2022 Fall Camp: More national recognition and cornerbacks preview

PROVO, Utah — Following Wednesday’s team activity and Cougar Kickoff, No. 25 BYU football completed its 11th practice of fall camp on Thursday as more preseason national recognition rolled in for eight of its players.

Offensive lineman Clark Barrington was named a preseason All-American by a fifth organization with the release of Action Network’s 2022 Preseason All-America Team.

Chaz Ah You, Atunaisa Mahe, Joe Tukuafu, Puka Nacua, Earl Tuioti-Mariner, Keenan Pili and Isaac Rex were each named to the Polynesian Player of the Year watch list.

Special teams coordinator Ed Lamb, cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford, corners Kaleb Hayes and Jakob Robinson, each spoke with the media following Thursday’s practice. Read their media availability quotes below.

Select the gallery button above to view photos from Thursday’s practice or click the link below to see the entire BYU Photo Fall Camp Exposure Gallery.

• Fall Camp Exposure Gallery

Cornerbacks Preview

Led by seniors D’Angelo Mandell and Kaleb Hayes, cornerback is yet another position at which the Cougars abound in experience.

“My expectations are pretty high for my guys every year,” said cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford at BYU Football Media Day on June 22.  “With all of these guys having the experience they do, my expectations for them to push and hold each other accountable are very high.”

Mandell has appeared in 47 career games and started 23, including all 13 contests in 2021. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound native of San Diego, California posted a career-best 36 tackles (25 solo) and four pass breakups last season.

“This season, staying consistent is the biggest thing I’m looking for,” Mandell said at Media Day. “You might play well in one or two games and then you need to make sure you stay consistent throughout the season.”

Gilford glimpses great potential for Mandell in 2022.

“If he can continue to do everything that he’s been doing and now start to make plays at a high rate, he will literally take off,” said Gilford.

After transferring from Oregon State, Hayes wasted no time making his mark on the BYU secondary. Hayes led the Cougars with 12 pass breakups in 2021, enough to tie Daniel Sorensen (2008, 11-13) for fifth at BYU in single-season breakups since 2000. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound native of San Bernardino, California also chipped in 26 tackles (21 solo), with no tackle more timely than his game-sealing stop in BYU’s 35-31 win at USC. With 43 seconds remaining, Hayes’ stuffed a Trojan receiver one yard shy of the first down at BYU’s own 10-yard line.

One year after departing Corvallis for Provo, Hayes loves the belonging he’s found in the BYU defensive backfield.

“I knew about the winning culture and wanted to be surrounded by teammates that care,” Hayes said at Media Day. “I mainly came here for football, but BYU’s also a better fit for my family.”

In 2022, it was Hayes’ turn to join the Cougars in welcoming a new teammate.

Gabe Jeudy-Lally, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound corner from Austin, Texas, transferred to BYU in the spring of 2022 after graduating from Vanderbilt with a bachelor’s degree in human organizational development and a minor in business.

“I didn’t win a lot of games before I came to BYU,” said Jeudy-Lally after a recent practice. “Here, they always believe they’re going to win, regardless of who they play. If you’re wanting to come to a place where you’re going to be treated like family and win football games, this is the spot to be.”

After recording 63 tackles (35 solo), four pass breakups and two interceptions with the Commodores, the three-time All-SEC Academic First Team selection joins the Cougars with three years of eligibility remaining. Jeudy-Lally was named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Independent Second Team on July 15.

Jakob Robinson, Micah Harper, Caleb Christensen and Jacob Boren also provide BYU with valuable experience in the secondary. Robinson played in 12 games in 2021 and tied safety Malik Moore for a team-high three interceptions on the season. Christensen played in eight games a season ago while doubling as a kickoff return specialist. Harper looks to return to his 2020 form after missing 2021 due to injury. The freshman from Chandler, Arizona recorded 25 stops (15 solo) in 2020 and may play at various spots in the defensive backfield in 2022. 

The Cougar corners are bolstered by talented youth in redshirt freshman Quenton Rice and true freshmen Zion Allen, Nathaniel Gillis, Korbyn Green and Evan Johnson.

Tyler (Texas) Junior College transfer Mory Bamba, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin has also joined the BYU defensive backs for fall camp.

