text:
BYU football: Cougars rescind scholarship offer to Hawaiian prep star
Totally committed...Feb. 3, 2010 11:35 a.m.
is a good thing.
Those who mock shall mourn.
ChrisFeb. 3, 2010 7:26 a.m.
Really! Is it that big of a deal? If they come they come if they don't who cares.
wellFeb. 2, 2010 6:41 p.m.
so the young man, the recruit, should lose his potential scholarship because he actually traveled somewhere and...
how about thinking and acting on the premise that you care for the young recruit and wish him the best and happiness? Or do you just want a slave at the Y?
belle7tFeb. 2, 2010 1:33 p.m.
BYU, ND, and UW are all fine schools with good athletic programs. We must remember that a verbal commitment is NON-BINDING. For me the best comparison is the deposits we sent to colleges to hold our places while we made up our minds or waited to hear from other schools. We wanted an ace in the hole while we figured out what was truly right for us. The colleges understand that this happens. God tells us to treat one another as we want to be treated. If it is true that BYU contacted committed players then they should expect the same treatment.
[email protected]Feb. 2, 2010 12:06 p.m.
It's a shame BYU lost out on Kona, but he was obviously not 100% committed and his father is just blowing off steam to the press. It's kind of sad because he blew his best offer for the sake of a trip to South Bent...in January. ND has a great history, but it hasn't been as good as BYU the last three or four years and they just canned their HC. I guess there's something to be said for being able to lose on NBC every week if you're into that. Washington is an up and coming program with a lot of excitement surrounding it, but they haven't arrived yet. BYU is better than both programs at the current time. That could change next season, but BYU has been much better over the last five years without question. Kona could always come back to BYU if he wanted to as a walk on for one year. That would definitely make for some awkward dinner conversations in the Schwenke household.
A Mountain out of a Mole Hill...Feb. 1, 2010 10:30 p.m.
This is NOT a BYU only issue. EVERY school has similar issues EVERY year. BYU has a policy to deal with these circumstances so they can give scholys to those that are fully committed to BYU. Kona has a right to do what he did and so does BYU.
Kona verbally committed early and was promised a scholy. Last minute he decided to look around. BYU reminded him of the policy that if he looks around after making a verbal commitment to BYU then BYU can't promise him a scholy.
No big deal. They both knew what they were doing and what the consequences were. I don't see deceit, dishonesty or hipocracy, just a 17-18 year old that changed his mind and wanted to make sure he was making the right decision. Two people doing what they have the right to do and knowing exactly what the consequences were.
Kona is a great player and would have helped BYU tremendously. BYU coaches have to be disheartened that he chose to look around. Kona is a great athlete and I wish him the best. I hope he realizes that in the end BYU is for him!
John Pack LambertFeb. 1, 2010 8:59 p.m.
To the 4:12 commentator,
Maybe over all time Notre Dame has been better than BYU, but does that matter for current players?
I think if you want to be a player on a team that will win, you will care more about the last five years or so than the record for the last century plus.
John Pack LambertFeb. 1, 2010 8:42 p.m.
I am with Tom Rose above. I think people should not commit until they are committed. Maybe we should have a limit to how early people can commit. I wonder if commitments to teams have been pushed too early. I think we need to not allow so early commitments.
John Pack LambertFeb. 1, 2010 8:19 p.m.
The 8:16 commentor has a good point. Bronco has to make sure the players he brings in really want to stay there, because the last thing he wants is another honor code violation scandal and the player switching elsewhere.
For Bronco what he needs to measure is a players commitment and loyaty to BYU. If they lack these, than they are a potential risk.
confusedFeb. 1, 2010 5:10 p.m.
A verbal commitment isn't set in stone is it? I thought until you signed you could visit as many schools as you like. Shouldn't you take your best offer? How do you know what your best offer is if your a junior and you haven't even played your senior season yet?
whatever haters !Feb. 1, 2010 2:25 p.m.
go away yewts! Seriously, all of u haters have no valid points, atleast none of which make any sense. Why dont all of you take a note from one of your own that being Gunther, who was quoted saying that the savior of the ute program himself that being Urban Meyer threatened him to yank his scholarship away when he asked if he could go visit another school. Its called recruiting and yes its a game all schools do it.
So sorry your beloved yewt recruiting class has no top notch recruits to speak of, but come on, bad mouthing Big Brother down south serves no purpse, unless of course it make you feel better.
Go Cougs!!!!!
DAVIDFeb. 1, 2010 1:39 p.m.
The one phrase that comes to mind is "get over it". This is not the first time this has happened to ur program and it will not be the last. Stop roasting the kid. Can everybody tell me at the age of 18 we all were thinking about anybody but ourselves? If u say yes ur kidding yourself. Nice job w Heaps.
The TruthFeb. 1, 2010 9:33 a.m.
This is being engaged to a hot chick who still wants to date.
If BYU waits for this dude and he decides to go somewhere else, they lose out on another recruit.
He obviously wasn't good enough for them to take that chance.
Come on people, your hate for BYU is clouding every judgement. Try therapy and some medicine, maybe some yoga but you all have to get over yourselves.
BoneFeb. 1, 2010 8:38 a.m.
The excuse to Heimuli, also on the Defensive Line, was that BYU did not have any scholarships available. As a result, he is looking at several schools, including Utah. Now that a scholarship is available, why does BYU not go after him? I understnad he is a top 10 player in the country at his position?
DanFeb. 1, 2010 7:59 a.m.
It looks like pride has become an issue to both parties. At this late date, what difference does it make? 17-18 year old kids need to grow up, but our coaching staff is already suppose to be there.
Recruiting is a businessJan. 31, 2010 4:56 p.m.
No matter what people think about Kona, this teenager is going to do what he wants to do. I would expect an adult 25+ years and older to be firm in what they say, you can't expect that from a high school kid. The old saying goes, "promises are made to be broken." I don't care what business you are in. BYU and its fans need to take a chill pill and quit hating Kona because he decided to go look around. College football is a business, believe it or not. Players have de-committed from other schools to commit to BYU, I don't think BYU or its fans would complain about that, now would they. Its a two edge sword. You win some, you lose some. Same goes for recruiting, BYU is NOT a BCS school, so recruits will be tempted to go checkout a powerhouse school with a "big name", tradition, and history. You may want to burn Kona at the stake for this, but wouldn't expect that from Mormons, but we are all humans not exempt from bitterness, hate, anger (its human nature).
Back on subjectJan. 31, 2010 4:40 p.m.
This is so simple it has nothing to do with Notre Dame and it is a lesson for all of us in this economy. The cougars are over booked on scholy's and some kid thinks he has one locked up. So he is acting a bit bullet proof in the mean time Coach M is looking for an excuse to pull a scholarship. So here comes this kid who gives him an excuse. problem solved. That is a great life lesson for everybody.
APOJan. 31, 2010 3:52 p.m.
I believe Heaps talked APO into changing schools, it wasn't the coaches.
Dear BIG 12Jan. 31, 2010 3:50 p.m.
Or should I say small minded 12. Jake Heaps had the press conference, NOT BYU. Get your facts straight or get off the Internet. Because it shows your lack of knowledge. BYU is not making this an issue. It is the bloggers like you who are making it a big issue. Get a clue on life and make cogent comments that are supported by fact. BYU can't comment on this and Kona's dad is counting on throwing out his garbage to cover his lack of Integrity.
Those who say BYU went after Riley Nelson have not given one single shred of evidence where Riley Nelson said they came to him and talked him into changing schools. Not one single schred of evidence. NCAA rules said when a player leave a school for on year or longer their is not commitment to that school any longer.
NCAA could solve this very easily. Rule 1. You make a verbal commitment to a school, all future trips to another school are off. Rule 2. Any school offering more scholarships than they have available will lose a scholarship for each case. That loss will be for two years. Case Closed.
Cluck, Cluck, CluckJan. 31, 2010 3:36 p.m.
The so-called real program chickened out and droppped BYU from their schedule after this coming fall. If they are so great why not come to BYU and show us how the BIG BOYS play. Give me a break Huskey Fan. You should be in Alaska pulling a dog sled.
re: Anonymous | 4:12 p.m |Jan. 31, 2010 2:56 p.m.
Dear Anonymous 4:12
It's sooo sad zoob nation must always attempt to validate their program. Do you ever think the day will come that zoob's will not find the need to rely on mind freezing stats and spin? A great first step would be to go to and WIN a BCS game.. Until then, it's just sad.
re: Anonymous | 4:12 p.mJan. 31, 2010 12:02 p.m.
