The Te'o factor

BYU missed out on five-star recruit Manti Te’o, the linebacker who signed with Notre Dame in February. But another Te’o has been turning heads during spring drills. That would be running back Malosi Te’o, a 5-foot-10, 199-pound freshman. During yesterday’s drills, he caught a screen pass and raced 45 yards for a touchdown down the sideline. During last Friday’s scrimmage, Te’o made some nice plays, showing some speed. He’s raw, but talented.

Coach Bronco Mendenhall said Te’o hasn’t been a surprise to him and the coaching staff. “We saw him in the off-season and obviously we didn’t know Malosi well in terms of athletic ability besides evaluating him while we were recruiting. From the moment he came on campus and in the off-season training, we knew that he could run. We knew he was a hard worker. We knew he could change direction well. He’s just learning the offense. That’s the only thing holding him back now, just knowing where to go.”

During 11-on-11 drills, quarterback Max Hall looked very good once again, engineering some scoring drives, including a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver O’Neill Chambers, who made a diving catch in the back of the end zone.

Given the dearth of depth at cornerback this spring, Steven Thomas is getting work with the first-team at boundary corner. Mendenhall said that allows Brandon Bradley to cross-train at field corner. The Cougars have four corners coming in the fall.

Mendenhall said he likes interacting with this team. “In terms of the eagerness to work, the hunger to improve and just liking football, this group is fun to be around. It’s maybe the most fun that I’ve had coaching a team since our second year together as head coach. These kids really like to play. They’re fun to be around.”