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let's get out to the hot line. Welcome in former
b YU great, one of the best athletes to come
through Brigham and I was looking up the status here.
He's ranked fifty fifth all time in total tackles with
two hundred and five and he may be the fastest
linebacker to come through Brigham. Let's welcome in Brian Keel,
my former teammate. Be How the heck are you man?
Speaker 4: Doing well? Brother? Thank you?
Speaker 2: Hey?
Speaker 3: What's what's keeping the Keel zone busy these days?
Speaker 2: Give us an.
Speaker 4: Update, same same stuff. Since the new year, kids are
getting older, Winter sports and in full effect basically keeps
us busy every evening. So other than that, just enjoying
the maybe the pinnaple of YU sports. Maybe maybe the
best year in sports. We'll see.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean you were part of a great era
for basketball and football combined football. You can make an
argument during that era, the the four year stretch from
like you know, two or five year five, two thousand
and five, two thousand and nine, that's one of the
winningest eras in bya football history or part of that.
The best era you know, for many was the eighties,
late seventies, early eighties with a national championship and you
had you had Danny Ainge and and great kid in
the and the crew leading them to an elite eight,
so that that that combo was pretty special. Do you
think this era, the Kilani era, uh, in the last
you know, four or five years, is uh is rival
rivalrying the uh the era that you played in and
maybe even surpassing uh the best era of college athletics
history at b YU.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think, uh, this is gonna be a golden age.
And yeah, the eighties were absolutely amazing. Obviously, it's hard
to beat a national championship. But I'm also you know,
I'm a realist, and I understand that the schedule that
they played in that year wasn't that tough, and uh,
you know that's that's the way the BYU won it's
national championship is a method that I'm totally against.
Speaker 5: You know, they were they were chosen, they won all.
Speaker 4: Their games, nobody else won all their games, and then
they were chosen, right, and and I'm against that that's
the same that's the same methodology that kept by U
out of the playoffs this year. They were not chosen
even though even though they had earned it. So, you
know what, what is my my point? My point is,
like I I think right now, the the talent that
is both on the team and then on the on
the opposing teams, the the strength of schedule, the difficulty
of the schedule. I just I just think it's some
parallels both well, not just football but basketball too. Yeah,
which this is going to be the Golden age, That's
what I'm.
Speaker 3: Saying, the golden era of b y U athletics and
what what has has created this golden era? Would you say,
like if you were we always talked about PI chart
accountability on the show.
Speaker 2: You know what where do you who do you dole
out like.
Speaker 3: The credibility to the the you know, the merit to
in this process to what and who?
Speaker 4: So well, before I answer that, I'll answer that, but
well back to what you said. You know, like when
you and I played in not five year stretch, you know,
when we were there and maybe the next couple of
years after we were there, Yes, that is that was
a great era too. But this is still the same thing.
We didn't play against the competition that these guys are
playing against now, and and so it's just it's not
it's apples oranges comparison.
Speaker 5: And so it's just it's really.
Speaker 4: Hard to compare eras.
Speaker 5: So go back to the to the question that.
Speaker 4: You just said. Honestly, I think it is the decision
makers being willing to allocate the resources, be that time
for dollar bills to go match up with the talent
and the dedication and the passion that boy you has
always had. And I think that's the difference the last
couple of years in football and basketball that has that
has boosted them up. It's I think it's the combination
of the passion that's always been there and now all
of a sudden, which has not always been there, a
willingness to allocate resources that's never been done before. And
when when thost things get together, great things happen. So
that's what we're seeing.
Speaker 2: Resources matter.
Speaker 3: There's no doubt I think in the in times past
when we've maybe heaped criticism, you can look at the
resource critique. We've also discussed on these airways before, like
how by us changing culturally from an our coach standpoint right,
how they're approaching that, how they're uh, maybe approaching recruiting
obviously stuff to find the right fits, et cetera. Being
in a P four h P four conference helps that
the additional revenue money coming from TV and then that
being obviously allocated as you mentioned, Uh, Kilan's culture I
think deserves some credit here too, and how it attracts
and retains talent.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and and and before somebody out there that's listening
or who's not listening, or anybody as well, they just
they just spent money. That's not obviously they have, but
that's not all that it takes. And and you don't
have to look any further than like say LSU who
was was mediocre at best this season and spent all
sorts of money. And and they're not the only one.