All time history does favor ND & Wash
1) ND 837—291—42 (.733); 11 NC, last one in 1988; 14-15 all time in bowls
2) Wash 656—398—50 (.617); 2 NC, last one in 1991 (split with Miami); 16-13-1 all time in bowls
3) BYU 494—372—26 (.568); 1 NC 1984; 10-17-1 all time in bowls
* National Championships (consensus, AP or Coaches)
Last 30 years
1) 269-110-2 (.709); 1 NC; 10-13-1 in bowls; 15 Top25's
2) 230-126-4 (.645); 1 NC; 7-13 in bowls (includes an NCAA record 9 consecutive bowl losses); 13 Top25's
3) 217-139-3 (.609); 1 NC; 11-9 in bowls; 13 Top25's
Would you believe the order of the last 30 years is 1) BYU 2) ND 3) Wash.
Yes that is right folks all time history those teams have better stats. Last 30 years BYU is tops.
Past 10 years favors BYU even more and that would include the dark years under Crowton. BYU 81-44; ND 70-52; Wash 49-71
Rescent success has relevance in addition to tradition and history.
BT81976Jan. 31, 2010 11:14 a.m.
You can't commit earlier and take the safe harbor that is having secured your Div I scholarship you so much sought after, and then later flirt with other schools a week before signing day and AFTER you just barely came in and took part in the team building trip to BYU.
The kid had no leverage which is generally why they commit so early and then at the end somehow believed he had leverage as if he was some 5 star recruit. Hopefully things work out for him. He may end up like the LB that went to supposed "greener" pastures at USC only to rarely sniff that very pasture and is now headed back to BYU after red-shirting this year. Both he and Kona waffled at the end.
Nothing wrong with this at all but like most things in life, it's okay for everyone else to do just not BYU or the Mormons. Pretty amuzing.
re: Husky FanJan. 31, 2010 9:57 a.m.
Your elitist attitude and false sense of superiority based upon Conference affiliation, has been exposed for the fraud that it is.
You know...
Vanderbilt, Duke, Louisville, UConn, Baylor, Iowa State, Washington State, Arizona,
Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern, Mississippi St. North Carolina State, etc.
all play in BCS conferences.
And nobody, including new recruits , believe they will ever play in a BCS bowl, Ever!
Also, glancing the last 4 years of the final top 25 polls, I do see BYU, Utah, TCU, Boise, and yet, Washington is nowhere to be found.
I see BYU producing Super Bowl winning QB's and NFL and Super Bowl MVP's and yet nobody from Washington? Huh!
Don't see a Washington player with a ...
Heisman...Outland...Doak Walker or Sammy Baugh attached to it, but we do see BYU players with their names on these trophies, don't we now?
Didn't see a Husky make the Consensus All-America team this year either, and yet, BYU's Dennis Pitta did.
Also you won't see any former Washington player playing in next week's Super Bowl, but you will see former BYU players.
However-Washington will come back, with
"BYU's own S.Sarkisian.
Kona, BYU doesn'tJan. 31, 2010 9:34 a.m.
To Kona BYU doesn't...
Post your BYU degree, so we can all see it...we don't believe you!
Nice try Ute.
Kona, BYU doesn'tJan. 31, 2010 6:56 a.m.
value you and doesn't deserve you. This is typical of the BYU attitude (and I am a BYU grad). It is BYU's way or the highway. It is the idea that everybody is expendable. No loyalty at all for anything. This is why so many active LDS (including BYU grads)are not BYU fans. Again, it is that superior, smug, attitude... Frankly, it is difficult to really put my finger on it. Anyway, I digress. Kona, you are lucky that this has happened before you signed. Now you can focus on finding a program that is worthy of your skills.
Anon 808Jan. 31, 2010 1:56 a.m.
The kid is 18, he lives on the North Shore Of The Island of Oahu. There is a chance that except for BYU he has never been further then Honolulu.
With a High Speed Modem and Good Dish Reception that does not have to be a bad thing.
ND is Not Stupid, they know he is committed to BYU and they thought enough of him and their program to invite him and his family anyway.
That is not Taking Advantage. That's taking a Trip. He might like the L&L Take Out in South Bend better.
The NCAA watches this closely to make sure that No one gets much out of a Scholarship except an education.
The Purity of Amateurism and all that.
The School and the NCAA need to have the same rules. Lincoln Freed The Slaves. You have the right to look.
Is it true?Jan. 31, 2010 1:06 a.m.
What Mendenhall supposedly said. All we have is unsubtantiated claims from Kona's dad. I wish that Coach M. himself could address the media about this. Something about "if you can't follow through on your commitment to attend BYU then you can't be trusted to keep the honor code?" That's rubbish! Ross Apo de-committed from Texas. Can he be trusted to keep the honor code? He broke a committment to another school. Or is the principle it's okay when players de-committ from other schools to come to BYU, but it's not okay when players decommitt from BYU to go somewhere else. Either it is fine both ways or it is not. It's not a one way street. That's what the problem with this is. I'm fine with what Mendenhall did, but his bringing the honor code comments into it was not right, because it paints the university and the other players who have broken promises to other schools in a false light and that isn't fair to them. Can signing day come so that Mendenhall can address the media and tell us the truth, please?
DigbadsJan. 31, 2010 1:06 a.m.
I like Mendenhall. I like him being tough.
I remember what a change came over Utah when Urban Meyer came around. There was no "slacking" on his team. If you were "injured" and couldn't run sprints, you got to life rocks in his little "penalty area." I remember wishing that BYU could get a "tough guy" as a coach. Coach Mendenhall has more than met my highest expectations.
Floyd JohnsonJan. 31, 2010 12:20 a.m.
To: BleedCougarBlue
Yes it was an official trip to Notre Dame. Notre Dame paid for the trip. Dishonest and unfair to Notre Dame? I don't think so. Notre Dame knew the situation and was willing to make the investment on a small chance that he would change his mind. Looks like it paid off for them.
This is a rule that all athletes are made aware of when they commit to BYU. BYU does not want their scholarship offers to become safety nets for athletes who want to shop around. That causes problems on signing day. Players are welcome to visit as many programs as they want, but it has to be prior to making their BYU commitment.
Drew Phillips faced exactly the same situation last week. He had commited to BYU and wanted to take family on a free trip to another program. He was contacted, reminded of the requirements, and canceled his trip.
Is it fair of BYU? Yes. They make athletes aware of the rule up front and enforce it as promised. They take on enormous risk by offering kids very early in the process, and require this in return.
ScouterJan. 31, 2010 12:20 a.m.
Kona and Jamora(UW commit, BYU decommit) got kicked in their league quarterfinal by a kid that Bronco really should be looking at. Both of these DL 4-star athletes got rung and dominated for 4 quarters. Not a loss at all.
TheHailstormJan. 31, 2010 12:11 a.m.
For all of those drones and cloned blue bloods that keep harping about others " Hateing " YBU we can all learn about that in Max Hall 101.
rahJan. 30, 2010 11:58 p.m.
I find it interesting that people are calling Mendenhall a hypocrite. He never said he only wants players committed to a SINGLE university; he said he only want players committed to BYU. Just because a player plays a year for one university does NOT mean that when BYU offers them a scholarship they aren't committed to BYU. In fact, playing at another school for a year might even strengthen your commitment.
BleedCougarBlueJan. 30, 2010 11:15 p.m.
I read one news account from Hawaii that this player told the media that he wasn't considering attending Notre Dame but he just wanted to show his dad (and mom too, I believe it said) what the recruiting world was really like so they were going to go to Notre Dame.
so if this was an official visit to Notre Dame, wouldn't it have been paid for by Notre Dame?
And if it was paid for by Notre Dame wouldn't it have been dishonest for this athlete to use their money in a trip he knew would be fruitless for Notre Dame?
So, something doesn't add up. If he's telling the truth about wanting to show his parents the college football recruiting experience on Notre Dame's dime then he's dishonest towards Notre Dame.
If he was in fact NOT just using Notre Dame's money but he really was interested in possibly going to Notre Dame then he wasn't being honest with BYU.
Either way it looks to me like this kid wasn't being honest with someone and if that's the case we're better off without him.
awsomeronJan. 30, 2010 11:03 p.m.
Re: Awsomeron, I live in Hawaii so what comes up as 3:15 am is only 12:15 AM HST. It shows up on the board as MST. Clarity is something that comes and goes at anytime of the day or night. I just go with the flow. I usually take a nap in the afternoon so it is not as bad as one might think.
Have you ever heard of anyone who Married the First Person who would Merry them, just to get out of the house. Doing that often leads to an unhappy life or a Divorce.
Being Equally Yoked has to do with more then just Marriage. If you wear a size 10 shoe and own a Size 11 shoe you would get the idea.
