Deseret News | BYU football: Cougar recruit turning heads

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BYU football: Cougar recruit turning heads

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Abe | 9:22 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

4.6 in the forty. Sounds like he'll fit perfectly in Provo.

Ernest T. Bass | 9:37 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Hes so good.

Notre Dame | 9:39 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Yes,Manti is turning heads in southbend.His speed and athletic ability are tough to overlook.

Comments continue below

plyxply | 9:55 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

what a coup by BYU to get this kid, he's going to make Marshall Faulk look like a second teamer by the time he's finished. Just goes to show that if you live right and by the rules you are rewarded.

RE: Abe | 10:11 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Blow the dust off your specs. He's also 6-2 and weighs 235. Not like the 4.5 guys at what ever school you follow who are 5-10 and weigh 180.

kfb | 10:13 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

At 6-2 235 he is a good Linebacker build. 4.58 is very good for that position. And from the LA times article he is a typical BYU recruit... an excellent student and a young man with great character. Great find BYU!

Bob2 | 10:13 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Spare me. The video looked like the average varsity kid had been allowed to play against the frosh team. Big deal. I could crush my 2nd grade son and his friends in a game of touch football. Wait till he tries those hurdling moves against Christain Cox and Dave Krueger.

Perspective | 10:21 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

To Abe:
Just to put things in perspective for someone the size of this kid (likely to be a LB for BYU -- maybe a big back). Remember, he's 6'2", 235 -- and a senior in high school.
From the 2009 NFL Draft First Round:
Aaron Curry (OLB, 6'2, 250), 4.56 sec (#4 pick)
Knowshon Moreno (RB, 5'11", 220), 4.62 (#12)
Brian Cushing (OLB, 6'3", 243), 4.74 (#15)
Clay Matthews (OLB, 6'3", 240), 4.67 (#26)
Chris Wells (RB, 6'1", 235), 4.59 (#31)

Yup, I'd hate to be so plodding.

To Abe | 10:21 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Hopefully he will stink as bad as Unga has. Unga can't be much faster than 4.6 either. Having some strength and weight is a nice combo.

Too bad... | 10:36 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

that with the Kewgs coaching staff, it'll be wasted talent...

Re: Abe | 10:37 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

But he is only in high school - he will get bigger, faster, stronger and more confident - yes, I would say he will fit perfectly at BYU...probably every other school in the conference will wish we was fitting perfectly on their football team. He sounds like a newer improved version of Harvey; and every other school does now wish he was on their team.

This guy looks pretty good | 10:47 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

WOW!!! I hope he looks half that good in the MWC. BYU could dominate w/o throwing a pass. The only question is what position will he play? RB? QB? TE? LB? S? or all of the above?

Abe must be jealous of his 4.6 speed. I believe Collie had 4.6 speed and he is doing pretty well on an undefeated team in the NFL.

Vernal Roid | 10:48 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

sounds like a great recruit, Now let's see what BYU will do with him, I'll guess not much.

No tangible difference | 10:56 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

between 4.6 speed and 4.4 speed on the football field. It's a bragging stat. If you take a 4.6 runner and a 4.4 runner have them do a 40 yard sprint, you can't tell who wins by the naked eye. So, please, the speed stuff is irrelevant at that level, unless you're racing on a track. In football, it's the same. The more important speed is side to side, start and stop.

Cougar slow | 10:57 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

TCU has 2 linebackers that run 4.4. Is it any wonder when 4.6 seems fast why the Cougars lose to the good teams.

UteFan | 11:03 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

cougs are really reaching now, going after kids that were rejected by normal high schools. If hes not good enough to play on an 11 man team, then how can he be good enough to play college football? well it is byu.

Yeahbutt | 11:24 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

He does look like a great recruit, but doesn't he realize that BYU is a perennial Vegas-bound 2 and 3 loss team, with no real prospects or aspirations for anything other than mediocre bowls?

