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Speaker 2: Welcome back Cougar Sports. One of three nine ninety eight
point three is Ben the Fan. I'm Ben Fertil broadcasting
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Nobody does it better than vand R Wealth. It is
time for a little keeping up with the cougars. I
got a former BAU great, Cameron Jensen.
Speaker 3: Buy my side. We're gonna bring in another former Boa.
Speaker 2: You rates to talk some BAU football camp Kalani twenty
twenty six dot Quarterbacks and much more. It's gonna be
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VP discounts. Let's get out to the hot line and
welcome to former BYU quarterback.
Speaker 3: We got Steve Clements on the line. Steve, how you living?
Speaker 4: Bro?
Speaker 5: All better than I deserve a ben?
Speaker 3: Doing awesome?
Speaker 2: Man, doing great, doing grand doing wonderful. You know you
look actually really good in your elevate suit in your
tempo shirts. Man, I know you love those things.
Speaker 3: I do.
Speaker 5: They're They're sweet. I've really enjoyed wearing those once a week,
and yeah, it's quite quality and the craftsmanship. And uh,
I've really enjoyed where them is part of my weekly routine.
Speaker 3: Do you think you do you think you can sling
the pill? Pretty well?
Speaker 2: I know you got invited to the alumni game. Could
you do you think you could play in your tempo
shirt and not be restricted in your throw motion?
Speaker 5: Oh? Absolutely, it's that good that that Faverriac is that well,
Like you see that mountain over there, I bet I
could throw a ball over that mountain. Man, if you
look out the window right now.
Speaker 2: Hey man, you got the invite, you got the call up. Man,
you're gonna play. You're gonna play in the alumni game.
How does it feel to get recruited by Kilani and co?
Speaker 3: For the Alumni game?
Speaker 5: Oh? It's great to be able to take my talents
down to Provo in April. Third man, I it's it's
so nice to finally get get the monkey off my
back and finally commit. You know, I've been weighing this
for quite some time. So no, it'll it'll be fun.
I'm looking forward to it, and I couldn't make it
last year, but I will say this, I'm gonna have
to throw the pill like the next three weeks. Religiously.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you gotta get some get get some throws in,
do some range of motion.
Speaker 3: Don't overuse it.
Speaker 2: Be on a pitch count obviously, because we don't want you.
We don't want you injured going into the game. Elevate
your collagen. Maybe start taking a little bit of creatine
and make sure you're stretching.
Speaker 5: Yes, I'm going creatine. I'm going Rocky one, two, three, four,
and five, and maybe repeat Rocky two because when Adrian
tells him when and the and the gong sounds and
he goes into his workout like that's one of the
greater scenes at least in a sports movie in my estimation.
So yeah, I got a lot of motivation, Buddy, love
it man.
Speaker 2: Well, Camp Killani's starting up now and we're seeing reports
come out, videos being published on social media.
Speaker 3: We're reading through all the articles. We've been able to
interview some of these guys.
Speaker 2: What have been the key storylines for you coming out
of Camp Killane this spring ball?
Speaker 5: Well, I think what I'm going to be Well, obviously,
all the transfers that we've had, whether that's both sides
of the ball, and how quickly they can make an
impact along with the freshmen, so basically the new faces
and how quickly can they impact, How quickly can they
come in and learn the playbook on either the offensive
side or the defensive side, mesh with the team. Some
of the leaderships that you know stayed on Avan Johnson's Tonavasa,
obviously Bear even though he's just a freshman, he's still
a veteran. And how these guys all mesh and commingle
together with uh, you know, a new defensive coordinator, and
and how Bear progresses having a year under his belt
on the offensive side and I think being able to
I think the want is to throw the ball a
little bit more. But now we have, you know, kind
of an issue at receiver, which is the next point
is the biggest I think question mark is who feels
the roles of Chase and Parker and and how does
that receiver room lineup depth chart wise and rotation wise.
And there's there's a lot to uh to look at
and but but yeah, that's what screens for and sounds
like so far, so good.
