PROVO — The two best players in BYU’s secondary last season — safety Austin Lee and cornerback/safety Dayan Ghanwoloku — were not among the 337 prospects who received invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine, a mildly disappointing development considering both standouts played in postseason all-star games.
But that doesn’t mean BYU hasn’t increased its talent level in the secondary. It has, safeties coach Preston Hadley and cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford said on national signing day in early February.
They believe there are a couple NFL prospects among the group they’ve assembled for the 2020 season. Still, replacing Ghanwoloku and Lee won’t be easy.
Ghanwoloku was easily the biggest playmaker on the entire defense in 2019, and finished the year second on the team in tackles with 62 in addition to recording two interceptions, two sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. He also recovered two fumbles.
Lee was BYU’s fourth-leading tackler, with 55, broke up four passes and had an interception that he returned 26 yards. He was called one of the top players in college football last season by Pro Football Focus.
Lee missed the Hawaii Bowl due to injury, and his absence was glaring as UH QB Cole McDonald picked apart BYU’s secondary for 493 passing yards, a career-high.
Troy Warner and Malik Moore got the starts at safety in the bowl game, and both will be in the mix for starting spots this season, along with Zayne Anderson, who played outside linebacker the past two seasons.
Warner, younger brother of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, played in only four games due to a lingering foot injury so he was able to preserve his redshirt season. Moore saw action in 12 games backing up Lee, Beau Tanner and Sawyer Powell, who have all graduated.
Anderson is moving back to safety for his final season after injuries cut short his last two seasons. He was granted a medical hardship by the NCAA for his sixth season in the program.
Other potential safeties are walk-on Hayden Livingston and undersized linebacker Max Tooley, who must sit out the first half of the opener at Utah on Sept. 3 because he was disqualified for targeting in the second half of the bowl game.
At cornerback, Chris Wilcox should be back after appearing in just one game in 2019 due to a lingering knee injury. Wilcox, who suffered the injury the ninth game of the 2018 season, against Boise State, has pro potential if he can stay healthy, Gilford has said.
Isaiah Herron, D’Angelo Mandell and Shamon Willis got starts at cornerback in various games last season and will compete for the spot opposite Wilcox.
Only one of BYU’s nine midyear additions is a defensive back — former Sky View star Caleb Christensen, who signed in 2019 but grayshirted last season. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Christensen will start his career as a cornerback.
The Cougars signed a couple of defensive backs in December and February who won’t be going on church missions first, including Las Vegas athlete Miles Davis, Micah Harper of Chandler, Arizona, and Jacques Wilson of West Los Angeles (California) College.
Head coach Kalani Sitake said Davis, who could also play receiver, has a chance to be a special player at BYU.
“He is an athlete. He is a guy that was wanted — he has tons of speed and he’s a big-time talent,” Sitake said.
BYU’s projected top defensive backs in 2020
• Chris Wilcox, cornerback, Sr., 6-2, 200
• D’Angelo Mandell, cornerback, Jr., 6-1, 185
• Isaiah Herron, cornerback, So., 6-1, 175
• Shamon Willis, cornerback, Jr., 5-10, 180
• Troy Warner, safety, Sr., 6-1, 202
• Malik Moore, safety, Jr., 6-1, 186
• Hayden Livingston, safety, So., 6-1, 200
Other underclassmen defensive backs on current roster: Javelle Brown, Keenan Ellis, Tavita Gagnier, Ammon Hannemann, Kimball Henstrom, Jared Kapisi, Dallin Lee, Mitchell Price, Morgan Pyper, Will Watanabe, Dimitri Gallow