Maybe BYU is Not The Best Fit. Have you read the Moral Code. You cannot do in anyway what some Football Players Do. Plus you have to report those that do.
The Rules are meant to protect the Students.
Where he lives getting a Shot at BYU is like getting the Yellow Ticket on American Idol. Every Season some don't get on the Plane.
He will do well wherever he goes.
He's Still WelcomeJan. 30, 2010 11:02 p.m.
He's still welcome to play for us, but scholarships go to those who commit early. There are a limited number. Makes great sense to me. You might be surprised to still see him in blue.
Also, those that transfer don't get an automatic scholarship.
Bronco would much rather coach a walk-on who is completely and totally committed with or without money.
Who knows?Jan. 30, 2010 10:30 p.m.
Maybe he will change his mind and transfer to BYU later on like Riley Nelson and others have...
Wherever he ends up, I wish him well and hope he will be happy with that decision. He should be 100% committed.
No intelligent person would expect any less in a marriage or relationship. Coach Mendenhall has every right to expect that from his recruits just as well. Otherwise he is doing a disservice to them.
UtahJan. 30, 2010 8:38 p.m.
UofU would not have pulled the scolarship, because they have plenty of scholarhships sitting around at the end of the recruiting period. Not the same for BYU, as theirs are all used up.
Sounds like??Jan. 30, 2010 8:36 p.m.
It sounds to me like, "I'm dumping you before you dump me!!!
PS. He is ranked between 3 and 4 stars (78 overall... by way of comparison.... Wunderboy Heaps is an 80)
And Husky boy..... (this is coming from a Utah fan) How did your last meeting with the Cougies turn out??? Just giving our conference some love!!!
Re: Howard SJan. 30, 2010 8:35 p.m.
And the rival is even more bitter and jealous about the BCS. They have yet to go, even with their 1984 championship which I believe they feel is not respected these days because people around the country respect Utah. Its like that monkey are your back you want off because you haven't been there or done that yet. Utah has been to the BCS twice and BYU hasn't. You can also tell BYU is making every effort to ensure they are recognized on the national stage with recruiting, amongst other things. They don't want to be considered a "little brother". I've seen people try so hard but always fall short because they try too hard. Can't force it, has to come natural, if you know what I mean. Good luck to BYU.
Ouch!Jan. 30, 2010 8:14 p.m.
I'm not a BYU fan but RE: Husky fan is right. Washingtons most storied seasons aren't recent. And now that you have a former Cougar at the helm you won't be seeing any good years anytime soon.
RE: Husky FanJan. 30, 2010 7:59 p.m.
Really?? You actually said that?? Washington is a REAL program? Wow, talk about dilusional.
Well, now that you have an ex-byu quarterback coaching, maybe it will become a REAL program in the REAL world-- not the one you live in.
MWC stomped the PAC 10 in their bowls this year-- oh and yes, Oregon St. and Cal were better than that REAL program you cheer for.
AnonymousJan. 30, 2010 7:52 p.m.
Huskey Fan, you're ridiculous man. Who cares how many "stars" your recruits have when you perform as poorly on the field as Wash and ND have.
Huskey FanJan. 30, 2010 7:33 p.m.
hmmmmm, the kid is a 3 star recruit.... This wouldn't get a second of attention at a REAL program.
Trust me when I say both ND or Wash are looking at this kid as just another no name but BYU thinks of him as some kinda program changer.
Sorry cougars your so very very far away from having a REAL program.
OkayJan. 30, 2010 7:19 p.m.
It's nice to get attention.
MikeJan. 30, 2010 7:09 p.m.
Wow...as a WASHINGTON fan it is nice to be one of espn's top 20 most important programs of the last 100 years. Having said that I have always had respect for the fringe programs like BYU. Listening to some of these cougar fans make me sick. He is just a kid trying to make an important decision while the cards are still in his hands. We know once he does his ride can be taking away at any time or he could be penalized for what his coach does while the coach takes another job to make millions. I have no sympathy for Bronco or any other coach. The Dawgs just lost one of my favorite recruits to hated Oregon and I still wish him well except when he plays the DAWGS.
FYIJan. 30, 2010 7:08 p.m.
Florida dropped a 5 star recruit because he started to shop around. Meyer didn't want to get burned on signing day and I don't blame him. Might as well save the spots for those who have a better chance of showing.
Florida did the same thingJan. 30, 2010 7:04 p.m.
Meyer rescinded an offer too because if a commit isn't solid you run the risk of getting burned. Might as well give the offer to someone who is going to take it.
Re: blutoJan. 30, 2010 6:45 p.m.
I'll have you know, also, that I served a mission honorably for 2 years. I can also be a hard nosed non-appropriate mormon word too. But being a communications major with a public relations emphasis, I'm also smart enough to know that there are some things that you just don't say publicly. Do I support what Bronco did, yes I do. Do I even support Bronco calling into Kona's character for not being honest, yes I do. But to CALL him someone who lacks integrity for de-committing to another school? That, I question. In principle, he called Harvey Unga, Max Hall, and all the other players who de-committed from other schools players who lack integrity. So what justifies it? Is it justified when it favors BYU? The purpose of the BYU football program is to stand for honesty and integrity as a flagship for the LDS Church. Are we living by our own principles? ARE WE? Believe me, if it's justified then I fully support it. As a fan I want just as much as the next guy to have great athletes on our team. But how is it okay for us?
AnonymousJan. 30, 2010 6:34 p.m.
Good job Bronco and BYU. Stick with the guys who are committed and ready to live up to BYUs standards. If they can't walk the walk, get someone who can. Better that they never come than make a big scene. BYU has much higher standards regarding committment and morality. Most other schools, including Utah have lax standards. BYU will loose some recruits but that is just the way it is.
Re: blutoJan. 30, 2010 5:40 p.m.
But, if Kona changed his mind to go to another school and that's a lack of integrity, then what justifies Harvey Unga, Max Hall, Riley Nelson, Uona Kaveinga, Ross Apo from going back on their commitments to other schools? Answer me that. That is my only question. How is that any different than what Kona did? All I'm saying is that maybe Bronco said something that might make him look like a hypocrite, and I hope for his and BYU's sake that is not the case. Maybe he went a little far in his righteous indignation and made a mistake with what he SAID, and HOW HE SAID IT. Is Bronco a great man and a great coach? Absolutely. Is he immune from making mistakes, even off the field ones? No, it doesn't look like he is. Maybe what he SAID about Kona was stepping over the edge. NOT his decision to pull his scholarship, but his PERSONAL ATTACK on his character for decommiting. Be careful not to judge, lest ye be judged. It is the attitude and the tone of your last post that make outsiders label us as being self-righteous.
GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT!!Jan. 30, 2010 5:38 p.m.
Utes fans or whoever...stop saying that BYU recruited Riley Nelson!
Riley's Dad had a deal gone bad with USU and thus the real reason behind the change to BYU for Nelson. It's been all over the papers but Ute fans loved to keep bringing it up.
Good for Bronco! If you don't want to play for BYU don't take a scholarship offer. If you want to keep "shopping" don't take the offer. BYU put themselves out and offered Kona a scholarship before his senior year. If he had been injured or whatever they would not have taken it back. I say "see ya Kona" hope it works out for you at Notre Dame.
makaniJan. 30, 2010 5:15 p.m.
Not a BYU or Utah fan. I live in Honolulu and know that BYU has a strong recruiting base in the La'ie/Kahuku/Hau'ula area due to religious affiliations. That said I would not want to disparage a player from Kahuku and his family because BYU is not the only game in town for those kids anymore. Oregon State, Utah, UW, UH, want kids from the Kahuku.
blutoJan. 30, 2010 5:10 p.m.
DYEDINWOOLBLUE.....Your ethics are fading!
Bronko taught a lesson to a young man and his Father, and every future BYU recruit, a little thing or two about the word "Honor", as in "Honor Code".
You make a promise, keep it, or don't make it at all.
It's very simple, see if you can keep up.
You cannot rationalize away the fact that Kona broke his word. That is indeed dis-honorable.
Issues much smaller than this, will get you kicked out of the Service Academies.
Too dang bad if that's a little too rough for your liking. You probobly subscribe to the notion that every team gets a trophy, and don't tread on little Jimmies self esteem.
Take your new age psycho-babbling, mamby pamby, approach to life and hit the bricks.
Your atttitude would not last one day in the Service Academies, the Marines, or even a Mission for that matter.
We have a generation of wimps in America because of men like you who won't stand for something and hold a man to his word.
I'm proud of Bronko today, for taking a stand with these spoiled twerps.
Re: Anonymous @ 4:12Jan. 30, 2010 4:52 p.m.
Stretching back throughout history UW and ND have much better programs no doubt.