Michigan Texas was was decent but not great, and they
spent a ton of money. They were right right there
at the top. And the list goes on and on,
and so it's not just spending money. It's both. It's
culture like you just mentioned, and the money and the resources,
the passion, all that stuff, it all goes together. And
uh and so yeah, That's that's what they have there
in Provo, and that's why we're seeing what we're seeing
in the two flagship sports of football and basketball and
all the other sports. They've always been great, They've always dominated,
and it warms my heart to see it. They win,
they win offers championships like it's nobody's business, and they
win national championships and it's awesome and and and that's
part of why I love BYU because it's just a
place of excellence everywhere you look, not just sports, not
just the main sports, but all the sports, and not
just the athletic department, the whole the whole university is
is just a culture of excellence and I just absolutely
love it.
Speaker 3: As you why former b YU ray Brian Keel here
on your UTAI ESBN radio network getting a little keeping
up with the Cougars and getting his thoughts on BAU football.
Uh who is Kelly pepinga Brian Keel? And Uh what
was your reaction when he became the defensive coordinator for
b YU.
Speaker 4: I mean, to me, he's just a great friend and teammate.
Couldn't be couldn't be more excited for Kelly and opportunities
for him personally and then also for the program and
and just everything that it means. And it's just, uh,
it's just cool to see somebody that that you you bled,
sweat and cried with on the battlefield twenty years ago.
Speaker 5: To rise to this level. I mean, it's just so cool.
Speaker 4: One of one of the greatest times of my life
was a two month period that I was training after
after the senior right after our senior season in California,
and I lived with Kelly and we were training and
it was just it was one of the greatest times
of my life because it was just it was so
on to to have no other focus other than football,
improving our bodies, and and then all the hope that was,
you know, the hope, just the hope of what was
hopefully to come for in the next couple of months,
And it was just such a fun time. I absolutely
loved it. And I have always loved Kelly, but that
was that was just a fun time. And and it's
been really really cool to see him progressed throughout his career.
And I'm just excited for this opportunity.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Kate Pop's got his opportunity, and I think he's
gonna seize it. He's got a lot of mentors in
his life after the Bronco was a mentor of ours
as well. He's going to take components of maybe the
Bronco era what he learned at Virginia. He's got Gary
Anderson J. Hill touch points. Now it'll be probably a
combination of of those coordinators. I'm sure there's other touch
points as well that he's he's mentioned and he's going.
Speaker 2: To put his own flair to it.
Speaker 3: What what type of defense do you think we'll see
with k Pop at hell of that defense?
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a great question. And while you were saying that,
it actually just made me think of something piggybacking off
of what I just mentioned. You know, Kelly and I
we went to this facility and we trained for two months,
and it was it was revolutionary for me. I I
the whole time I was in Provo, I was trying
to gain weight and really couldn't do it.
Speaker 5: And then we go to this place.
Speaker 4: We're there for two months and I gained twelve pounds
and my body fat went down. I mean just was
And really the difference was the science. Obviously, you know
you're you're working out twice a day, so that that
was different. But then beyond that was the science, the
nutrition and the science. And anyway back out of the
times your question, So you know Kelly and I were
there for two months, and what did Kelly do? Kelly
recorded the workouts and at that at that point in time,
Kelly's plan, outside of trying to play football was to
go into the support science sports exercise science, yep, and
and either be a strength coach or a trainer or
something in that in that realm. This was before he
had decided to go into quoting. Obviously he went he
went to the Cardinals and he was there for a
year and and that, but this before any of that.
And Kelly took notes of the workouts, understood the workouts,
and when we got done training, we came home and
and and still needed to train for for Pro Day
and and for the upcoming season. And Kelly had all
the workouts, he had everything diagrammed. What's my point here,
Kelly is the type of guy that is gonna he's
gonna extract all the usefulness from his surroundings. So going
back to what you said, Yeah, we were all meantored
by Bronco and and some people are able to extract
what Bronco has to offer, and Kelly is the type
of guy who absolutely did that. And and then and
then you you know, you go to his time at
Boise and he's the type to extract to useful information
from UH. And then the last couple of years with
Jay Hill, who is a phenomenal coach obviously, and I
have the highest esteem for I think Kelly has extracted
all of the information from him, and so I just
that's why I have such my expectations that hope for Kelly,
because that's who he is as a person, and he
has that work ethic as well, and when you combine
those things and then there's just high levels of possibility.
