The BYU football team will start a freshman, Ed Kehl, at defensive end in place of graduated senior Randy Brock, but Cougar fans need not worry.
Kehl is not your normal freshman. For starters, the 6-4, 270 pounder from Brighton High, is not a pup. Kehl, at 23, is older than most seniors at other schools. Plus, he's quick and works hard."He's more mature than the usual freshman, which helps him a lot," Cougar defensive line coach Tom Ramage said of Kehl. "His quickness is his biggest strength."
Kehl, who has gone on an LDS Church mission and redshirted since high school, doesn't have experience, but the other three projected defensive line starters do. Inside the Cougars have the one-two punch of returning starters Mike Ulufale (6-5, 285) and John Raas (6-0, 300). On the end opposite of Kehl will be senior Matt Redden, a three-year letterman who started three games in 1993 including the Holiday Bowl.
"Ulufale and Raass are the two experienced guys and are the leaders of the group," Ramage said. "Matt Redden is technically as good as any of them. He's very fundamentally sound and has played for a couple of years behind Travis Hall. I'm not afraid to play Matt at all. He's very sound."Ulufale had six sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and 11 tackles for losses last season. Raass had 44 tackles, 13 quarterback hurries and a pair of sacks.
Henry Bloomfield (6-2, 285), a junior college star at Dixie, has joined the ranks and is expected to contribute immediately. He's shown outstanding athletic ability and will be the top backup at all four defensive line positions.
"Bloomfield has done a great job picking things up especially considering he just got here a few days ago," Ramage said. "He can play any of the four spots."
Other defensive line backups include redshirt freshman Daren Yancey (6-6, 245) and junior college transfer Ed Lamb (6-5, 240). Lamb has been hobbled by a hamstring injury, however, and has missed valuable practice time.
The Cougars also have three true freshman Ramage is pleased with, but he's hoping to redshirt all of them this season. Byron Frisch (6-6, 260) is an end from San Diego who was recruited heavily by UCLA among others, Ryan Denny (6-7, 230) is an end from Colorado who was named the Denver Post's Defensive Player of the Year last season, and Marc Dragony (6-5, 280) is a tackle that was recruited by nearly every Pac-10 school.
"Potentially this year we can be as good or better than we were last year," Ramage said. "We're bigger and every bit as quick. Ulufale and Raass are in better condition than they were last year and they know the system better. We should be pretty good - at least I hope we are."