No fewer than eight of 11 offensive starters - including the quarterback - from BYU's Copper Bowl champion football team need to be replaced prior to the 1995-96 season.
Today Steve Sarkisian, the odds-on favorite to become the successor to John Walsh, will participate in his first official practice as a Cougar. Sarkisian, the all-American from El Camino Junior College, is one of three scholarship QBs who will participate in spring drills that begin this afternoon. The others are freshman Bryan Vye, who used a redshirt year last season, and true freshman Tyler Nelson from Orem High. who recently returned from an LDS Church mission.The only returning offensive starters from last season's club that finished No. 10 nationally in the CNN/USA Today poll are junior tight end Chad Lewis, senior fullback Hema Heimuli and junior tackle James Johnson.
Cougar coach LaVell Edwards, beginning his 24th year, returns six defensive starters, including junior linebacker Shay Muirbrook.
The Cougars will hold the NCAA maximum 15 practices - 10 in full pads and five with only helmets and shoulder pads.