Independence brings exposure to BYU

Onthesurface,BYUhasn'treallychangeditsrecruitingstrategyintheyearsincemakingthemovetofootballindependence.

TheCougarscontinuetorecruitnationallywithanemphasisontheirhomestateandtherestoftheWest.Andthey'renaturallytargetingtopplayerswhoalsobelongtoTheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints.That'sthesameformulaBYUfollowedasamemberoftheMountainWestConference.

ButtheswitchcertainlyhaswidenedBYU'spoolofpotentialtargets,particularlyamongnon-LDSrecruits.That'sbecomingmoreandmorenoticeabletoBYU'scoachesastheypreparefortheirsecondseasonasanindependent.

"It'satleastdoubleintermsofthatamountofinterest,"BYUcoachBroncoMendenhallsaid."Andthat'sbeingdrivenbyexposure."

Thedifferenceisn'tapparentfromalookatBYU'srecentrecruitingclasses.

BYUsigned17players(includingtworeturningmissionaries)fromsixdifferentstatesin2012after68percentofits2011classcamefromUtah.Neithergroupwasasgeographicallydiverseasthe2010classthatsignedbeforeBYUannounceditsplanstogoindependent.That2010classincludedplayersfrom10differentstates.

ThefivejuniorscurrentlycommittedtoBYUallcomefromUtah,NevadaorOregon-threeofthetopeightstatesintermsofLDSpopulations.PlayersfromthatsectionofthecountrylikelywouldhavebeenattractedtoBYUwhethertheprogramwasindependentorpartofaconference.

"BeingindependentIthinkhelpsoutwithrecruiting,butitwouldn'tchangewhetherI'dwanttogothere,"saidAloha(Ore.)junioroffensivetackleBraydenKearsley,athree-starrecruitandLDSmemberwhocommittedtoBYUlastfall."Myrelationshipwiththe[BYU]coachesisextremelystrong,andIdon'tthinkIcouldgetabetterrelationshipwiththecoachesatanyotherschool."

Eveniftheeffectsofthemovearen'tobviousnow,theycouldbecomemoreapparentdowntheroad,thankstotheincreasedvisibilitythathascomewithindependence.

Afterannouncingitsplansinthesummerof2010,BYUsignedaneight-yearcontractwithESPNthatallowedeachofitshomegamestoairononeofESPN'splatformsoronBYUtv,whichreachesover60millionhouseholdsinNorthAmerica.ThecontractrequiresatleastthreehomegameseachyeartoaironABC,ESPNorESPN2.

ThatexposureraisedBYU'sprofileamongrecruitswhowouldn'tseemlikeobviousfits.

About90percentofBYU'scurrentplayersareLDSmembers,andthatfiguremightnotchangemuchinthefuture.ButnowthatBYUisappearingonmoretelevisionsets,theprogramatleastisbetterknowntonon-LDSprospectsoutsideitstypicalrecruitingbase.

"[Non-LDSprospects]won'teverbethemajorityofkidsthatwesign,"Mendenhallsaid."Butthenumber-andthediversityofplacesthey'recomingfrom-showinginterestnowisadirectbenefitofourindependence."

Providence(R.I.)LaSalleAcademyrunningback/defensivebackJoshMorrisrepresentsonepotentialexample.

Morrisisn'tanLDSmember.He'sCatholic.

Andheplaysataschoolabout2,400milesfromBYU'scampuswhilerepresentingastatethathostedtheNFL'sfirstnightgamein1929-theProvidenceSteamRollerlost16-0totheChicagoCardinals-buthasn'tproducedmuchfootballhistorysince.AccordingtotheRivals.comdatabase,noplayerhassignedwithanFBSprogramdirectlyfromaRhodeIslandhighschoolsinceSouthKingstown'sJakeFlahertywenttoSyracusein2004.

Yetthathasn'tstoppedMorrisandBYUfromcommunicating.Morris,RhodeIsland's2011Gatoradestateplayeroftheyear,planstovisitBYUinJunewithhopesofsecuringhisfirstFBSoffer.

ThecontactbetweenMorrisandBYUisatestamenttotheCougars'desiretorecruitnationally.AnditalsospeaksvolumesforBYU'snationalexposureinthewakeofitsdecisiontogoindependent.

AllbutoneofBYU'shomegameslastyearappearedonESPN,ESPN2orESPNU.TheloneexceptionwasonBYUtv,whichalsorunsaone-hourpregameshowanda30-minutepostgameshowforeveryBYUfootballgame.NineofBYU'sgameslastseasonwereavailabletoatleast100millionhouseholdsinNorthAmerica,whileonlyonewasavailableinfewerthan60millionhomes.

FourofBYU'sfirstsixgamesthisfall(Aug.30vs.WashingtonState,Sept.20atBoiseState,Sept.28vs.HawaiiandOct.5vs.UtahState)willairinprimetimeonESPNorESPN2.ASept.8gamewithWeberStatewillrunonBYUtv,andNBCwillshowtheOct.20gameatNotreDame.Broadcastplanshaven'tbeenannouncedyetfortherestoftheschedule.

