They give it a knock-your-socks-off grade of A.
And that's good news in the BYU football camp after months of negative karma.
This past week the first big contingent of recruits hit campus for official visits and became the first crew of prospects to take a tour of the new indoor practice facility, student center, lockers, offices, meeting rooms, training and training center. They left impressed.
Of course, as one campus wag put it — these junior college players would have been impressed with the old facilities.
One such visitor was Dixie State College receiver Travis Brown, the Western States Football League leader in receptions.
"The facilities were just unbelievable," Brown said upon his return to St. George. "I'd heard about it, but it was 10 times better than I thought it would be. The locker room was ridiculous. The restaurant was ridiculous — so was the meeting rooms and training facilities with the hot and cool pools. The indoor practice facility? It was just ridiculous."
A native of Phoenix, Brown joined half a dozen JC recruits on campus over the weekend that included a facilities tour, snowmobiling, food and the game with BYU and Southern Cal in the Marriott Center.
College of the Canyons quarterback Jason Beck, who has already committed to sign on Wednesday with the Cougars, agreed.
"Those facilities are very impressive. All the recruits in with me were very excited about what we saw. To look at it all, it is very impressive. I'd say they all went away with good feelings about their visit and the school."
While Beck can enroll in January as a midyear player, Brown will need to get his associate degree from Dixie State after attending Oregon State out of high school.
Brown, who is 5-10, 175 pounds with 4.4 speed in the 40, said he is leaning toward BYU now but he's not through taking trips and admitted he'll probably list his favorite as the last school he visited because of immediate impressions.
Brown has trips planned to Utah and Penn State and could add trips to San Diego State and Hawaii early in 2004 before signing in February.
"To tell you the truth, I'm going to take my time. Out of high school, I kind of rushed into making my decision after visiting Oregon State and I ended up at a place I wasn't too happy at."
Brown and Beck said they met with head coach Gary Crowton and talked X's and O's and came away excited with what is planned in 2004 and how they could fit in.
"I watched film and discussed the offense," Beck said. "Crowton told me what he expected of me as far as competing in spring and what he had in store for the offense, spreading it out and getting back to what he's been successful with before."
Brown, a deep-threat receiver in Dixie State's offense, said Crowton told him he envisioned him playing the slot receiver and being isolated in mismatches in the defense against linebackers or safeties.
"I might be lined up on one side with four receivers on the other side. I'd be sent in motion so I could gain an advantage one-on-one and do things BYU wasn't able to do the last couple of years. I was excited and impressed with him as a coach."
For all the turmoil Crowton's waded through in two losing seasons, at this early stage in recruiting, it appears he hasn't lost his touch in sales. Getting JC help is a major part of his plan and he could annex four to six solid early signees this week. He's saying the right things and he's using the new digs and it's working.
For Brown, Crowton appeared to push the right buttons, according to Brown's friend in St. George. "He showed Brown how he could play and make an impact., he said, adding that the coach worked Brown into a lather.
Brown is a very confident, almost cocky athlete, who doesn't mind putting a little swagger to his gait and game. Imagine: A BYU with a receiver with swagger and attitude. How long has it been?
At conversation's end with the Dixie star, Brown warned: "Get ready for a show. I've got two years left and I'm going to make the most of it."
Confidence. Bet Crowton would trade a meeting room for some of that.
E-MAIL: dharmon@desnews.com