But as far as the past 5 years are concerned BYU blows both of those schools out of the water as far as winning percentage and ranking goes.
So ultimately, do you want a long abandoned tradition of excellence or do you want to be a part of winning program that looks to be on the rise as far as national prominence goes. Is BYU there yet? Probably not but if they continue on the course they are on, i.e. 11-2, 10-3, 11-2, 11-2 plus finishing in the top 25 each season, they will become a nationally recognized powerhouse just as BSU is starting to do after their consistency throughout the last decade.
Ultimately ND's new coach may lead them back to prominence only time will tell. Bronco Mendenhall's time is starting to tell what kind of a progarm he is building - and numbers don't lie.
RE:Anonymous | 4:12 p.Jan. 30, 2010 4:39 p.m.
Thank you for putting some National perspective on zoobie logic.
I really think they're brain washing in the Provo compound.
ImpressedJan. 30, 2010 4:35 p.m.
Kudos to Drew Phillips, the running back from Alabama, who saw all that was going on with Kona and cancelled his trip to Cincinnati. Regardless of whether any of us agree with Bronco's calculated risk (threatening to pull Kona's scholarship, risking the loss of a highly-touted, 4-star defensive lineman, and subjecting himself to all of the scrutiny here and elsewhere)one thing is indisputable by either side: Drew Phillips got the message loud and clear and set a fine example of what honoring a committment is all about.
AnonymousJan. 30, 2010 4:12 p.m.
Notre Dame Wins: 837 Losses: 290 Ties:42 0.733 wining percetage (ranks #2 all time) 4-2 vs. BYU 11 national championships
Washington Wins: 658 Losses: 404 Ties:50 0.641 wining percentage (#18 all time) 4-3 vs. BYU 2 National chanpionships
BYU Wins: 505 Losses: 374 Ties: 26 0.572 wining percentage (#39 all time)
Really....BYU is a better both UW and Notre Dame?? Intresting stuff they're smoking up there :)
Dyed in wool blueJan. 30, 2010 3:45 p.m.
I'm as loyal of a BYU fan as you will ever meet, and a huge supporter of Bronco Mendenhall. He is a great coach, and has done tremendous things for BYU. I have never called into question anything he has ever done or said.
I think Bronco did the right thing by giving Kona a choice of his BYU scholarship and telling giving him a choice. For the first time though. . .Bronco supposedly said something that still doesn't quite sit well with me. Him saying that Kona wouldn't be able to live the Honor Code because of changing his mind about what school he wanted to go to and questioning his integrity? What about all the other players that have de-committed to play at BYU? What about their integrity?
I think what he did was fine, and giving Kona a choice was fine, but to call a someone's integrity into question based on wanting to change schools was wrong. I think them wanting to take a free trip to Notre Dame with their money wasn't honest, so questioning that might have been justified, but not his wanting to change schools.
Bronco made a mistake.
UtahJan. 30, 2010 3:45 p.m.
SLC said:
"Utah fans = HATERS.
BYU fans = HATERS.
Heimuli anyone?Jan. 30, 2010 3:45 p.m.
Call me crazy, but could this open up room for another Defensive line stud: one Ricky Heimuli?? I mean the guy was going to commit to the cougs before he found out there were no scholarships. It would be a long shot, but maybe they could try and mend the relationship with Heimuli.
RE:Dead horse | 3:13 p.m.Jan. 30, 2010 3:43 p.m.
"Please stop beating me."
It's always wise to cut the head off a snake (bronco) even if you think the snake is dead. Just to make sure.
hahahahaJan. 30, 2010 3:26 p.m.
Dead Horse IS funny.
Dead horseJan. 30, 2010 3:13 p.m.
Please stop beating me.
BYU is hatedJan. 30, 2010 3:10 p.m.
It is great to be HATED! Means we are winning on the field and on the court. Throw that in with your typical Mormon-haters out there and I understand exactly why BYU is hated! Go Cougars!
WVCJan. 30, 2010 3:05 p.m.
Why do "Utah = Haters" ever care about this? The kid isn't going to BYU so REJOICE! This is one less defensive player you need to worry about.
But I guess the stereotype runs true - Utah = Haters.
Re: Guate @ 2:01 p.mJan. 30, 2010 2:55 p.m.
Guate says: "Those of you who are making the argument that Bronco is being hipocritical are intellectualy lacking."
Guate - I think you are making too much of those that accuse Bronco of being hipocritial.
I have never... ever heard Bronco say one word critical of hippos.
I think the whole issue is being overblown by oversensitive hippo activists that should just chill and get a life.
Guate Again...Jan. 30, 2010 2:51 p.m.
This is directed to the person who asked me this question:
"But can you help me understand if Bronco is a hypocrite by recruiting athletes who have committed to other schools?"
Please read my post a little more carefully. I explain exactly why Bronco is not a hypocrite by recruiting athletes who have committed to other schools. Just as there is nothing wrong with ND and UW recruiting Kona, there is nothing wrong with Bronco inviting a committed player on an official visit to BYU.
The problem is when the committed player accepts the invitation...
RE: RE: GuateJan. 30, 2010 2:44 p.m.
'But can you help me understand if Bronco is a hypocrite by recruiting athletes who have committed to other schools?'
Yeah. If Bronco had said that the COACHES or UNIVERSITIES were unethical for trying to recruit committed players then, yes, he would be a hypocrite. All he is saying is that if you as a player commit to BYU and pull some stunt 4 days before signing day we'll give you're schollie to someone who is committed.
Re: Guate | 2:01 p.m.Jan. 30, 2010 2:27 p.m.
Okay Guate, I think I follow your superior intellectual and ethical logic that there is nothing hipocritical in Bronco's actions.
That seems to apply well when he recruits hippos.
But can you help me understand if Bronco is a hypocrite by recruiting athletes who have committed to other schools?
AnonymousJan. 30, 2010 2:23 p.m.
'Yawn. Not a big deal happens every year at every decent program. But you fools who say BYU is as good as program as Washington or Notre Dame you are wrong. Just cause they have had several years of mediocreness doesn't mean your program is better. Geez MWC is so overrated and so stuck on their greatness...haha'
Actually I think its been this way for at least the last five years now. When has ND or UW finished with a higher ranking than BYU anytime in the last five years?? ???MWC destroyed the Pac-10 this year. Pac-10 is a joke in both football and basketball.
RE:SLC | 1:40 p.m.Jan. 30, 2010 2:06 p.m.
"Utah fans = HATERS.
BYU has worked long and hard to be hated. As a Air Force fan I can assure you all the teams in the MWC are BYU HATERS... not just Utah.
GandolfJan. 30, 2010 2:05 p.m.
Yawn. Not a big deal happens every year at every decent program. But you fools who say BYU is as good as program as Washington or Notre Dame you are wrong. Just cause they have had several years of mediocreness doesn't mean your program is better. Geez MWC is so overrated and so stuck on their greatness...haha
RE: anonymousJan. 30, 2010 2:02 p.m.
' "Neither UW nor ND are as good of programs as BYU"
Outside of Donko land, no one would agree with this statement. '
Thats funny... EVERY single poll last year thought BYU was better by a large margin...
GuateJan. 30, 2010 2:01 p.m.
Those of you who are making the argument that Bronco is being hipocritical are intellectualy lacking.
The fact that you are saying the coach or the school is hipocritical would have to mean you think Bronco is arguing that other schools should not recruit student/athletes who have already made a committment. That is simply not the case. Bronco is NOT saying that other schools can't recruit his commits. Nor is he saying that he can't recruit commits from other schools. That would be silly.
What he is saying is that it is not OK for one of the two committed parties, in this case Kona or BYU, to back off his committment. In this particular case ND and UW are not the committed parties, and therefore, they can pursue Kona all they want. Similarly BYU was not one of the committed parties in the Nelson, Unga or Hall cases.
If a BYU commit chooses to back off his committment, BYU is no longer willing to commit its time, resources and risk to that player.
There is absolutely nothing hipocritical, wrong or unethical about that. In fact, it makes perfect sense.
MikeJan. 30, 2010 1:44 p.m.
BTW....we are talking about the minor leagues and a good minor league program. In the end Byu and Bronco can't afford to be so picky.
AnonymousJan. 30, 2010 1:42 p.m.
"Neither UW nor ND are as good of programs as BYU"
Outside of Donko land, no one would agree with this statement.
That cleet marks on your forhead from 4 star talent leaving for better programs is all you need to know
SLCJan. 30, 2010 1:40 p.m.
Utah fans = HATERS.
IdahoanJan. 30, 2010 1:19 p.m.
