Football team captains announced for 2017

PROVO, Utah - BYU head coach Kalani Sitake announced Fred Warner, Tejan Koroma, Butch Pau'u and Tanner Mangum as team captains for the 2017 football season on Friday.

Captains were selected by the team with a player vote. This year there are two defensive players in Warner and Pau'u and the offense represented by Koroma and Mangum. 

Warner, a senior linebacker from San Marcos, California, has played in 36 career games, including 25 starts at outside linebacker. In 2016, Warner led the Cougars in total tackles with 86 to go along with three interceptions and 10.5 tackles for loss. He has been named to 2017 preseason watch lists for both the Bednarik and Butkus Awards, as well as honored as a nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team and Wuerffel Trophy.

Koroma, a senior offensive lineman from Allen, Texas, is a three-time Rimington Trophy watch list selection and has started all 38 career games played. Koroma has consistently been BYU's most dominant lineman and in 2016, Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the four best centers in all of college football. Koroma has also earned recognition as a 2017 Outland Trophy watch list honoree. 

A junior middle linebacker from California, Pau'u posted 83 tackles in just 10 games in 2016. Known for his hard hitting, Pau'u tied BYU's single-game tackle record with 19 stops against UCLA last year. He added 7.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and 1.5 sacks in 2016. 

Mangum, a junior quarterback out of Eagle, Idaho, was named to the 2017 Davey O'Brien watch list. Mangum started 12 games in 2015 and last year's Poinsettia Bowl. The former National Freshman of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus, Mangum threw for 3,377 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2015 and helped the Cougars to a 24-21 victory against Wyoming in the bowl game last year. 

The following quotes are from Friday's media availability.

Head coach Kalani Sitake 
“We have a four captains selected that were voted by the team members. Our two on offense will be Tejan Koroma and Tanner Mangum, and then on defense Fred Warner and Butch Pau'u. These guys were voted in by the team and I’m really happy that those guys will be able to take the roles as captains.”

“Our defensive line is doing a good job creating turnovers. We can do better at getting sacks but there are ways to get pressure on the quarterback and our guys did that. I think our technique is getting better and hopefully we can improve our pass rushing skills. Our goal is to stop the run and be a balanced defense in stopping the run and the pass. I think we did a good job with that and have Sione back has helped us. Also, Corbin is feeling more comfortable at defensive end and being his second year in the system, I think we can see the number go up.”

"We can go 2-3 deep, its just a matter of if we feel comfortable with them in a game. The talent’s there, we just need to make sure they understand the scheme and the things we are asking them to do."

"We still feel comfortable with our depth at corner. Having two returning starters helps. Chris Wilcox has had some experience as well. Having those three helps us. We also have Micah Hannemann who could help at corner if he had to. Right now we are trying to get the other guys to step up."

"It's just to get prep for scrimmaging tomorrow. A big part of our practice tomorrow will be live so we want to have guys fresh. We had a full lift today and will have a mental walk-through going into tomorrow like game mode. It won't be a game but it will be tons of reps. Our guys will have tons of opportunities and maybe climb the depth chart."

Offensive coordinator Ty Detmer
"[The tight ends] have done great. They have taken the challenge on to be physical in the run game and then viable receivers in the pass game. We feel good at where they are at but there is always room for improvement and fine toon the little things but overall that’s a very athletic group."

"We’ve got athletic guys in here. What I had with Chris Smith as a guy that could go up the field and make a play on balls with smaller safeties. We feel like we’ve got those guys in the program. Then Bentley Hanshaw is coming in as a freshman that has got to put some more weight on and get physical in the run game. He played receiver in high school and made the move to tigh tend last year, his senior year. He’s a guy that’s right in line with Moroni and Matt Bushman that he’s going to be a great receiving tight end for us and as he matures and gets some weight on. He will be one of those guys that could be an every down guy as well."

"I think last year [the offensive line] did a great job in the weight room on putting some size on and getting the strength but having a full year now they’ve really gained. We are seeing some of the young guys that come off missions or come in as freshman that it takes a year or so to figure all that stuff out. So year two, they’ve had a full year of it now and I think that we’ve seen the change in their body. Nu'u [Tafisi] does a great job with them in the weight room and that’s a focus that we have as a team. That we are committed to helping those guys stay strong throughout the season so we are getting to where we think we need to be and recruiting classes are still along those lines where we feel like we’ve got guys that will be coming that will fit that mold and get guys with size and strength and athleticism that can play for us."

Tight ends coach Steve Clark
"Matt [Bushman] and Moroni [Laulu-Pututau] are both the top tight ends, we have been using a ton of two tight ends and they’ve been the top two. They’ve always been good at the pass routes and they have improved their blocking. When we grade them, we grade them high and we grade pretty tough. They’re good players."

"Moroni has some great fight, so he is willing to put his hand down and take on defensive ends. Its not what he is best at, but he will get down and do it. He’s gotten better."

"Our defense is giving us some really tough looks. They’re unorthodox in a lot of what they’re doing and so we need to make sure we are hitting our assignments."

Quarterback Tanner Mangum
“It’s always an honor to be chosen by your teammates, by your peers, by the guys you’re surrounded by every day. It’s a role that I’ve embraced this whole year so to be chosen by my teammates and accepted by my coaches means a lot. It’s definitely something I’m going to appreciate and try to take advantage of and do it in the right way.”

"[Tejan Koroma] is a proven leader of the team. It’s his fourth year now, a four year starter. He knows what it takes. He knows what guys need to do to be successful. He’s energetic. He’s vocal. He’s not afraid to raise his voice and speak up. He corrects guys when needed. More than anything he shows by example that he’s willing to do what it takes. He’s always putting in extra work. He’s always in here on Saturdays or days off, working out and getting stronger and then when it comes to the game, he’s a beast. He’s leading the way. I think it’s very fitting for him and well deserved for him to be captain.”

“The leadership style that I’ve brought to this point is a mixture. Mainly leading by example. I might not be the most vocal guy on the team. I’m kind of more the type to come in and do my job and come in and lead by example. But also as a quarterback you have to be vocal so I have that aspect as well.”

Linebacker Fred Warner
"For me, it’s the biggest honor we can get. It just shows that we put in all the work and it’s paid off; to have our teammates all vote for both of us, it means a lot. I don’t think it’s going to change much. We are just going to keep being the people that we’re being, leading the team by example and being the best players that we can."

"These are the guys that we are grinding with day-in and day-out and go to battle with on Saturdays and Fridays. Knowing that they believe in us and respect us like that means a lot to both of us. It’s the biggest honor.  

Linebacker Butch Pau'u
"We didn’t think that we would be selected. We are just guys that go out and lead the team in any way we can. It feels nice to have our teammates have that kind of respect for us."

"We just met with Coach Sitake and one of the things that he mentioned was that we are not fundamentally sound yet. He says that we have a great understanding of this game and great understanding of our position but we still need to work on little techniques in regards to our stance, taking on offensive linemen, body position at a certain time and making sure that we are never on our heels."