mhe | 5:52 p.m. May 26, 2008

his resume doesn't mean anything until he gets on the field. Ill believe when i see it.

Wha? | 5:55 p.m. May 26, 2008

So as far as I can tell the conversation got started when Nelson's high school coach was contacted by a Y coach...It's not like Nelson called Bronco and begged for a spot. It's kind of funny that the Y wouldn't offer Nelson until he lit it up in Logan and then they jumped on it as soon as he hits the mission field. Not really consistent with Bronc's "code". Maybe Lark and Munns will be recruited by other schools and leave the program in Nelson's hands. By the way the church does make special exceptions for BYU athletes all the time. ie letting them leave early and come back early in order to get in shape and get enrolled in school for eligibility. This is not a special circumstance for coug athletics.

An Aggie | 5:59 p.m. May 26, 2008

No one cares if he goes to BYU. He won one when he played. It takes a team. Enough said

MISTAKE | 6:04 p.m. May 26, 2008

I believe that Elder Nelson will realize over time that he made a mistake in making this decision while on a mission. A mission is not the place or time to be making this type of decision. Whether he contacted BYU or BYU contacted him it is not what the church teaches about a mission. "Forget yourselves and put your whole heart mind and soul into your mission." Easier said than done, time will tell.
Go Aggie Basketball. Drop Football altogether.

The Right Thing | 6:03 p.m. May 26, 2008

Doing the right thing, on and off the field, just as Austin Collie preaches. Nice ethics and values, Broncster. Is winning really worth interrupting missionaries from doing their important work to recruit them?

Aggieman | 6:18 p.m. May 26, 2008

BYU fans calling Aggies "whiners" Wow, BYU fans are the biggest crybabies on the sports planet. Good riddance, take our quarterback, but give us back the Aggie blue you copied from us and go back to smurf blue.

LOL | 6:20 p.m. May 26, 2008

BYU must be pretty desperate to take a Aggie scrub. He makes Ben Olson look good.

Fan | 6:20 p.m. May 26, 2008

If you are going to be as self righteous as Bronco has been over the last few years, you had better back it up by being ethical. And ethical in the Mormon world should include leaving missionaries with more than a quarter of their missions left alone. Bronco seems to give the rest of the world and certainly his players major guilt trips to try to keep them on the straight and narrow, but he doesn't live by the same code. I'd love to see two straight losing seasons and Bronco getting the boot. (And I don't mean the Beehive boot either) Then maybe we could get a more genuine coach in there. Go cougs.

Another Aggie | 6:22 p.m. May 26, 2008

Did Riley play on the basketball team? Nope, so it doesnt really matter. Football will never be the #1 priority as long as Stew is the head coach. BYU just wishes they had a guy like Stew. Thats why they steal in other areas.

kanaka818 | 6:24 p.m. May 26, 2008

Dear Anonymous: NOBODY is mad about losing Ben (usually injured) Olson. You probably didn't hear he broke his foot in Spring practice this year and had surgery to put a pin in the foot. What a "blessing" to BYU he decided to transfer.

What? | 6:32 p.m. May 26, 2008

If he was an All American QB, why was he at Utah State? Just curious...

Real Fan | 6:33 p.m. May 26, 2008

FAN
Who are you a fan of. "Two straight losing seasons"so you can get a coach who loses less than 4 times over the past two seasons. Don't give us this go cougs stuff.

True Blue Aggie | 6:34 p.m. May 26, 2008

This whole thing is really irritating. Being from Logan, Riley Nelson knew darn full well what he was getting into when he signed with USU. If he was just going to transfer to the Y, why didn't he just sign with them out of high school? I agree that the Aggies program is no where near BYU's as far as national exposure goes...but so what. Nelson knew that going into it. His decison to change colors to Cougar blue is a selfish act, nothing more. Nelson should have never committed to USU...then we wouldn't have expected him to help us rebuild the program and we wouldn't be bitter about his transfer.

Hypocrites | 6:36 p.m. May 26, 2008

Everyone referring to Bronco as "holier than thou" is a hypocrite. I've never seen so many people judge every little thing he does. EVERY missionary has taken time out of his mission to make plans for after the mission. It has to be done and there is nothing wrong with it. As for the comment about BYU copying Aggie blue, you have got to be joking. The only thing BYU has ever borrowed from Utah State is Lavell Edwards.

Confused | 6:37 p.m. May 26, 2008

While I was on my mission to Scotland I could call home for 5 minutes on Mothers Day and Christmas. Guess the mission isn't the most important thing here huh? Seems a little hyocritical to me to recruit when he is supposed to be serving

agg fan | 6:39 p.m. May 26, 2008

It's funny how inactive aggie fans, use this as an excuse to stay in-active. Sorry, Cougs are turning into a magnet-every good player wants to be there.

WHAT A JOKE | 6:39 p.m. May 26, 2008

YOU ARE RETARDED!!! BRONCO IS INCREDIBLE!!! I HAVE FRIENDS THAT PLAY ON THE TEAM AND I KNOW THAT THEY RESPECT BRONCO.. HE IS NOT TURNING HIS HEAD ON THE HONOR CODE AND THE TEAM IS WINNING! AS FOR CONTACTING NELSON WHO CARES, MISSIONARIES NEED TO BE PREPARED WHEN THEY GET HOME. I KNOW SEVERAL MISSIONARIES THAT SPEND A PDAY TOWARDS THE END OF THEIR MISSIONS TO APPLY FOR COLLEGE. AGGIES AND UTES ARE JEALOUS AND WISH THEY COULD HAVE A COACH LIKE BRONCO

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