Good Find | 11:34 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Being that big and fast in high school is amazing. He will only get faster and stronger in college.

sounds like the Utes are jealous...

Todd Christensen size | 12:20 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

and speed... think tight end.

Hard to tell anything | 12:49 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

The kid is basically six inches taller and 50 lbs heavier than anyone else in his entire league so his stats mean basically zip except that he can beat up on lesser teams. I guess it remains to be seen if he can compete with 11 other guys the same size or bigger than he is.

Anonymous | 1:11 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Wow, utefans.

It must be tough to eat with all that Bile spewing out of your mouths 24/7. Does it make things taste bitter?

I hope not, because there is a pretty bitter dish of humble pie headed your way on saturday. TCU is going to beat you by at LEAST three touchdowns.

If experienced, all conference QB'S like Max and that kid at Clemson can't score on TCU at home, how do you figure that your scrub freshman is going to get a first down against that D with a home crowd behind them? And your D is a shadow of it's former self; Dalton is going to light them up!

But hey, If you face down TCU on Jim Rome's smack off, you might have a chance to out-talk them.

Enjoy your beatdown. The whole rest of the Mountain West will.

West Jordan Blue | 1:23 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Yes he plays at a small school and is physically more gifted then the other players. But if you have ever been recruited or know someone who has sometimes they are not always the best player. They have the physical gifts that will make them be a good player at the next level with the right instruction. The kid is 6'2 235 his potential is very high. I see this kid as a linebacker, he is very similar to Jordan Pendleton who is in his first yr playing linebacker and will be very good the next two yrs. This is a good find and a good story. Go Blue.

To anonymous | 1:36 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Yeah, we might lose. We will even MOST LIKELY lose. But how stupid and moronic are you gonna feel if the Utes pull it off? That would just ruin your week, wouldn't it?

Sounds like you need something better to worry about. Find a hobby or something already.

Anonymous | 1:36 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

ABe and UteFan are a joke.

Re: No Tangible Difference . . . There is a strong relationship with 40 speed and "get to the ball" speed. funny how NFL teams use it as primary consideration, but, then again, what do they know?

I like ol' Kyle W. and his Utes, but I surely can't stand the idiot fans of their that are such losers that they have to stalk BYU articles and spew "bile" as anonymous so aptly put it.

2010. | 1:56 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

hes hot.

Knowwhat | 2:48 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

I can't wait for the Jake and Collin show in Provo!

Hey genuises | 2:58 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Consider the source. This is the Los Angeles Times writing an article about this kid. They are one of the most credible sources in the nation and in the state of California that produces 300 D-1 athletes per year. This isn't one of Dick Harmon's kool aid articles.

We aren't going to play him as an RB, we are already stacked at the position. We have Harvey back for the 4th straight starting year, Bryan Kariya, JJ DiLuigi, and waiting in the wings Malosi Te'o and some other amazing freshman (Drew Phillips, A.J. Moore, etc.) Not to mention our already solid running game will be powered by 4 returning starters on the O-line next year.

This guy is slated as a middle linebacker. With the void left by Matt Bauman, Shawn Doman, and Terrance Hooks, he and Zac Stout will definitely start. The defense is already pretty solid this year. . .just wait. This guy is like an Eric Weddle for his team, he does some of everything. With all of his instincts playing so many positions, he is going to be a stud of an athlete at the middle linebacker position.

Ernest T. Bass | 3:24 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

He is so great. I don't know why they just don't give him the Heisman right now.

Dear Utefan | 3:42 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

You really show your ignorance. Not every school has 1,000 or more students. I know it may be a hard concept for you to understand, but California does have small towns where there are not enough students to man big roster football teams, so they have leagues with 8 man teams.

You have made some really uneducated comments over te season, but his is one of the most ignorant comments I have seen. Try getting out of your bedroom and discover the world. You might find it interesting and yes, you might discover you really are ignorant on what the world is about.