I'm not sure that BYU is burning bridges in Hawaii. I think BYU is giving chances to plenty of people. The issue is what happens with these chances. If BYU keeps getting burned by commitments that fall through, I assume BYU will focus elsewhere. I would expect that to be the case with any school. Why keep going to where you're going to get burned?
y hawkJan. 30, 2010 1:08 p.m.
Good job coach! No problem here, the Schwenke family should have at least de-comitted and released the scholarship offer if they wanted to check out another school. For Mr. Schwenke to try to take down BYU while his son waffled on his decision is cheap. He was trying to have his cake and eat it too.
Re: Henry Drummond @ 12:43 p.m.Jan. 30, 2010 1:03 p.m.
Amen to what Henry said.
If BYU would refuse to talk the players after they have committed to other schools, Bronco's indignation would be more compelling.
Re: [email protected] | 11:54 a.m.Jan. 30, 2010 12:58 p.m.
"Kona's dad is a joke and he's trying to make BYU look bad over this."
That's funny. BYU and Mendenhall have never needed assistance in making themselves look bad.
Henry DrummondJan. 30, 2010 12:43 p.m.
I guess I would be more impressed if BYU refused to talk to players that had committed to another school, Riley Nielsen and Harvey Unga being two prime examples. It seems BYU only trots out the sermon on "keeping your word" when it works in their favor.
gdog3Jan. 30, 2010 12:37 p.m.
BYU needs to realize some young men are just that. Plenty of kids not sure about what they want to do could easily come in to BYU and find themselves.
Football as a missionary tool needs to be understand to the fullest. Bronco has had success on the gridiron and in producing stalwarts. Still, I think their is a some narrow-mindedness going on in Provo. Here's more valid ammunition for those looking at BYU as holier than thou.
Kona has friends and family who could lose their respect for BYU. Many BYU fans don't care about that. I say they need to care more and quite hating on Utah and other schools by justifying any detractors as heathens. Oh the judgment train cometh.
Not too worriedJan. 30, 2010 12:30 p.m.
BYU may have lost some needed talent and depth on the defensive line, but that doesn't mean we can't hold our own in the trenches, we did it last year with a really thinned out offensive line, we can do it with the defensive lineman on the roster.
Matt Putnam, Romney Fuga, and Vic So'oto are all really good and can be just as good as the last starters we had given some time. Fuga is bigger and stronger than Tialavea was but needs to develop his overall ability. Jan Jorgensen was a player and a leader, but Vic So'oto has more athleticism speed an more of a mean streak than Jorgensen. Matt Putnam has made a name for himself and could be as good or better than Brett Denney in a year.
On the two deep one exciting player is Alani Fua. I think he has more potential than Schwenke. Keep your eyes out for him in Spring Ball. Eathyn Manumaluena (who won the bowl game for us) will be back off a mish. The one spot to fill is the backup right side. This could finally be Steven Fisher's time to shine!
PrideJan. 30, 2010 12:28 p.m.
Konas Dad should have put down his pride. It would have been better for Kona.
big 12Jan. 30, 2010 12:26 p.m.
BYU is really a drama queen institution. Every little thing is a big deal, their world is coming to an end. When Heap comitted to them they called for a press conference (in the bar I might add)to let everyone know that they got a good QB. Then all of sudden when certain things are not going their way they start throwing a tantrum (i.e Stanley USC, TeO ND, Kona may be ND). Get over it, BYU football program is mediocre at best. BYU fans are a bunch of faggetts anyway. BYU fans just concentrate on your church ball.
"Trust me"????Jan. 30, 2010 12:22 p.m.
Those who say that Bronco is out of line are the same type who will throw a ring on their fiancees finger, then hire one final crew of exotic dancers and rent a motel room for their bachelor party. They then call the whole thing off when that "control-freak" doesn't "trust them". Kona and his dad are playing games. If he was truly dedicated to BYU, he wouldn't have hesitated to cancel those entirely unnecessary additional trips (see: Drew Phillips). They tried to game Bronco into holding a scholarship while they worked for something better, and they lost.
Two sidesJan. 30, 2010 12:03 p.m.
There are two sides to the story. And the alleged honor code comments aren't helping byu's case. Kona's dad has been suspect, but byu doesn't appear to be free from guilt. Pulling the scholly for a visit? No problem with that, but questioning the kid's ability to live an honor code as a result? Low.
Re: USU [email protected]Jan. 30, 2010 12:00 p.m.
Wow. thanks for noticing the time frame. I'm sure TWO DAYS after Aggie fans got the news about Riley Nelson they were freaking out too. And I'm quite sure BYU fans will be over it in TWO YEARS, PROBABLY a LITTLE sooner, I'm thinking.
Come on, use that thinking cap before you write.
[email protected]Jan. 30, 2010 11:54 a.m.
Kona's dad is a joke and he's trying to make BYU look bad over this. That's really classy to bash BYU to the media when you know the coaches are forbidden from commenting on it and defending themselves. Just fess up to the fact that you cared more about taking a free trip on ND and UW than you did about your son going where he committed to go and stop blaming BYU. If Kona were commited to BYU then he'd care more about keeping his scholarship offer there than taking a trip to hang out. Now his father is playing the blame card because he probably realizes his own stupidity.
Neither UW nor ND are as good of programs as BYU. UW is certainly heading in the right direction, but not there yet and ND just fired its coach. It's a shame Kona's dad is such a joke that he cost his son a great opportunity, but I'm sure that trip to freezing south bend in January will be worth it for you. Have fun with that.
Re: t's all [email protected]:35a.m.Jan. 30, 2010 11:48 a.m.
Amen to what "It's all really quite simple" said.
And another piece of advice, young men, don't make a commitment to another school and then expect an offer from BYU.
If you've committed to another school, as a matter of principle, Bronco will not recruit you or extend an offer to you, period.
USU [email protected]Jan. 30, 2010 11:38 a.m.
Riley Nielson bailed on my program for BYU, but we Aggies don't care about that at all. It's not like we were so bent out of shape about it that we went crying to the NCAA demanding a rule change. It's not like we post bitter comments about Bronco Mendenhall on message boards TWO YEARS later. Of course not, we are so over it. Only a whiny little girl with no self dignity would hold a grudge for over two years, and that's definitely not us. Go Aggies!
It's all really quite simpleJan. 30, 2010 11:35 a.m.
To future college athletes:
A committment, whether verbal or written, IS A PROMISE! Period. If you want to take recruiting trips, BEFORE you commit to a school, THAT'S FINE! Trip yourself out until you're blue in the face! But DON'T go back on your word AFTER you've given your word!
Now, CAN you go back on your word? Sure, you are free to do so, but there will be consequences for it. I would make a safe bet that 99 out of 120 other college coaches would have done the same thing Bronco did.
There are hundreds of college athletes that have done this the right way. Jake Heaps is a prime example, he had like 30 offers, he took visits, he thought all of them through, and then he made his choice. Simple as that.
What happened is a more attractive opportunity to Kona (Notre Dame) presented itself late. Notre Dame had no intention of recruiting Kona until they lost some of their own defensive recruits. Bronco was testing out Kona's committment level, and it went how he thought it would.
Kona is now better off, and in the long run so is BYU.
sounds....Jan. 30, 2010 11:34 a.m.
after reading kona's father's remarks, im convinced that he is the main problem there.
NCAA ObserverJan. 30, 2010 11:21 a.m.
In the business world of college football it is wise to have your bases covered whether you are the recruiter or the recruitee. D-1 coaches often times offer nearly TWICE as many scholarships as they have available with the understanding that they can pull an offer at ANY TIME. That's called having a backup plan and CYA. I think it would be naive for a recruit not to have a similar plan. CYA and commit to a good school early. Trip later if good options become available and choose the best option still on the table. Go where you really want to go and don't buckle under the hard selling tactics of professional salesmen. Please don't live in the past either. Last year's record for each team isnt nearly as relevant as coaching tenure and recruiting class makeup. ND and UW both have huge upsides with new coaches and strong talent/recruiting bases. That's the difference between those who make things happen and those who wonder "what just happened?". Learn from the past, live in the present and plan for the future.
donediggenJan. 30, 2010 11:08 a.m.
Don't worry BYU the Huskies will welcome this fine young man with open arms.To bad your recruiters are burning the bridges over in Hawaii but that's OK well take the cream of the crop when it comes to the great athletes that come out of the south pacific.
Get over yourselvesJan. 30, 2010 11:00 a.m.
I hate to break it to BYU fans, but Kona's not "losing out" at all. BYU is a 2nd-tier, 2nd-rate, non-BCS program. Nobody cares. It's cute when the Broncos do well, just like when BSU does well, for example. But at the end of the day, Kona's a 4-star recruit who will make a big-time program (either UW or ND) very happy in a couple of years on the DL. BYU fans need to get over themselves, because the only one "losing out" in this transaction is you. Happy middling your way through the non-BCS. You'll never be relevant. Accept the truth.
