PROVO — BYU defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi will run at least three players in and out at the noseguard position this week to help evaluate who will replace the injured Russell Tialavea.
Tests Monday revealed Tialavea, a sophomore and projected starter, suffered tears on the ACL and MCL of his knee during Saturday's scrimmage. He will undergo surgery that will keep him out of the 2007 season.
Don't be surprised if he'll be replaced by a rotation of three bodies, a common practice last season with Tialavea and two other freshmen, Matangi Tonga and Romney Fuga. Tonga was suspended last winter and Fuga is serving an LDS mission.
One of the three candidates Monday was the first offensive lineman off a deep and talented bench, freshman Garrett Reden, a redshirt in 2006.
"We'll do what we did last year," Kaufusi said. "We'll shuffle in and out players at that position and get them a lot of experience. I just want to see who executes, who is consistent. We'll work on those guys to get their confidence. Everybody has to find a role. Right now, there certainly is a sense of urgency, a need for focus and an opportunity for somebody to step up and elevate their game."
Said head coach Bronco Mendenhall of Reden: "We'll give him three days to see how he performs and we'll then evaluate how he does. But it will be a situation where if Reden moves to defense, it will be because he will play and be more use there than as our sixth most valuable offensive lineman."
Why Reden, who played with the first-team offense in Saturday's scrimmage?
"Mind-set, nature and work ethic," said Mendenhall.
In Monday's morning practice, Mosese Foketi took reps with the first-team defense initially, followed by true freshman Eathyn Manumaleuna.
Foketi, a redshirt transfer last year, is 6-foot-0, 270 pounds, while Reden is 6-3, 290.
"I haven't played on the defensive line but two plays in high school," said Reden, who was the team captain and most valuable lineman at Valley Center High in California. He served an LDS mission before enrolling at BYU in 2006.
Reden had no idea he'd make the switch until Mendenhall called him out of an offensive line position meeting Monday morning before 10 a.m. practice and discussed making a switch.
"I was excited," Reden said. "I want to play and help where I can."
Reden's first practice on defense was challenging.
"It's a whole new thing," he said. "There was a lot of running. There is a lot to learn and it's kind of confusing to have that all at once."
Mendenhall said Reden is physical and talented, and because BYU has a window to train and look at a switch, they'll evaluate the big O-lineman through Wednesday, then decide if it will be a permanent switch. He admitted both Foketi and Manumaleuna were a drop-off after Tialavea.
DI LUIGI OUT: Freshman running back J.J. Di Luigi, the star of California Bowl champion Canyon High School, re-injured his foot Saturday. Di Luigi broke his foot stepping on a newspaper in his driveway in June. He "expanded" that fracture in BYU's first scrimmage.
Mendenhall said Di Luigi will either wear a foot support and rehab or undergo surgery. If he has surgery, he might redshirt this season. There is no timetable for a full recovery if he simply wears a foot brace.
"It could be six weeks or longer. We can't tell at this point," said Mendenhall. "It might be surgery, eight to 10 weeks."
Receiver Bryce Mahuika (bruised knee) returned to practice, but receiver Michael Reed (hamstring) remained sidelined. Defensive back Kayle Buchanan sat out with a minor sublux shoulder injury.
HALL TARGET: QB Max Hall hooked up with receiver Austin Collie for a long touchdown pass during the open session. He also threaded a pass to tight end Dennis Pitta, who made the catch between two defenders and drew a reaction from the crowd.
There were 930 fans who attended the first open practice of the fall.
This spring, crews dug up the FieldTurf on the practice field and replaced it with natural grass. A check of injuries on the artificial turf revealed an increase over the past four seasons, in addition to carpet burns and scrapes. Also, temperatures on the rubber turf can reach 130 to 150 degrees.
TIDY: There were eight pieces of shirts, shorts and tape on the locker room floor Monday morning when Mendenhall made his walk through. He'd asked the team to be tidy so the entire squad paid the price after Monday morning's practice by running with ups and downs, totally gassing the football team.
"I'd warned them after the first day they reported and over time and it had been spotless," the coach said. "Sometimes over time, it isn't emphasized. Eight things are eight things. Everything they do, they're supposed to follow precisely. I don't ask them to do things that don't have value, which means they'll be held accountable if they don't do it."
EVALUATED SCRIMMAGE: Mendenhall said scrimmage films showed poise by Hall and great vision by freshman running back Harvey Unga.
"At the point of attack, it was a stalemate," said Mendenhall, "But Harvey's vision, being able to go outside where the play wasn't designed to was really encouraging and it taught the defense some lessons in leverage and focus. It showed we need more discipline against the run."
Mendenhall said the things his staff emphasized show up as positives and things they had not emphasized, like place-kicking protection, just installed that day, were an issue to be worked on.
Key players
Garrett Reden
Mosese Foketi
Eathyn Manumaleuna
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com