Speaker 3: Yeah, who are some of the newcomers?
Speaker 2: Yeah, Cameron and I were talking about the new covers
were most intrigued by, So who are the guys you're
most intrigued by, and who do you think is going
to really maybe elevate and create a significant role for
themselves this year?
Speaker 3: And why.
Speaker 5: I know we've talked about this before, but I think
the two Lehigh kids, both Devon Echa and Lesend Glasker,
I think they're due to make an impact on the
offensive side of the ball because having talked to them,
they've ingrained themselves into the college life, which is vastly
different than obviously going to Lehigh High School or any
other high school in America, and so they're excited to
be that there. They they've talked about how much weight
they've gained, and the stream in the spring program, the
off season program, the weights program, strength and conditioning at
BYU had really elevated their game. Their thing is going
to be in between the years. So I think athletically
spring allows them to, you know, get some girth on
their bodies, especially Devon and so but I think they're
really going to make an impact at least on the
offensive side of the ball as a young eighteen nineteen
year old, and so they're they're they're quite the talent
and they're going to be really good and really bolster
at least, you know, Devon with having Lj's back, moa
Rex is in their Devon. I mean, I think they're
running back course was that used to be a concern
and now going to be a strength going forward? It's
just now, okay, what do we got as a receiver.
Who's gonna step up? Who's gonna raise your hand? I
got this? Just here here, hold my root beer and
watch this. And so that's obviously the biggest question and
probably concern going into the spring. And hopefully, you know,
by the time he end of spring and the end
of this month, we'll have an idea of a too
deep receiver. Corps love that as J.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Look, there's plenty of opportunity.
Speaker 2: Man, if you're a wide receiver with Chase graduating Parker
on the outs and uh, there's plenty and you have
a quarterback that just threw for three thousand yards and
completed sixty four or sixty five percent of his passes,
I'm putting in work. If I'm a wide receiver, I'm like, hey,
you want to hang out Beart, what are you doing?
That's a practice? I'll run routes for you. You know
you want to get us some extra work on Saturday.
I'll run routes for you. You know, I'm putting in
that work to be that guy for Bear fighting tooth
and nail.
Speaker 5: Absolutely, and I know that. I'm sure Bear's doing that.
I'm sure Enuch's doing that because he's fighting for a
backup spot. Trason's doing that as far as the quarterback.
So my assumption, in my estimation, because I used to
do this too, is Chad Lewis would come to me
and go, dude, I'm not obviously I'm not in the
starting role because he was younger, he was a freshman.
But let's go throw after practice and Chad and I
would just chunk it just every day after practice because
I wouldn't get a lot of raps the backup and
so Walls got the majority of the reps with the
ones and so. And I'm sure those guys are doing
the same thing because you know, in college and you've
got such a newness with the receivers quarterbacks, it's timing, man,
And if you don't have the timing down with your guys,
because one guy's gonna run a fade route a little
bit different than the other or speed and separation or
if there's none. So different routes by different guys are
gonna produce different results, and so the timing's gotta be money.
But that's when you do this is in March and
April in May.
Speaker 3: So love that breakdown.
Speaker 2: Steve Klements here on your Utah ESPN Radio Network, former
bo your quarterback. Last time we chatted, we were discussing
maybe the QB two battle Enick Watson versus traycon borget
Trason is I think some was solidified as that QB
two But what if you heard about Enick Watson, do
you think you can push a tenured experience red shirt
senior and Tracon Borgae at that QB two spot.
Speaker 5: Well, my understanding is he's he's more gifted athletic, like
with the waist down like he could move, he's quite
an athlete. Yeah, and he can spin it too, So
I don't know if Trason athletically probably falls a little
bit short behind Enich in that. But then Trason has
the experience, right, He's actually played at the Division one
level in games Michigan State years and years ago, but
there's no substitute for experience where and then he has
the backing. I know of the team behind him. He's
sent out in the community. He's a really, really good kid.
