BYU into third week of spring football

PROVO, Utah – The BYU football team is into its third week of spring football practice as it prepares for the 2019 season with a Tuesday practice outside. 

This week the Cougars practiced Monday and Tuesday and will continue to practice later in the week, including Saturday's open practice. Read more about the open practice. 

Head Coach Kalani Sitake
On Chaz Ah You adjusting to the team during spring ball
He’s doing a great job. He understands the scheme of the defense and he’s got great football IQ. It’s just a matter of him learning and getting acclimated to being part of the football team after getting off his mission. I think he’s going do to a great job for us. He got a pick today and has great instincts. He can play a number of positions; we have him at the flash position, but I think he can play a lot of different spots.

On specific running backs starting to excel
Yesterday we went live for thirty plays and the bulk of the reps for the running backs were Kavika Fonua and Tyler Allgeier. Sione Finau had a few of the reps and Lopini Katoa did a good job too. It was nice having Kavika getting some live reps and having guys hit him after going through his injury. I thought they had some really good plays, and they’re starting to really emerge. But, it helps having a good physical line in front of them.

On guys playing multiple positions
We have some guys that we signed that we hope factor into the depth chart. Right now there’s a lot of guys that are here and some guys that are still overcoming some injury. We feel like there’s a lot of good bodies there that can compete for those spots. It helps to have guys like Troy Warner and Dayan Ghanwoloku that can go from safety to corner. Now that they’re seniors, they’re the ones that are going to have to transition. We’d like to get guys set at safety and corner to learning their respective positions. Having those guys as swing guys helps out a lot.

Linebacker Chaz Ah You
On transition back to football
It’s going well. I’m having a lot of fun. I like being outside in the sun. It’s fun to compete again and get physical with the boys.

On the linebacker position
The competition is always open for everybody. I’m just trying to make the most out of the chances I have, try to make plays and be as productive as I can.

On the keys to making the most of spring
I just need to be smart. I need to learn the defense and know the ins and outs of everything. As a linebacker you’re in the middle of everything, so I feel like I need to up my knowledge a little bit. I feel like that’s going to allow me to play fast and free.

On help from veteran players
It’s super beneficial. They know the defense and they’ve been here for a while, so they’re just coaching me up. They don’t have any hard feelings even though we’re competing for the same spot. They’re teaching me and I’m learning a lot from them.