TheHailstormJan. 30, 2010 11:00 a.m.
RE: ridiculous
Remember Manti Teo (?) the guy from Hawaii that was such a good linebacker ? Broncow thought he had him sewed up but what does he do when the kid orally commits to Notre Dame... that's right he ships Brandon Doughman over to the islands to camp out on the doorstep and talk to dad for a week.
Don't you agree that The coaches at the Y are just a bit schizophrenic... Say one thing then do another when YBU is on the short end.
Something is just not right about this article.
Tyler StewartJan. 30, 2010 10:55 a.m.
This seems ridiculous. Would Bronco do the same to Jake Heaps? Is this common BYU practice? Not cool.
CommittmentJan. 30, 2010 10:50 a.m.
Hey, for anyone having a little problem understanding what "committment" means, go read the Jan 27 story in this same sports section about Joshua Quezada. See if you can spot the not-so-subtle difference between him and Schwenke.
Utes whine big timeJan. 30, 2010 10:46 a.m.
Hey utes, you are the biggest whinners in the world. Guess what, BYU is better than you in football and in basketball. There is nothing you can do about this. This assures the rest of us that you utes will continue to whine and show your true colors. Utes want your binky?
MatureJan. 30, 2010 10:35 a.m.
Phillips gave his word...100% committed to BYU so he cancelled his trip to Cincinnati. Bottom line he showed that he's more mature and wise than Kona.
Good on ya coach!
HypocritsJan. 30, 2010 10:35 a.m.
It is fact that a byu coach first contacted the family or a friend of the family in the Nelson trasfer case.
That was reported in both papers.
After they fact they 'forget' who contacted who.
re: awsomeron 3:51amJan. 30, 2010 10:35 a.m.
"If you pull a Scholarship form a Student for just Visiting another Campus that is wrong."
No, it isn't "wrong" to do that. It is the program's POLICY to do that after a player has committed to the school. Many other schools have this same POLICY. If it appears highly likely the kid has changed his mind and is going to go somewhere else then the coaches will want to give that scholly to another kid who really wants to be in their program.
"The Coach is right. You should really want to go to BYU or Not Go There. However you should have the right to look."
He did have the right to look. But he gave it up by verbally committing last summer and saying BYU was where he wanted to be and not at any other school. What he should have done was not commit so quickly, make ALL the trips he wanted, and THEN accept a scholarship offer to a school.
So you were actually up at 3:51am posting your comment, huh? I think that might have affected your ability to think clearly.
Cougar ButcherJan. 30, 2010 10:31 a.m.
My frail, feeble and extremely dilusional cougar friends......wait, I have no cougar friends. Let's just call you the "misguided". This deal is nothing more that a picture into the world in which you exist, a picture that reveals how ignorant of reality you actualy are. BYpew will never again bask in the national glory of football reverance. Events like this will not galvanize the young and upcoming mormon athletes out there, it will make them question the heart of the staff and face it, you can't do it on mormon athletes alone, BYpew has to bring in high quality non-mormon athletes to compete and this is going to close that door. While I find nothing good about the state of Utah aside from your snow, this brings a smile to my face, go utes, I guess.
I love rivalriesJan. 30, 2010 10:29 a.m.
I've never commented before, but I just have to say... I love rivalries. Ute fans acting like everything Bronco and BYU does is so different than any other school in the country. I would suggest this Uties... learn what other schools do before you comment. USC, Texas, Ohio St., Florida, and even the school you cheer for all offer more scholarships then they have. Everyone knows that kids change their minds, and you'll loose some to get back to the number you have. No different than airlines overbooking flights. And pulling scholarships is very common for uncommitted recruites at all schools. You never hear of them because its a no news issue. Of course when you look through your Crimson glasses, everything BYU does is exotic and unjust.
My suggestion to you Uties... just worry about how bad and embarressed your team is going to be tonight in Provo, and try hard to wake up tomorrow morning not feeling like your life is over.
out of utahJan. 30, 2010 10:27 a.m.
One thing's certain: Either Washington or NotreDame will be getting a motivated (angry against BYU) recruit.
Bronco FanJan. 30, 2010 10:22 a.m.
I like it. Bronco wants kids that are committed to BYU. So do I.
Economic integrityJan. 30, 2010 10:21 a.m.
Thanks 9:59,
High school kids need to know that they aren't given "free trips" to colleges everywhere just because. If Kona was "100%" committed to BYU then it is a lack of integrity to waste "Notre Dame's" money. Nothing is free. This economy needs to figure that out. Quit looking for free rides and hand outs. No one owes you anything you haven't earned.
Notre DameJan. 30, 2010 10:18 a.m.
Are we kidding ourselves when we think that BYU is the only school that does this! EVERY SCHOOL IN AMERICA DOES THIS! All I can say is that it is about time that BYU gets with the rest of the nation. BYU will survive with or without him.
no integrity to either schoolJan. 30, 2010 9:59 a.m.
how fair is it to either school if they committed already to one, and expect the other school to shell out the cash just to entertain them ? Don't do this when you get job offers either; if you're certain you're going to take one job - cancel with any others you have lined up and explain that you don't want to spend their money. I had a kid make that call to me about 25 years ago, and he called me 3-4 years later and asked if I knew of any open positions, he'd been downsized - I hired him on the spot due to his earlier integrity and honesty...
I got something for yaJan. 30, 2010 9:57 a.m.
You called the Utes new Texan o lineman a midget at 6 3. How bout you look at that new "holy" midget of yours in Heaps; 6 1. If you got such a big line, how will he see over it?
You guys will miss Kona. This is the truth and you know it, you have no D line at all. You lost 3 starters and 2 backups and now you lost Kona and Bronson is going on a mission and is hurt.
bluemanJan. 30, 2010 9:40 a.m.
I love what bronco is doing your either committed or your not.Like everyone has said good luck at 500 or under N.D. Or for that matter Washington.Kona you really screwed up Manti didnt do anything last year, and niether will you. Sounds like to me the party life best fits you.
Dr. JJan. 30, 2010 9:36 a.m.
Two things come of this;
Kids are going to think twice before committing to BYU so early. And, Kids who do committ will understand that their committment is binding. Both are good things.
Lack of CommitmentJan. 30, 2010 9:16 a.m.
The biggest question with Kona is this:
If he was 100% committed to BYU, why did he wait until a week before signing day to take recruiting "visits" to other schools?
I don't blame BYU's coaches for being a little suspicious of Kona's true intentions given the timing.
I meanJan. 30, 2010 9:05 a.m.
sow. before someone goes nuts about spelling and grammar
Could end up a uteJan. 30, 2010 9:04 a.m.
If ND doesn't offer him, the Utes will. They are always willing to go after BYU rejects.
KewgersJan. 30, 2010 9:04 a.m.
You reap what you sew. Again
ND hasn't offeredJan. 30, 2010 9:02 a.m.
Won't it be hilarious if Notre Dame doesn't even offer this guy? Too much shopping around should carry some consequences.
boylen agreesJan. 30, 2010 9:01 a.m.
When Jim Boylen was asked on the radio what he would do it was the exact same thing.He makes a good point of all the peoples time at another university you are wasting by going after you've already made a commitment.I don't like BYU at all but chances are Whit would do the same.
Pre-emptive strikeJan. 30, 2010 9:00 a.m.
It's about time. Remember Ngata, who lied to Crowton? BYU shouldn't take these guys at their word because they lie. If they can't keep a commitment to stick with the Cougars, they won't be able to keep commitments for 4 years.
A Few ThoughtsJan. 30, 2010 8:50 a.m.
1. Why would ND, Cincinatti or any other program use their resources to bring in a kid who is publically saying he has committed to another school and is just looking for a fun trip for his dad and uncle or to hook up with some friends? I suppose they are still hoping to convince the kid otherwise but it sure seems like a waste in a very tough financial environment for almost all universities. Student services are being cut while spoiled athletes are being flown around the country when they are admittedly just looking for a fun litle trip.
2. Obviously we would now expect Mendenhall to refuse to bring any kid in who has verbally committed to another school. Even if there are hints that he could be persuaded otherwise. Unless he officially decommits Mendenhall should not influence kids to be dishonest even if it is to BYU's potential advantage.
3. I hope Mendenhall did not really insinuate that if this kid tripped to ND then he may not be able to keep the honor code. That sounds more like Roger Reid talking points than anything. Use the LDS angle as a carrot not a stick.