I talked to him last fall camp for about five
minutes from they were warming up right before practice. Guy,
he's a solid dude, and I love the kid. But
so there's still going to be a battle because because
I think Enix athleticism and be able to spin it.
His just think he is no different than a freshman
coming in or even a transfer in how quick can
you pick up the offense right and the reads and
the coverages and what a rod wants him to do
and the timing with the receivers. There's a lot. But
he's been on campus now for what three months or so,
So I think or we'll be fine in that position too,
with capable backups. I have no doubt that they're going
to coach enikup and get him up to speed on
the playbook, and you know, by the time spring's over,
I think he'll be fine. I mean, you look at
Bear last year. He had zero clue whatsoever, and he
steps in and throws through a three thousand yards. Yeah,
some even said he was a better thrower and Tim Tebow.
Speaker 6: At some point, I believe. So we actually say that
I'm better throwing tim Teba. How dare the person that
the audacity of that man or woman I right or.
Speaker 5: A woman that's right depends on the day, buddy.
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, I feel you on that.
Speaker 2: So one of the things I'm I'm very much intrigued
by with this this team, especially during you know, fall camp,
Etcas you know this, the offense has more new faces
than the defense, right, Like all the defense is pretty
much back like for the most part, You've got some
some losses, but there there was a ton of guys
behind them that had tenure in talent and experience.
Speaker 3: There's a lot of new faces.
Speaker 2: Walker Lions, Roger Salipaka, Kyler Kasper new face, right, you
mentioned legend Glasger Davon Ekka. You do have LJ. Martin's
kind of sitting out right now. I mean he's doing
drills and tough stuff, but he's not doing all twenty
two and and you know, being a part of like
necessary team drills. That looks like just because you're still
recovering from surgery, But like, how much of a dynamic
is that. It seems like it's a competitive disadvantage versus
a projected in my mind, a top twenty five defense
that returns. I mean, they were a top twenty five
defense the last two years and they don't lose much
and it's the same scheme and most of the same coaches.
I feel like this defense is a top twenty five
defense and the offense got to go against them every
single day with a ton of new bodies, including the
new offensive alignment. How difficult is that to manage as
an offensive coordinator with your install especially if you're struggling,
you know, getting guys integrated into the playbook and knowing
where their alignment is and knowing how to execute that scheme.
Speaker 5: Well, I think the better to the defense, the better
the show during a practice for an offense. And conversely, obviously,
when I say offense, defense, defense, offense, I'm talking about
both sides. That on one side, if you can show
you know BYU does their thing and we're going up
against a top twenty five defense every day in practice,
that's what we want. That's what a Rod wants, That's
what Clowney wants, because we don't we want to face
We're not trying to go beat, you know, in practice
against a bunch of old dominions, right, it's the Texas
text of the world. That's who we're looking at, you know,
and that's who we're I think we're going to be
one and two probably pre season Big twelve right there
again with those guys. So that's that's the bar that
we're going after. And so if we can we can
see that bar in practice every day and go against
something like we're going to see throughout the year on
the highest level, which would be a Texas Tech and
then you make the playoff, you you know, you invite
all the SEC teams into that category. That's kind of project.
That's where we're at right now with the last three
years or expectations are higher. So yeah, we can't have
a drop off from Monday through Thursday. So let's put
our best guys out there. We run our scheme against
your scheme, and let's get after it because it's only
going to make us better towards the end of the year.
And playing obviously the team up north there in the middle,
that's always going to be tough no matter what because
it's it's our rivals, right, So those are the teams
that we you want to heart kind of not emulate,
but kind of emulate during practice because it just makes
the offense better. And if the offense performs at a
high level in practice, it's only making the defense better.
I mean, that's that's the game of sports. So it's
Saturdays are for fun and kind of enjoying it. You
work in grind Monday through Thursday.
Speaker 3: So got to put in the work.
Speaker 2: Got to put in that lonely work as well in
order to build chemistry. Hopefully this offensive unit is going
to be doing that. Steve Klemis form or BYU Great
Quarterback talking some BYU Football.