Speaker 3: One of the things that we've debated amongst fans, amongst
maybe even former players, is you know what type of
front will be why you be employing it?
Speaker 2: And I'm sure it'll be multiple.
Speaker 3: But this last year I was I was kind of
I was trying to, you know, kind of look at
the percentages and and I this is a rough count,
but I got it confirmed by a few people there
in the building. It was roughly U seventy thirty front
with a stand up outside edge similar to what we played,
but not always the weak side ed. You'd have a
strong side edge stand up uh, you know, kind of
like a new seat time with baby Jack Kelly off
that strong side edge. They ran a lot of nickel too.
They ran some like three three five in that out
of that thirty front. A lot of us, you know,
we've always want to, Hey, we want to get in
that forty front, and BA fans want that, and it's
what Kyle's done and Jay did and Gary did.
Speaker 2: It at Utah.
Speaker 3: I don't know if that's the future of bau's defense
or for it's more of this hybrid with a majority
of it being you know, seventy sixty percent of it
being more of a thirty front with a stand up
outside edge. Two point guy, give me your thoughts on
this and what you would.
Speaker 2: Like to see.
Speaker 4: Honestly, I think that that stuff's important, But I think
what's most important is crafting your scheme to the personnel
that you have. And I think there's a lot of
really clever and really X and O sound football coaches
out there that are just stuck on their scheme or
whatever it might be when they don't have the personnel
to run it, and and so you know, I I
personally I like a.
Speaker 5: Four four down front, but like you know, in order
to in order.
Speaker 4: To run that, you need you need the personnel. And
so so that that's what's going to come into play.
They can recruit who they can bring in and what
type of guys they have, and I imagine that, you know,
Kelly will adapt this scheme to to the guys. And
I think that's the reason why we've seen that the
last couple of years, and that's what I expect going
forward is is, uh, you adapt, You adapt to your
X and o's, to the Willis and the Joe's that
you have on the roster.
Speaker 3: Do you think we're going to get to a point
where and I've made these these comments before, it's like
typically with the four down front, like you need you
need some dogs, You need some dudes up there, like
you know, watch that Texas Tech Defense a front, but
they have they have two deep there too. So you
have to have at least four dudes at defensive tackle
that can win one on ones and be twitchy. You
need four dudes at the defensive end spot that are
at that two fifty two sixty range that have great
ability and great band or even just ridiculous length, et cetera,
and twitch. It's like, are we going to be able
to find that as a you know, four round guys?
Is that the most likely year in a year out?
Speaker 2: Or is it? What we've seen.
Speaker 3: Over the last thirty forty years BYU has been more
LBU than it's been any other position. Quarterback, offensive line,
running back, you know, it's it's tight end. We've had
more LBUS. We produce more linebackers than we do any
other position.
Speaker 4: In my opinion, Yeah, I agree with that, and I
think that has been our history, but I don't necessarily
think that's our future, like meaning it's a given that
that that will say the same And to like to
the point that you were just making, I think if
you look nationally, the two best defensive fronts in my
opinion are Texas Tech and Miami and absolutely just traumatized
quarterbacks with the with the pressure, with the pressure that
they bring. And and it's a that's a that's a
that's a William Joe thing. That's just that's just dudes,
that's not scheme, that's not you.
Speaker 5: Know, there's some of that that goes into it, but
it's just those guys.
Speaker 4: Those guys are just dogs, like like you just mentioned
the guy, the guys that those two two teams have,
and I think now that going back to what we
said with the willingness to allocate resources, I think I
think those that type of dog is in play. And
and it's still yeah, it's got to be a cultural
fit and it's got to be an honor code fit
and and all that stuff. But I think that's in play.
I think it's it's available and put be on the horizon.
I don't I don't know if it's you know, I'm
not predict predicting or or you know, but I think
that's in play. And I think that that's proven. And
in terms of disrupting the quarterback, I think that's that's
the best way to do it. But again, you got
to have those dogs, and not everybody has them.