Dear Yeahbutt | 3:46 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Why is it the Ute fans always complain about BYU fans bringing up the past, yet the Ute fans keep bringing it up as if it validates their status. Last year was last year. Show me what you can do this year then brag about it. Until then sit back and start discovering life.

Bender Rodriguez | 3:51 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

re: Ernest T. Bass | 3:24 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Wouldn't he have to split it w/ Heaps?

Anonymous | 3:52 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

re: Notre Dame | 9:39 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

//Yes,Manti is turning heads in southbend.His speed and athletic ability are tough to overlook.//

But, got schooled by Navy's option attack.

Wally West | 3:54 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

re: Abe | 9:22 a.m. Nov. 11, 2009

""4.6 in the forty. Sounds like he'll fit perfectly in Provo.""

Actually, he may be too quick.

Re: Ernest | 4:33 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

If he were going to Utah, he could guarantee that he would win the Heisman just like Casteel. Whatever happened with that anyway?

vasislos | 4:44 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Is there just an endless supply of slimey, no-life, mental midgets who have no self-esteem beyond their silly hatred of BYU?

So easy | 5:12 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

to yank kewger fan's chain. Sounds like little brother syndrome to me. Stacked at RB ? Beatdown at TCU ? Bile and jealosy. All good for a laugh. Utefan has never predicted a win at TCU much less perfection early in a year. Thats why there is no letdown or room for outsiders to gloat unless its after the fact. Utes may not win at TCU but what if they do.......Zoobies have never had a RB worthy of Utah even though Utes lost recruiting battles over some - that means you Mr Unga. I feel bad for many of the kids who get brainwashed into playing there. Many more could've been great. The ones who have been successful despite their surroundings must have truly been gifted. Your beatdowns must weigh real heavy if you are wishing them on your rival several weeks after the games. Maybe you can wish more on Utah if teams like Fla State and Oklahoma come out of the chicken coop and play a quality team like the Utes someday. (no one is afraid of BYU, and it has nothing to do with the size of your stadium)

loose moose | 5:29 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Leave it to the ute fans to tear apart a good young man. wow that is the low of lows. Even low for the ute fans.

Uteies | 6:37 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Since you're living in the low-life gutter pool you don't know anything else so all you have left to do is swim and soak in pond of anger and jealousy towards BYU. BYU will beat the Utes this year in both FB and BB - so you'll need to keep working on those anger-treading strokes.

Utes are losers... | 6:47 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Laugh all you want, you big-headed ute fans. Wait until next year when this kid knocks the stuffing out of your skinny little wanna-be QB (Wynn) next year, that is if he makes it to next year's team after TCU gets thru with him on Saturday. He'll be on life support after Mr. Hughes introduces himself to the turf multiple times on Saturday. It will be unfortunate that BYU will not get to face him this year, since He'll still be in the emergency ward of Ft. Worth General Hospital on Saturday.

Enjoy beating your chests now, but get ready for some humble pie!!!

Only in Yewtville | 6:54 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Typical Yewt fan does the following: Troll BYU articles in the DesNews; Comment on BYU speed, forgetting Air Force matches up with the YEWTS year after year; Slam BYU players who are given kudos from sources other than local Talk Radio; Repeat local Talk Radio in written form (albeit usually with many grammar errors)which is usually just the public relations arm of the U of YEW; Make uneducated comments about how teams "do not want to play my Yewts," forgetting that the Yewts no longer schedule WAC teams Boise State, Hawaii and Fresno State, yet have no problem scheduling powerhouse SAN JOSE STATE. No one denies your football team its just publicity and recognition but a reality check is in order here. The article was about an incredible athlete on an 8-man football team that the L.A. Times picked up on. As Yewt fans, you know if the article had mentioned the player was LDS and BYU did not recruit him or missed out on him, you (and your Talk-Radio demi-gods) would be blasting BYU for not being able to "land the big LDS recruit. Twisting, churning, spinning and spewing ignorance--GO YEWTS!