On and off the field.Jan. 30, 2010 8:45 a.m.
lets not forget that we are talking about a 17 to 18 year old kid here. Playing "hard ball" when YOU promised a child a scholarship is not living right off the filed.
CurtisJan. 30, 2010 8:43 a.m.
In perspective if a guy asks a girl to marry and she accepts and a date is set, and then two weeks before they say I do, she want to try out another guy, it's time to dump the girl...
Kewger SpinJan. 30, 2010 8:31 a.m.
is really THIN ! What happened to all the yappers last week when some Ute recruits decommitted ? All of the sudden we are talking about honor and committment. And the spin..........Easy for Bronco to throw a kid out in the media who was going to leave anyway, just to say he did it first. Why would this kid go to a school who doesn't have a D lineman of note in the NFL in who knows how long ? And Ute fans, who cares about Harvey Unga ? It sure doesn't feel like we missed out on anything special. And for everyone else, I don't ever hear Kyle crying through the media about things like Mendenhall does even though I'm sure he gets frustrated too. Man vs gradeschool mentality and maturity.
Hey Utah FansJan. 30, 2010 8:11 a.m.
Why can't you go away? I didn't read anywhere in this article that made mention of the University of Utah, yet the discussion ALWAYS comes back to the hatred between these schools, no matter the topic. You people need to get a life, and probably a job too. You and your fans are pathetic.
BYU vs UtahJan. 30, 2010 8:09 a.m.
I read the article and most of the comments. Here is all I ask. If the news writers write some story about Utah or their program, what ever it is. BYU fans, please don't write such stupid things like the BYU haters are saying about this article. This was pretty well cut and dry. The Utah fans are so hateful, and they sure look dumb.
AdamJan. 30, 2010 7:34 a.m.
This is a high school kid...he doesn't have it all figured out. It's rediculous that BYU is so insecure. If a kid commits, but then wants to be sure he's at the right school and wants to visit other schools, he should be able to take those visits.
hypocrites | 12:58 a.mJan. 30, 2010 7:17 a.m.
"If the NFL came calling for Mendenhall and he checked out a pro team....."
Please. Let's keep our posts in the realm of reality.
AnonymousJan. 30, 2010 6:28 a.m.
The coaches sounds a little insecure if you ask me! Let the kid see what is out there!
Tom RoseJan. 30, 2010 6:03 a.m.
What does the word commitment mean? Do not commit until you are ready to commit. Our word should be our BOND!
RealityJan. 30, 2010 5:36 a.m.
You can not be [email protected]! Most young men take trips even after commiting, I did and guss what? I still attend the university I commited to.
As for missions, that is a preference for the individual. It appears you are attempting to say they are bad LDS if they do not take a mission trip...
Finally, If you thing Washingting or ND is going to be 500 or worse over the next five years you need to share some of that weed you have been smoking. I guess you will find out September 4 when the Huskies come to Provo. Most are picking the Huskies to be one of the most improved teams in 2010. They bring a senior QB on the Heisman watch list and a veteran team that has many upper classmen at skill positions.
I think it should be a good game but be careful when a proud football school that has endured 7 years of frustration comes to town. I could get ugly for the cougs.
awsomeronJan. 30, 2010 3:51 a.m.
Try again:
BYU is a hard School for a lot of reasons. A lot of people think twice or as many times as they need to and go somewhere else.
NCAA allows Students to Visit X Number of Campuses and check out the programs. The Student has the right to do this.
If you pull a Scholarship form a Student for just Visiting another Campus that is wrong.
It is Not Communist or China, because No One Makes You Do It At The Point Of A Gun.
BYU can have the Rules it wants to have, but Not Everyone is going to follow them, perhaps it's best all around if he goes elsewhere.
South Bend has an Institute Of Religion.
This Kid is among the Best In The Nation. From a State Champ Team.
ND will be on National TV 500 or Not. If they Win 7 they will be in a Bowl Game. ND = Ratings.
Also the Mission Pressure will be off, and the Social Development can take place at the Normal Rate.
The Coach is right. You should really want to go to BYU or Not Go There.
However you should have the right to look.
Re: 0-1Jan. 30, 2010 3:02 a.m.
Perfect, that's just the attitude we need from the Huskies coming into our house. . .
It'll be fun to unpleasantly surprise you.
IntegrityJan. 30, 2010 2:51 a.m.
If it is as reported in another blog his dad says that he was only going to visit his friends, but was not going to seriously look at the program, then this young man has an integrity problem. To d0 that in the business world, to have a business pay for my expenses and flights to accomplish something, then I go and do something else is called fraud. ND would have been right to bill the entire expense back to the family for this young man's vacation.
If you change your mind before signing day then have the guts to stand up and call the coach and say, you have a change of heart. According to his dad he prayed about it and felt BYU was the right place. IF that is the case then he knew the answer and should have let ND know that he had no interest in their program. To do what he was doing is blatantly dishonest. Honor Code and Honesty go hand-in-hand.
ANyone else who comes on here to justify his actions simply doesn't understand what Integrity means and needs to look seriously in a mirror.
Dear Hailstorm and HypocriteJan. 30, 2010 2:46 a.m.
Both of you are as clueless as the day is long.
Hailstorm: You must have been hit in the head with too many hailstones. Those scholarships are not for just this year. Pay attention and you will find out some are for kids who will come next year also. QUIT TWISTING THE FACTS TO SUIT YOUR HATE.
Hypocrite. Again you twist the facts to suit your hate. The NCAA says that when an athlete has not been in school for 12 months they are released from their commitment and are free to move or to be talked to. Those are the rules. So get a life. You are most likely a USU grad and continue to hate and hate and hate and hate. Grow up.
So how about all you self-righteous people close the mouth and quit searching for garbage, because you most likely have a ton of it in your own house.
re: hypocrites | 12:58 a.m.Jan. 30, 2010 2:21 a.m.
None of your criticisms have any validity whatsoever, but you have proven, conclusively, that you're simply a BYU hater.
Kona has had since last summer, when he verbally committed to BYU, to do due diligence.
IF was 100% committed to BYU, why did he wait until he was only a week away from national letter of intent signing day to start his "due diligence"?
More and more it sounds like Bronco did the smart thing to challenge Kona's commitment, since it appears that Kona was already getting ready to jump ship anyway, and leave BYU high and dry.
Now BYU will have time to offer Kona's scholarship to a player who really is 100% committed to BYU.
Riley Nelson...Jan. 30, 2010 2:06 a.m.
is 100% committed to BYU now, which is the only thing that matters.
USU fans are simply bitter that Riley decided that BYU was a better fit; especially with all of the coaching changes that took place at Utah State while he was on his mission.
Riley's situation was not much different than Ben Olsen, Max Hall, and the miriad other football players who were recruited while they were serving missions.
Anybody who says that missionaries don't make after mission plans while they're still in the mission field is simply being dishonest. Practically every missionary I knew had plans for after their mission that they openly discussed.
The President of the Quorum of the Twelve, in fact, visited my mission and talked with all of the missionaries about things they should be planning to do soon after their missions--education and marriage plans being the primary focus.
0-1Jan. 30, 2010 1:31 a.m.
It really doesn't matter who this kid commits to, Washington is going to smash BYU in the opener in Provo.
hypocritesJan. 30, 2010 12:58 a.m.
I find it funny that coaches can criticize a kid for taking trips and seeing other schools. If the NFL came calling for Mendenhall and he checked out a pro team, should BYU then fire him? Coaches have all the power with respect to jumping ship and breaking "commitments" to players and Universities, while the players are virtually locked into the schools to which they sign LOI's even if their coaches leave (unless they want to sit out a year or go to an FCS school).
Also, wouldn't you want a kid to do his due diligence and then find out that your school was the best place for him? I think that it is a sign of weakness and a lack of confidence on Mendenhall's part.
An oh yeah, BYU blows and plays in a lame conference with no chance of winning future national championships.
Now the questions isJan. 30, 2010 12:41 a.m.
What does the BYU Defensive Line look like for 2010?
It's not as bad as it seems
I'll start with the bad news:
The 3 starters from 2009- Jan Jorgensen, Russell Tialavea, and Brett Denney are gone.
BYU recruited 3 defensive ends for the 2010 class.
Bronson Kaufusi is going to be an awesome defensive end for us. In fact, he was the best one in the class, but he can't compete due to high school injury, so he will just go straight on a mission and probably red shirt. So he won't be able to make an impact until 2 to 3 years from now.
Hauoli Jamora from Kahuku committed and changed his mind to go to Washington, Kona (also from Kahuku) may just do the same or go to Notre Dame from what it looks like. It hurts cause both were great players and we needed both of them bad.