Speaker 3: The transfer portal giveth and it taketh away. B y
U has required seven guys, right, seven dudes. Three of
them are offensive lineman. You did pick up a linebacker
that could replace Jack Kelly and Kato Lave and all
ASC player that vic Oda, one of our teammates, coached
up and he's a. You know, Vick is a fantastic coach.
Okaiate's gonna come into ball out Jake Clifton linebacker, Kansas
State wide receiver Kyle Casper and Uh Walker Lyons uh
tight end out a USC You know this roster.
Speaker 2: You watch a lot of football, Keel.
Speaker 3: You know if you were to say, hey, there's a
couple of positions or a couple acquisitions in a position
group that you'd like to see, what are they and why?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 5: So well, let's just go back to our season.
Speaker 4: Obviously we lost to one team. Okay, we lost to
Texas Tech twice. Why did we lose those games? I
think were competitive enough to win Defensively, I think offensively
we couldn't move the ball, couldn't couldn't generate the points
competitively enough to win those games. Why Why could we not?
Why could we Why could we score points on everybody
else but not on Texas Tech? I think it was
a matchup issue. I think it that that's part of
the problem. I think part of it was having a
young freshman quarterback who had a phenomenal year, of record
setting year, just an extraordinary year, but still as a
freshman and and you know, still a little nervous, and
you know, not not experience, not a seasoned veteran to
to to to go against the defense that suffocating. But
then the other issue is and and we've talked about this,
it's it's it's somebody who can create separation at will
and stretch the field. And this is this is an
issue that by us always had. If you go back
to our senior year, you know we we are our
big competition was TCU and Utah and and it was
tough against those defenses with with athletic secondary for our
receivers to create separation and and score the points that
we scored on everybody else. And and when I want
us play Texas Tech twice, that's what I that's what
my mind went back to, is the receiver quarterbacks back
there and there's nowhere to go with the ball. There's
just where are you gonna go with the ball and
you wants it from the wide angle, there's just nowhere
to go to the ball. And it's it's we we
need we need more guys that can create separation. And
that that's the one thing I think that we'll really
take our team to the next level. In my humble opinion.
Speaker 3: So separation in the wide receiver room, separation cand occur
from like a tight end, right walker, lions come from
usc possiblely Carson Ryan had a pretty good year, you know,
but but running backs to can create separation. Mean, Harvey
and Kurtis were really good at their one on one
right you so kind of break down a little bit
more of the separation. Uh, and where it comes from?
Is it primarily thinking your your wide receiver room?
Speaker 4: Yeah, well, I think in terms of that's not the
only place where separation comes from. In terms of what
I think our team is currently missing and has historically missed,
it is that position. It's a guy, it's a it's
a it's just a top end receiver who can stretch
the field and and and stress the defense. And you know,
that's that's something that we really haven't ever had at
least consistency consistently. And today, you know, the game of
football is all about that player that's that wide receiver.
Once that that that stresses the defense. So the decoordinator
is at night late thinking how can I stop this guy?
If I don't account for this guy, it's going to
burn us and and it just.
Speaker 5: Changes the game.
Speaker 4: When you have that, you know that guy doesn't even
need to get the ball. He doesn't even need to
have eight for one hundred and ten and a touchdown
he took to change the game. It's just the threat
of that guy and that opens everything up. But it'll
open It creates separation for the other receivers, and it
opens up the running game so that the running game's
not jet so so jammed up. And if you go
back to those those two Texas Tech losses, part of
our issue was we could not run the ball. We
ran the ball great on everybody else, if we could
not run the ball against those guys, and it, you know,
stimied up the rest of our offense. And so they
go hand in hand. And I think for us to
really get to the next level, which is which what's
what's the next level, it's getting in the playoff and
winning playoff games. That's the next level. And in order
to do that, I think that's what we need.
Speaker 3: Brian kil Former b Y, you're great talking to some
BYU football here on your Utah ESPN Radio network. Last
thing before we let you go, Keel Zone, appreciate you
hopping on talking some ball with me today.
Speaker 2: And excited to see. You know what, B Why You
not only.