BYU | 7:50 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Needs to quit trying to fill its needs with players at specific positions.

Look how Utah, TCU, and most of the other non-top 10 BCS schools fill their rosters and you will find they find the best athletes they can get, and then they have them play where they are needed (which is often not the same spot they played in HS).

If BYU wants to step up to the next level they need to stop trying to recruit kids who play a certain position and need to begin recruiting the best athletes they can find, and winning will follow.

Re: Utes are losers. . . | 7:51 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Why wait till next year? We may just give them the beat down this year that they've been deserving for a long time.

Sandyclaws | 8:03 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

So easy: It's a good moniker for you because your arguments are so easy to refute and it's so easy to make you look foolish. For instance: "Zoobies have never had a RB worthy of Utah." So far "Mr. Unga" hasn't had a year with fewer rushing yards than a Utah running back. In fact, in the Mendenhall/Whittingham era (the past 4 years) BYU's top running back has never failed to exceed the yardage of the top Utah running back. I think I can name several BYU running backs that Utah would have wanted (as determined by the fact that they certainly couldn't tackle them): Unga, Curtis Brown and Luke Staley come to mind just from the past 10 years.

In fairness it looks like this year may be interesting in terms of this argument. At this moment, Mr. Wide of Utah is ahead of Mr. Unga of BYU by 26 yards (809 to 783). I expect Unga to take over the lead this week based upon the opponents the two teams are playing this week, and it may come down to that game on 11/28 to determine the winner.

CFBFan | 8:08 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

I live in Santa Clarita, and it is a "town" of about 250k people. This is a small, private religious school- Southern California has many such schools. The kid has physical gifts, but it will be interesting to see how he stacks up against similar sized and gifted athletes. Could be a great find, or of average size and talent.

Y Grad / Y Dad | 8:10 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Interesting experience, read the Harmon article, then the Times article, then watched the video.

Kid could go bust, in which case, BYU is a nice place to do that. But I think you see some athleticism there that will shine at any level. Isn't that what the Ute fans have been ragging now for more than a year? Too slow, no athleticism.

I see a great athlete, great instincts, and he sounds like a man of his word. Sorry U, not takin' your trash talk on this one.

Re: Y Grad / Y Dad@8:10 p.m | 10:20 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Just another cog in the the latest top ranked BYU recruiting class.

You'd think with all those "best ever" recruiting classes that BYU would have been invited to a BCS bowl by now.

Cougars Fan | 10:54 p.m. Nov. 11, 2009

Very Impressive, He reminds me alot of another former Cougar RB (Luke Staley), except this kid can play defense too. It will be interesting to see whether byu keeps him at RB or moves him to LB. Alot of jealous ute fans posting I see, all well I guess ya cant blame them after seeing those highlights

Ernest Bass | 8:11 a.m. Nov. 12, 2009

I am a Utah fan and am so disappointed by the silly and often stupid posts by my fellow Ute fans. I think we should grow up.

8 man football | 8:59 a.m. Nov. 12, 2009

If memory serves me correctly LaValle's first coaching job was as a Lieutenant in the Army for an 8 man football team at Fort Meade near Wash DC.

I played in that league in the early 90's. There were 3 guys on our team that were NFL scabs during the strike in the 80's. One played corner for the NY Giants and was one that was asked to stay with the team after the strike. Unfortunately for him he was Navy and was on board his ship out at sea again before the news got to him. These 3 guys were very good on our team and through out the league but were not by any means the best on the team or league. So competition in the league was very good, some would have never qualified for college others made poor life choices and ended up in the military. Many of these were fractions of a step slower or half an inch shorter than those that ended up being on NFL rosters.

8-man shrinks the trenches where most injuries occur but it is still highly competitive football and should not be discounted.

Wow! | 9:00 a.m. Nov. 12, 2009

@ So Easy

no ute RB is worthy to tie Luke Staley's shoes. Doak Walker award? What?

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