Speaker 3: Couple last things before we let you go.
Speaker 2: This is a keeping up with the Cougar segment brought
to you by Odeon Men's where odeon menswear dot com.
Remember to use the Crital fifteen coupon code for all
your missionary retire, oh, your men's attire and your church attire. Steve,
one of the only question mark that I had I
really have about this team, apart from the dynamic of
integration and cohesion on the offensive side, with so many
new faces, you have replaced the defensive secondary coaches right
and traditionally historically BYU secondary hasn't been the best.
Speaker 3: Let's be honest.
Speaker 2: In the Whag days, I mean, I don't know what
the talent was like back in your day, year in
a year out the depth Uh there there was always
kind of like this question like do we have the
guys to cover on the back end the Mountain West
Conference days, you know, there was when I came in. Uh,
you know that everyone was really concerned about the secondary
and uh, and then we had to prove ourselves right
and we but we didn't have a ton of depth there.
Independence was was tough, right and uh, I think the
Big twelve has been tough. But you lose Jay Hill,
you lose Gennaro, you lose Gavin Faller.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 2: You you bring in Tomorrow Warren, you bring in Lewis Walker,
you bring in uh, you elevate Wes Johnson, which I
thought it was a really smart thing to do, and
then you bring in Dandy Sorenson. Do you feel like,
what what makes you believe that there's not going to
be any drop off even though like your entire coaching
staff on the back end was replaced. I know everyone
comes back, right, but give me, give me some uh
insight from your perspective on why there won't be a
drop off in that secondary.
Speaker 5: Well, I think two names and not not to disrespect
K pop, but Kalanie Sataki and Gary Anderson. With those
guys in their experience and knowing that they and traditionally
what you what you want to do is develop a
defense or an offense inside out, which means you've got
to have dudes up front. You need four guys at
least in our defense that can get to the quarterback
without bringing a fifth. Even if you bring a fifth
or sixth, the scheme is such that the back end
obviously you have to mesh the back in with the
front end. So I think why we're going to be
we're fine on the back end is because on the
front end we're so solid and our front seven is
going to be I think one of the best at
least in the in the Big twelve. And so yeah,
we're not paying guys five million dollars like Texas Tech is,
But schematically we can play around with coverages as long
as our guys can get to the quarterback not needing
a blitz. Now we have to start blitzing. Then we
got to lock up, and then we go, oh crap,
now this it really does become a game of one
on ones, which a lot of people say anyway.
Speaker 3: But and.
Speaker 5: You know, in this defense, Kolani has always wanted to
be a Manda man. That's what he likes. He likes
some MANI man defense, have four to five guys be
able to get to the quarterback without bringing too many more.
Morgan's is not going to do anything different up north,
so they're very similar defenses. Gary Anderson, you know, has
been doing this a long time and same philosophy. So
I think with having such a good front end, it
allows you to play maybe some games at least until
we're up to speed. Obviously, safeties one we got to
replace Tanner with. But like Schematically, an experience on the
coaching staff, even with k Pop, Dude, I'm we're fine,
Like we're I'm not worried about it, just because Schematically
and the experience that we have on the staff, regardless
of you know, the dB coaches Orn and uh even
Sorens and those guys, the knowledge that they're going to bring,
and I'm not worried about the knowledge either. We'll be fun, dude,
I'm telling you this is this is gonna be a
fun season. I'm I'm really looking forward to it. Just
what we have coming back transfer freshman. It's a it's
a great day to be a coup for sure.
Speaker 2: So I got one last thing for you. I chatted
with k Pop last week. We chatted with Kilani during
the signing period, signing day. You know, we we've seen
this transition, I would say in the Klanie era. I
think recently, I want to say it like in twenty
twenty three, we started really hear a lot more humble, hungry,
humble hungry, humble hungry, and I think my opinion from
me from my perch right, we've seen a little pride cycle.
Right twenty sixteen, that year one of the Klanie era,
like they had a great team. They were nine and four,
but they were eight points away from being essentially a
like top ten team, Like they were. They were on
knocking on the door in a lot of these high
profile games and they just fell short.