AspotentialrecruitsfromtheEastCoast,SoutheastorMidwesttuneintothosenationallytelevisedgamesthisfall,theyundoubtedlyhearatsomepointthatBYUwonatleast10gamesfiveofthelastsixyears.

"Theylearnallthiswhentheywatchusplay,"Mendenhallsaid."Allofasudden,BYUbecomesaviableoptionforthem,especiallyifthey'reasociallyconservativekidandthey'renotintoallthepartyingand[being]thetypicalwildcollegekid.Theythenthink,'Man,thatcouldbeagreatplaceforme.'"

Ofcourse,that'stheissue.

BYUisn'tthetypeofschoolthat'sgoingtoappealtoeveryrecruit.TheBYUhonorcodepreventsstudentsfromengaginginpremaritalsexorusingalcoholortobacco.Eventeaandcoffeeareforbidden.Malestudentsareprohibitedfromwearingearringsandaren'tallowedtowearbeardsorgoateeswithoutpermission.

IndependencemayhavehelpedmakeBYU'sprogrammorevisibletonon-LDSprospects.ButhowmanyofthoseguyswouldbeabletohandleBYU'srestrictions?

BYU'sstrictdisciplinarypolicygarneredplentyofattentionafterstarrunningbackHarveyUngavoluntarilyleftschoolinthespringof2010andbasketballplayerBrandonDavieswassuspendedinthespringof2011forhonorcodeviolations.Ineachcase,premaritalsexreportedlywasthecause.

Evenafterthenationalpublicitythatsurroundedthosetwocases,manynon-LDSprospectsunfamiliarwithBYUmightnotknowtheextentoftheschool'shonorcode.NowonderBYUlikestouse"FitFirst"asitsrecruitingphilosophy.

Mendenhallsayshemakessuretoeducateprospectsontheuniversity'sstandardsandrequirements.HeemphasizesthatevenmorethefartherawayhegoesfromtheWest,wherethemajorityofLDSmemberslive.

"Whenindoubt,ifwe'renotpositivethey'dhaveafantasticexperiencehere,weactuallyencouragethemtogoelsewhere,"Mendenhallsaid."Wehavetobeconvincedthey'lllovethisplaceandreallywanttobehereandwantthesevaluesandwantthisexperience."

Althoughheisn'tanLDSmember,MorrissaidBYU'shonorcodewouldn'tpreventhimfromconsideringiftheCougarsofferedhimascholarship.

"Ifyouwanttosucceedinfootball,youdon'twanttobepartyingordrinkingalcoholorsomethinglikethat,"Morrissaid."It'salmostastructuretobenefitthestudent-athleteandhelpthemsucceed.Bykeepingyouawayfromalltheexcessandstuffotherthanfootball,it'salmostlikekeepingyoutoyourschoolworkandkeepingyouontherightpath....It'sdefinitelynotsomethingI'mworriedaboutatall.I'madisciplinedkid."

WhileMendenhallhastoutedhowthemovetoindependencehasraisedBYU'snationalvisibility,theswitchalsomayhavebeennecessarytoappealtoin-staterecruits.

ClickHeretoviewthisLink.BYUandUtahClickHeretoviewthisLink.previouslyhadcompetedonequalfootingforlocalprospectsasMountainWestConferencefoes.AfterUtahjoinedthePac-12,BYUwasleftwithachoice:Remaininaninferiorleagueorforgeitsownpath.

Thechoiceisevenclearerinretrospect,nowthatTCUhaslefttheMountainWestfortheBig12whileBoiseStateandSanDiegoStatepreparetoheadtotheBigEast.ThecurrentversionoftheMountainWestisashelloftheconferenceBYUleftbehind.

Thisisn'tmuchofasurprisetoMendenhall.HesaidheproposedtryingtolureFresnoState,BoiseStateandHawaiifromtheWesternAthleticConferenceafewyearsago,backwhenUtahstillbelongedtotheMountainWest.Thatwasbeforeconferencerealignmentshookupcollegefootball.

BoiseStateeventuallyjoinedtheMountainWestasareplacementforBYU,thoughit'snowonitswayoutthedooraswell.TheMountainWestalsoisindeedaddingFresnoStateandHawaii,butaleaguethatoncecouldhavemadeadecentcaseforBCSautomatic-qualifyingstatusnowissimplytryingtosurvive.

"I'mnotgoingtosayIwasrightorpatmyselfonmyback,butyoucouldjustsense[realignment]wascoming,"Mendenhallsaid."IwashopingtostayaheadofitbecauseIcouldsenseit."

Nowhesensesthathisschoolmadetherightmove.

HehopesBYU'srecruitingtargetsfeelthesame.

SteveMegargeeisthenationalcollegecolumnistforRivals.com.Hecanbereachedatsmegargee@rivals.com,andyoucanclickheretofollowhimonTwitter.

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