PROVO — The three players who have been projected to see the most playing time at cornerback for the BYU defense this season aren't participating in fall camp right now.
Returning starters Jernaro Gilford (sore knee) and Brandon Heaney (injured shoulder) are sidelined. Junior college transfer Walt Williams (academic red tape) isn't eligible yet.
So why is Cougar cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell smiling these days?
For starters, he's confident that both Gilford and Heaney will be healthy by the time BYU kicks off the 2002 season against Syracuse on Aug. 29. Also, he believes that even if Williams isn't able to join the Cougars soon, there's still plenty of talent on board to make them strong in the secondary.
"I've been coaching here eight years," said Mitchell, who was a cornerback at BYU from 1987-90, " and we have more quality corners now than we've had in the last seven years combined. I feel like I have eight starters at corner."
Depth has long been an issue when it comes to the cornerback position at BYU. Due to a variety of reasons — graduation, honor code violations, academic ineligibility, injury, poor performance, position changes — it has been a revolving door in recent years for the Cougars.
As Mitchell can attest, that door continues revolving. For instance, a day or two before practices began, coach Gary Crowton decided to move true freshman Travonne Jackson from defensive back to running back.
Meanwhile, Mitchell has had to deal with a slew of injuries thus far during fall camp. Gilford, a 2001 All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection, is nursing a tender knee after undergoing off-season surgery. "I'm not concerned about him not practicing," Mitchell said. "Jernaro's proven himself. If we get him back Monday, like we think we will, there's plenty of time for him to be ready for the first game."
Heaney, who became a starter midway through the 2001 campaign, went down toward the end of practice on Monday when he hurt his shoulder. He's expected to return to action soon.
James Allen, a junior college transfer, has been hampered by an ankle sprain while Mike Sumko, a player widely regarded as the fastest man on BYU's roster, has been out with a sore knee. Todd Barker, the only senior in the group, sustained a minor knee injury.
"It's unbelievable," Mitchell said, shaking his head at his squad's misfortune.
As for Williams, it could be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before he is able to report to campus. "It's a matter of getting some paperwork done," Mitchell said of Williams, who starred at Eastern Arizona JC before signing with BYU.
Naturally, Mitchell would love to see Williams in a Cougar uniform this fall. Despite the challenges, Mitchell is able to see a silver lining. "Because our starters have been out, the guys who need reps in practice are getting reps," he said. "The new guys have shown me what they can do."
One of those is Chad Barney, a transfer from Dixie State College and a two-time JC All-America who can play both cornerback and safety. The Orem native "is a great athlete," Mitchell said. "He has outstanding hand-eye coordination and can play bump-and-run (coverage). He has great instincts to the ball because he's played both corner and safety."
Allen, who transferred to BYU from LA Southwest JC, reminds Mitchell of former Cougar corners Tim McTyer (another LA Southwest product) and Omarr Morgan, who helped anchor the defense on BYU's stellar 1996 team that posted a 14-1 record. "He's McTyer and Morgan rolled into one," he said.
Mitchell will also count on Kip Nielsen, a junior from North Ogden. "He's a big, physical guy and he runs a 4.3," he said. "There's no quit in that kid."
Redshirt freshman O'Neil Howell should also fit into the mix. "He's still raw," Mitchell said of Howell. "He's my future."
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com