Speaker 3: So there was a.
Speaker 2: Ton of optimism going into twenty seventeen, like super high
expectations because what they had done the year before, and
it was a precipitous drop. Little pride cycle twenty twenty,
twenty twenty one, after kind of going through the humbling
era of seventeen eighteen nineteen and.
Speaker 3: A lot of losses, a lot of average seasons.
Speaker 2: We had eleven and one then and then a ten
and three season top twenty five years. We had a
ton of dudes coming back in twenty twenty to. If
you look at that roster, we had a ton of
NFL talent there at Blake Freelin, Jaren Hall, Chris Brooks
I think was on that roster. You go down that
list and and b why you ended up being an
eight win team they had to get their eighth win
in the bowl game. It was it was a drop
off right in twenty twenty two. It was a little
pride cycle. And then what my concern is is this,
we're we're I'm excited about this team. There's a ton
of talent, and you got the coaching staff there. You're excited,
Cameron's excited, We're all excited. Like, is there a few
is there a possibility we could have another pride cycle
drop off? And what leads you to believe that we
are truly going to stay humble, stay hungry, and continue
to like own that culture.
Speaker 5: No, because I think it's just it's now, it's a
plug and play with these guys, even with the transfer
which has changed since you know, even a couple of
years ago. So you've got new guys in a program.
But the guys that are coming over that are transferring
that aren't necessarily looking to go to b YU because
of the school or maybe the religion. It's to play
football for a culture that Klania is now cemented at
b YU and becoming really level Edwards esque in his approach,
and guys want to go play for the guy I mean,
the humble, hungry I mean, that's that's him. So he's
never satisfied, but he's always going to be have humility
in his life because that's what he's been taught since
he was a young man by his dad. And so
that where the that's where the culture kind of comes
in and kind of fuses and glues everything together where
we might be missing a spot here, depth here, whatever.
That's where I think a really good culture can overcome
some maybe deficiencies even in schematics or athletically or personnel,
injuries whatever. Now you get the injury bug and you
may not have a way out. Even the culture may
not save you. It depends on when the injuries come
and who they come to and how frequent they are. Right,
But that aside, I really do think the expectations are there.
The kids know it. It's not about yeah, we're not
playing in the Mountain West anymore, We're not playing in
the Whack anymore. This is big twelve and big boy football,
and everybody that comes here understands that now. And I
think that's why they want to come here, because it's
not just the culture, but like they're playing some dudes
week in and week out, and they're not afraid and
they're not scared, and that's where the hungry part comes.
I think with Colonne's it's I mean, we're not scared
of anyone. And this this is this is the current
uh trajectory of BYU football, which is going up. We're
not plateauing, We're not satisfied. But at the same time
we have to be humble and understand where to be
grateful and thankful for having a program like this and
being able to play one of the greatest sports on
the face of the earth, So the.
Speaker 3: The greatest sport on the faces of the earth. Cameron's
got a question for you points there.
Speaker 4: I agree with everything you said. It's It's a unique
culture now with college football where these players, in essence,
off the end every year to play, and I think
there's an ownership and commitment level that comes with that.
And just adding on one thing, I like our leadership
on this team coming back in critical positions. I look
at that where you keep humble and hungry is is
really starts with the team. Colony has done everything, Our
coaching st there. Who are the leaders on this team?
And Bear's really shown that. As I've heard in spring
ball in this offseason. You've got a quarterback, the guy
out there leading is vital, and then you've got LJ.
You've got Bruce Mitchell on the front line, You've got
ton of USA and all the defense coming back. You've
got this core leadership that knows what it's like to win.
And I don't think they're going to see I know,
I don't think they're going to allow a letdown forsaking injuries.
Like you said, injuries are the one thing I'm afraid
of the most with this team, especially Bear and other positions,
which is always the case. But I like our leadership
and their ability to lead us, so we don't run
into that this year.
