PROVO — Looks like BYU is back in the tight end business.
Over the years, the Cougars have produced an assembly line of outstanding tight ends, including Brian Billick, Todd Christensen, Clay Brown, Gordon Hudson, David Mills, Trevor Molini, Chris Smith, Byron Rex, Chad Lewis, Itula Mili and Doug Jolley.
The latest stars at that position are seniors Jonny Harline and Daniel Coats. And the future looks bright, too, with sophomore Vic So'oto and freshman Andrew George. Another talented tight end, Dennis Pitta, played well as a freshman in 2004. He's currently serving a mission.
"This place is loaded for the next six years," said quarterback John Beck. "We've got Jonny and Dan right now, who are two great tight ends. Behind them we have Vic and Andrew George. Then Dennis Pitta will be coming home from a mission. This place is going to be awesome for tight ends. We have the top tight ends right now. I'm sure there are other good tight ends out there, but I can't imagine another school having two guys like Jonny and Dan. They are studs. Vic and Andrew have been doing a really good job."
Harline caught 63 passes for 853 yards and five touchdowns en route to earning first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors last season. He turned in three 100-yard performances. Coats hauled in 21 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns a year ago.
So'oto, who played on special teams last year, and George, who redshirted in 2005, have been impressive during spring drills. George signed with the Cougars in the same 2002 recruiting class that produced Harline and Coats. The Englewood, Colo., native served a mission after high school.
Harline, however, broke his right hand in Monday's practice and wore a hard cast Tuesday while sitting out practice. The break is considered minor and will heal quickly, according to Jeff Reynolds, football sports information director.
It is uncertain if Harline will return for any of the five remaining spring practices or the spring game. Harline reportedly hit his hand on a helmet, causing the fracture.
TURNING THE CORNER?: Junior cornerback Kayle Buchanan has been beset by bad breaks during his Cougar career. Last Friday that trend continued when he broke his right arm after inadvertently smacking it against a helmet during a scrimmage.
Last year, Buchanan played in only seven games. He tweaked his hamstring during two-a-days, then tore the muscle while trying to return too soon. Slated to start, he missed the first five games of the season.
In those seven games in which he played, Buchanan recorded 26 tackles, four pass breakups and an interception. He's eager to make a bigger impact in 2006.
This spring, the Cougars are implementing a new defensive look, switching from a 3-3-5 scheme to a 3-4. Plus, they have a new cornerbacks coach in Jaime Hill, who replaced Brian Mitchell.
"Losing coach Mitchell was hard because he was such a good man and good coach and mentor," Buchanan said. "But coach Hill hasn't lost a beat. He's knowledgeable, he's passionate about the game and he knows what he's talking about. He wants us to be better. We didn't lose anything there. As far as the scheme, it's taken some getting used to — that happens any time — but we're learning it quickly. I think it will be a formidable defense when we learn it."
The key to success for the defense, Buchanan said, is staying healthy.
"We were plagued by injuries last year. We couldn't keep anyone healthy, myself included," he said. "If we can do that this year, it will increase our confidence and we'll be able to make better plays and be able focus on the game more. I think it will be better."
NOTES: In Tuesday's scrimmage, the defense stepped up and made plays, including sacks and pass deflections. The offense scored on a John Beck pass to Coats for the second day in a row . . . Head coach Bronco Mendenhall said the four possessions in team drills/scrimmage were short of the seven he'd like, but because of depth issues his squad will not get the volume of work. "It is something we will need to address in the fall," he said . . . Sophomore starting receiver Michael Reed needed attention Tuesday when he fell to the ground after a defender pulled him down by his face mask, He exited the field after drills with an ice pack on his neck.
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com
Contributing: Dick Harmon