Speaker 3: Retained most of their most of their roster, all their
key players, but they also retain their offensive coordinator, all
their offensive coaches. They lost Jay Hill and General Those
were two big losses, There's no doubt, but much of
everything that makes B WHYU great over the last five
years is retained. And so I think it leans into
your golden era initial commentary. It's like, man, that's special, right,
that that that we're trending in that direction and that
all this retention is happening while all the new resources
are coming in. And so next season, do you think
B why You can be better? Do you think they
will be better than they were this year?
Speaker 4: Honestly, I do.
Speaker 5: I think they will take a step forward and be better.
Speaker 4: I think, uh. I think with everything that you just mentioned,
it just it gives me confidence that, honestly that I
really don't know that I've had before. You know, it's
it's always it's just kind of like a wait and
hope for the next season. But I think we're at
a point now where it's this expectations and if you
look at the premiere programs in the country, which is
where we want to get. I mean, it is year
after year, it's.
Speaker 5: Just a given that they're going to be competing.
Speaker 4: On the biggest stage. And I think that's I mean,
we're not there yet obviously, but that's where I think
we're capable of getting where I want to get, where
I think all the decision makers down there want to get.
And so that's what it is. It's this year and
year out. It's expecting the most and then doing what
it takes to then go deliver it. So yeah, I do.
I expect us to be to pick up right where
we left off and take a big step forward. And
the biggest piece of that is that young Stresman quarterback,
who is phenomenal, is now going to be a second
year quarterback and have a year of live bullets under
his belt. And I think he's just gonna be that
much better. And that's that's why I'm excited and so optimistic.
Speaker 3: Actually, I have one the last question for as debating
with John about this recently, is weight gain for a
quarterback good or not good for their throwing strength.
Speaker 2: We talked to Bear Bachmeyer. You know, he's a hefty dude.
Speaker 3: He's a hefty dude, right, he's got he's got some
girth to him. He was listed I think at two
twenty and then it was moved to like two thirty. Man,
he looked like he was rumbling around at like two
forty this season. Should he drop weight, gain weight, keep
his weight the same? What do you think and what
type of impact does it have on throw and arm strength?
Speaker 4: I think whatever weight he was at, he should try
to hold. And if I were this is just me,
if I was him, I think he should maybe try
to lean up at that weight. Yeah, and that is
more for elusiveness and wiggle than anything else.
Speaker 2: Yep. Uh.
Speaker 4: In terms of in terms of throwing the ball, I
don't think weight, I don't. It doesn't matter. It's just
that's torque and leverage and mechanics and uh, that's I
don't think that's going to factor in, uh in throwing
the ball, because I mean, there's there's hefty quarterbacks, there's
skinny quarterbacks. I mean I've I've seen some of the
skinniest quarterbacks absolutely have rifles for arms. And I played
with one. Sam Bradford was a was you know, the
look the look at the guy was a wet noodle.
But he had an absolute hannon on his shoulder, and
you know, and then and then there's the other end
of the spectral too. So I don't think that matters.
But elusiveness, I think, uh, if you lean that up
and develop that, I mean, how how old is barriers
eighteen is the nineteen.
Speaker 2: Yeah he's a young buck. Dude, Yeah he's nineteen.
Speaker 4: I think something like that.
Speaker 5: I mean, yeah, he's just you're not.
Speaker 4: Your explosiveness is not it's not maxed out at that age,
like you know, that's he's still got double years of
explosive increase and you know, twitch, multile fiber and and
so that's the stuff. Like if I was him, that's
what I would focus on. And and it's going back.
It's for elusiveness for its capability. The best the best quarterbacks,
the best quarterbacks in today's football, they can throw it
and they ca them get away m hm. And that
that takes, that takes his capability.
Speaker 3: So keel Zone, best way to support you what you do,
how you do it for all of our listeners.
Speaker 4: Just support by U. That's all I care about.
Speaker 2: That's all you care about. No, you're an entrepreneur. What
businesses you run? In these days. Keel Zone.
Speaker 4: Yeah, go koogs go Kug's that's what that's what matters.
Speaker 2: I love it, appreciate you.
Speaker 3: Support Brigham Baby, support h Brigham Young University.
Speaker 2: There you have it kills them.
Speaker 4: Thanks so much, Buddy, Yep, thank you.
Speaker 2: All right, there you go. That's Brian Keel.
Speaker 3: That segment was rotching by Dental prose off Utah Dentalprosofutah
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pros Dentalprosivieutah dot com. Let's go to break a little
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