Speaker 5: Ben, Yeah, and if you if you think about it, Cambell,
you just said, it's the leadership almost right down the
middle of the field, right, LJ running back, quarterback, center,
uh ton of Asa what or whatever is Isaia would
probably be more on the outside. But then you got
uh fallI, tala Issy's.
Speaker 3: Name follow and Moody.
Speaker 5: So so till to your point, that's a lot of
what said or who you just said, right down the
middle of the lineup offensively, defensively, right key positions and
so uh yeah, I think you're right leadership and those
key positions bear having one more year. And I think
really even tracing being in a backup, I mean that
experience is said, well, you know way back in the
day where I, even though I wasn't a starter, there's
there's no reason why I couldn't be a leader even
though I'm not out there playing. But I'm around the
guys just as much as you know Johnny Waw was,
And so yeah, it doesn't matter if you're starting or not.
I think beyond just leadership in certain spots as starters,
but you also have a capability as backups and gouts
that are are not maybe playing every down to be
leaders as well, and I think you're seeing a little
bit of that too, because of the culture that Kilani
has instilled, the humble and hungry at the same time,
but not necessarily just because you're a starter. Anybody can
be a leader at any given time or day or whatever.
So no, I agree.
Speaker 2: Steve Klembis, Ladies and gentlemen, former b Way great, get
it be one of the quarterbacks at the alumni game,
slinging the pill, scoring touchdowns and leaving his glory days
once again.
Speaker 3: Steve, we sleute you, appreciate you man. Thanks Roving. I'm
still open.
Speaker 4: Nobody's recruited me yet.
Speaker 2: The camera was a great tight end and running back
in high school. Fantastic. Did you play some quarterback too?
Speaker 4: State championship game? We had two quarterbacks go down. I
lined up under then we got a guy back here
round the option we run the state of We ran
the speed option.
Speaker 5: I'll be your agent.
Speaker 2: See what type of nild so you guys can get
done before the the alumni game. Let's go, Steve clemis man.
Appreciate you, I love you man. Thanks for hopping on.
Speaker 3: We'll catch you. Get with you all right, man. They
go to Steve Clements.
Speaker 2: It was brought to you by Odeon Men'swear, Odio menswear
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today at Odeo Men's Ware. Utilize that Critle fifteen, coop
on coke Crital fifteen, Critle fifteen, Crital fifteen to get
fifteen percent off. What a great show, fantastic show, Big
Coogle Roy, everyone that joined us, Cameron Jensen, here's been
by my side throughout it all. Shout out to Steve
Clements all obviously Big Cougarole to all of our guests.
We had Sean Walker and got into a number of
sound bites, etc. We appreciate everyone tuning in and chiming
in Big Cougar Road to the architect of the show,
Ronald the free Man Weaver as well as Brett always
bringing the hammer. We had Vic Kram on the data
aggregation and newsletter and also bigugaror to Casey lungquish and
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Speaker 3: Whenever you get a minute and I give us a rating,
give us a review.
Speaker 2: Any final thoughts see Genser thirty three the general before
we see farewell, say adieu to Cougar Nation on a Friday.
Speaker 4: Oh, it's a great day to be a Cougar Ben.
We're trending in the right direction, and this team with
the leadership coming back and the key positions having the
full spring going in, the young guys stepping up. Man,
I like where we're at.
Speaker 2: Yes, indeed, a lot of optimism like swirling down there
in Provo. They got a lot of pep in their
step in Provo. Right now, we're a football school. This
is the like I think we all can agree. Now
we're a football school.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, yeah, and the expectations are there. I love
the Klanie saying humble and hungry. But I just like
what we've built, the core we've had, and to build
on it and take this next level into next year,
just as the next step, well, let's go, Let's yet,
we have to wait.
Speaker 3: We got a way, man. It's gotta it's it's uh.
Speaker 2: You gotta go through the ups and downs of the year,
the springball, the development, the strength and conditioning, all that
stuff before you get into fall camp.
Speaker 3: But I would like to see uh h