Post-Practice Quotes

Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Ed Lamb (watch video)

On what he is seeing from the special teams

“The health of the team is one indicator of what kind of role players we’re going to have on special teams. From a special teams coordinator standpoint, I rest a little easier when we have our starting punter, kicker, snapper, holder, and guys that have caught punts and returned kickoffs before; all of that is back in place. But the bulk of the work there, like blocking and tackling, comes from the depth of the team and right now we’ve got a healthy team. I’m excited to see what they can do as a unit.”

On improvement he wants to see before the first game

“I’d like to see us improve in every way. I think the strength of the special teams unit last year was our punt unit, but I think we can still be better. I think Ryan [Rehkow] has the ability to be the top punter in the country. We were not ranked very highly in our kickoff returns and we haven’t been for several years, so that’s really been an area of emphasis for us. We want to make smarter decisions in the kickoff return area and we want to be ready to take advantage and get good returns when we have the opportunity.”

On Micah Harper’s move from corner to safety

“It fits into our philosophy. We’ve been in a position where we’ve had to really emphasize a developmental defensive back group. For example, Malik Moore was a corner when we recruited him and a corner when we got here, so he’s made a lot of transitions while still learning the game. Micah is the same; he’s got to learn the safety position, but he brings a lot of skills from that corner spot.”

On preparing for the environment at South Florida

“We’ll get there about 36 hours before the game starts. We’re dropping down in elevation, so that’s something that we have an advantage in. We’re coming down from altitude and going to sea level which is a plus. It’s going to be more humid than we’re used to, so we’ll have to get used to that and make sure we hydrate.”

Cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford (watch video)

On whether or not starters have been named within the cornerback room

“As of now, no starters. I have four guys who can all start and play in any game. The good thing is they are all confident, competing with each other, and are confident in whoever is out there on the field.”

On Mory Bamba being added to the roster and how he was discovered

“We love tall guys that can run here. He was in Texas and when Coach Tuiaki went to check him out, he said he liked what he saw and that he was a great person. After checking his film and grades, he was a fit here off the field as well, which is most important for us.

On Bamba's skillset

“He’s long and rangy, and can close windows quick. A guy who is 6-foot-1 with long arms and can run makes it hard to complete certain passes. He has three years left of eligibility, so that’s a bonus. But if he can fill in and give us some reps, that would be great.”

On improvement he's seen in D'Angelo Mandell and Kaleb Hayes

“Mainly just their IQ for the game. The small things like breaking to the man or not peaking at the quarterback. We’re trying to work hard on playing the ball and hopefully it translates, because we need more turnovers.”

On the confidence in depth of the cornerback room

“As long as I can remember, this is probably the deepest BYU has ever been as a secondary. We have about ten guys who can really run and play, so we’re just trying to put it together.”

On recruiting defensive backs to come here

“For us it’s about development. We’re all about development from day one to the day they leave. We also play a lot of guys. We don’t just play two corners the whole game, the ones and twos play every game. So, the style of defense we play allows players to come in and compete.”

Cornerback Kaleb Hayes (watch video)

On his goals throughout fall camp

“Just trying to play consistent. Staying within the system, staying humble, staying hungry. Every day we try and get 1 percent better. Just trying to mold well with my teammates within the defense and with the offense and create that chemistry. This is going to be a great season for us, so little things do matter.”

On the heat and humidity at South Florida

“We just play football. Weather, you just got to deal with it. I have played enough football to have been around where it's humid, where it's raining, when it's snowing. It's just one of those things, you just got to suck it up and play through it. At this point, we're grown men so let's play like it.”

On the depth in the secondary

“I can say that everyone can play. In our room we have high expectations that everybody's going to go out there and make plays. We have guys that can play smart, situational football and can make great plays for this defense and for this team. We're not really worried, it's going to be fun seeing everybody on that field.”

Cornerback Jakob Robinson (watch video)

On how his time as a safety helped him learn to play corner

“Yes, I think I know a lot more about the defense, just what the safety has behind me, so I know when I can undercut and when I have to play over the top. It helps a lot.”

On Kaleb Hayes' interception returned for a touchdown at practice today

“I’m excited. Kaleb’s been talking about it all week. He said, 'I’m going to get one today.' So, he finally got one. It’s just fun to celebrate.”

On the fundamentals of playing defensive back, and what Jernaro Gilford has taught the corners

“We’re doing good. He’s teaching us a new technique this year to step in and put our hands on instead of backup so much. So, I think it’s been going really good.”