The next Nate Meikle?

BYU may have found itself another Nate Meikle-type football player.
You remember Meikle, who starred for the Cougars in 2005 and 2006 as an inside receiver, and punt and kickoff returner. Meikle, who was listed at 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, was adept catching screens and weaving his way in and out of traffic.
This spring, we’ve seen the emergence of redshirt freshman J.D. Falslev, a Sky View High product. He’s built like Meikle (5-8, 173 pounds) and seems to have a similar mindset.
Falslev and Meikle met at a summer camp at BYU when Falslev was a freshman in high school and they’ve struck up a friendship.
“He and I have been talking, actually,” Falslev said. “I got back in touch with him when I came back down here. It’s been a good relationship.”
Falslev loved Meikle’s style of play and work ethic.
“He’s a smaller guy, but he didn’t care. You know what I mean? He would stick his nose into anything and let people know that he wants to play, too. He didn’t care how big he was. He would always work hard. That’s the biggest thing I’ve taken from him — I’ve just got to work hard. I’ve got to work harder than the average guy, being smaller.”
Coach Bronco Mendenhall has noticed Falslev during spring ball and said he’s the frontrunner to handle punt returns next fall. When asked, the coach said Falslev does remind him of Meikle.
“Very similar,” he said. “He’s really good catching the ball. He’s absolutely trustworthy. Almost always makes the first guy miss. He might be a guy that we throw the screen to, like we used to do with Nate.”
For now, Falslev is still working with the outside receivers. McKay Jacobson, J.J. DiLuigi and Matt Marshall are getting reps with the inside receivers. Eventually, Falslev would like to be an inside receiver.
He added that his redshirt year was well-spent and has prepared him for new responsibilities.
“The biggest thing last year was getting in with the scout team and helping there, getting my feet wet and getting the speed of the game down. I can’t say enough about coach (Patrick) Higgins — he’s helped me learn routes and the importance of (recognizing) coverages. It’s been good to get my feet under for a year and make some plays.”