I'm crossing my fingers that Vic So'oto can be granted a medical hardship. If so, then we have a decent starting lineup. The starters would them look to be Vic So'oto, Romney Fuga, and Matt Putnam. That's not bad.
SeattleviewJan. 30, 2010 12:29 a.m.
This is what I hate about players waiting until signing day to tell the schools where they will go. Dont they know that it hurts the schools that dont get chosen?
I also felt this was a pretty hard line to take but coach Mendenhall knows more of the details of this recruit than anyone here. In fact, he has been seen other players go at the last minute and decided he didnt want that to happen again in this case.
Some other player will now get this scholarship and perhaps both will be happy with their decision.
I hate to see BYU lose such a talented player but if he doesnt want to be there then he shouldnt go.
toejamJan. 30, 2010 12:22 a.m.
Kona will commit to Washington! Shame on his dad for being dishonest and a bad example. Taking money from ND and Washington than saying BYU should trust that his son is committed to them. Just take advantage of everybody! What a poor excuse of fatherhood.
SD BlueJan. 30, 2010 12:17 a.m.
Mendenhall is a cowboy for calling this kid out. Is he committed? It would seem not since he is taking a trip to another school with only a few days until signing day. If someone is not committed then whether or not he is an amazing player would only be negated by his wavering to the program. And once again, why are utes (yuck!) commenting on BYU giving up a scholarship. You guys should be stoked to hear that BYU has one less recruit to beat you up. But once again, there is no such thing as a ute fan but only a BYU hater. Go Cougars!!
QuestionJan. 29, 2010 11:57 p.m.
So was Riley nelson 100% committed to BYU when Bronco recruited him on his mission?
Don't worry about the hatersJan. 29, 2010 11:53 p.m.
BYU fans. They find some way of twisting every BYU decision to fit their own warped sense of reality.
The most important thing to get from all of this is that Coach Mendenhall only wants players who are 100% committed to BYU football.
If they aren't, they and BYU are better off having them play somewhere else.
That's all that Mendenhall wanted from Kona, an assurance that he was 100% committed to playing for BYU.
Good luck Kona. I hope you have a very successful college football career, wherever that might be.
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 11:52 p.m.
But if they are wavering and then you rescind the scholarship offer, they definitely aren't wavering anymore and you can so good-bye. I guess I somewhat understand it because we've seen how many times people are committed to other schools and then turn around and commit to BYU, so it goes both ways.
LIGHTEN UP!Jan. 29, 2010 11:35 p.m.
He is a kid!!!! He isn't even out of High School!!! You've already got him so locked up in a commitment that he can't breath wrong or you'll question his commitment, motives, and intelligence level.
Do you not tell your kids to date around - find out what you like and don't like. I bet you even try to break your high school kid out of a steady relationship because it might be too serious. This has nothing to do about eternal relationships. Its a game!!!
Kona I wish you the best! Work hard and find the right fit that works for you!
re: Roy S.Jan. 29, 2010 11:28 p.m.
Yes Nelson committed to USU. He also went on a mission and RM's can be re-recruited by any school, per the NCAA. And it was his dad who contacted BYU and then told Riley they were interested.
Yes Kavenga committed to USC. He also requested a release and got it on his own so he could come to BYU. It was his idea and desire to switch to BYU.
Appo was recruited away from Texas by Jake Heaps, our future QB who is going to drill utah stupid.
Yes Hall committed to ASU. See RM comment above. It was also his own decision to switch to BYU.
Unga was recruited by utah but didn't commit to them.
None of the above committed to BYU and then wavered showing signs of jumping ship 5 days before national letter of intent day which would leave BYU with nothing.
All you are doing is holding Bronco to a standard you just made up, expecting him to only accept players for which he was the original recruiter and not take on players from any other source even though it was their idea to come to BYU.
Nice try whiner.
fullyinvestedgirlJan. 29, 2010 11:12 p.m.
Oh come on guys...this would not be as big of an issue had Kona taken this trip well before the last weekend before LOI signing day. LOI day is WEDNESDAY. FEB 3rd. Once Sunday hits, coaches can't try to recruit or contact the guys that they want. I would highly doubt that any coach would be ok with how the Schwenke's are handling this. I think it's obvious that Kona was having thoughts about this previously...so why didn't he man up and tell BYU before 2 days ago? Lame.
CougFanJan. 29, 2010 11:10 p.m.
I liked Bronco when he first started coaching, but every year he's getting on my nerves. Edwards used to let kids take as many recruiting trips as they wanted because he knew it was about competition. Trent Williams (kicker) from Provo High went to Arizona State right after he talked to BYU because he wanted the free trip. Bronco needs to lighten up. Bronco just ruined every recruiting chance from Hawaii in the future. Bad move. Give up your pride and let people do what they need before signing day.
who caresJan. 29, 2010 11:08 p.m.
Did you see Texas get Jackson Jeffcoat and Jordan Hicks. The 2nd and 4th rated player in the nation. Hicks is a complete stud. Watch his highlights and BYU will be sorry the signed up to play Texas.There is recuiting class is loaded.
Texas 45-BYU-14. Im feeling nice.
Sorry but I think its ok for kids to look at all schools. I would want to make sure I am making the right choice for me. Some people are just build that way.
TO KONAJan. 29, 2010 11:06 p.m.
Come to Utah!! Even if you don't we'll still love ya for not going to BYU!!!!
Colorado CougarJan. 29, 2010 11:00 p.m.
To those few Utes who like to mention that BYU's D-line will be "Swiss Cheese" next year: At least we know it won't be the Utes running through those holes. In 2009 the Y rushed 131 yards vs U's meager 97 yards while BYU claimed its third victory in fours years.
To all the Ute fans who cry "Well it 5-3 Utes favor over last 8 years": Not really relevant since the coaching regimes have changed and the programs are in different eras. At best I'll give ya that Bronco is 3-2 vs Whit, that's relevant. Yeah, Utes have the overall series, but do I really care about games that occurred before I was alive (BTW, pre-1972 the Utes had a 37 - 16 home game advantage, perhaps this explains Y so many early Ute wins, no?)? Since I've been alive (1972), it's BYU 26 vs Utah 12 games. If this trend continues, it'll be BYU 52 vs Utah 24 by the time I'm thinking of checking out of this life.
Waaaaaaaa....Bronco's a "hypocrite" because he wants commitment. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa
RickJan. 29, 2010 10:54 p.m.
Personally, I think the BYU coaches took too hard of a line on this one, but I don't know the whole situation so maybe there is more to it (and nobody else posting here knows all the details either). But on paper, I think BYU's stance was too strong.
That being said, hardly anyone is talking about how dishonest it is for ANY player to take trips after committing. If Kona was solidly in BYU's camp as he claimed, then he simply wanted a vacation on someone else's money. That's just not honest. If you're not serious about their school, don't make the trip.
Whose running the showJan. 29, 2010 10:36 p.m.
Coaches can never allow a recruit to dictate things, or run the show. So I say "see ya later Kona", and glad he's gone. But, I am nervous about they've let Heaps do a lot of their recruiting for them. Because is Heaps doesn't start next year, he and his parents might just round up the entire recruiting class of 2010 for a transfer.
@See yaJan. 29, 2010 10:30 p.m.
You got half of the analogy right. What if you were a single guy cruising for wives wavering on their husbands? Cool?
Pathetic fansJan. 29, 2010 10:29 p.m.
Let me see now, BYU has just lost a very highly recruited, talented defensive end and our Ute friends only care about lambasting Coach Mendenhall??? Ute fans should be tickled pink that this kid is not going to BYU!
This confirms that there are only BYU haters when it comes to most Utah fans. You guys hate anything that comes out of BYU. Pretty sad.
By the way, my son goes to the U and I am proud of it. It is a shame that such a fine institution has sooooooo many pathetic fans.
Come ON!Jan. 29, 2010 10:22 p.m.
I'm a season ticket holder and very supportive of Bronco. But if we are trying to get kids to verbal as early as their sophomore season and then balk when they want to take their trips that is just wrong. I was recruited and signed at the Y, but I wanted to take my trips during the process. This was in bad form; the kids dad said he wanted to still come to the Y. I think the truth is we have offered more scholarships than we have like we do every year and this is an easy way out of a commitment to the kid.
I don't like it and I think it sets a sour taste in many peoples mouths. It's one thing to get a verbal from a senior but we are recruiting kids awfully young and then telling them that they can't even take a two day visit? COME ON!
gretzkyJan. 29, 2010 10:22 p.m.
i am fully committed to getting season tickets but then again i may just get comcast.
eswJan. 29, 2010 10:19 p.m.
Howard, Howard, Howard...show us the evidence of your accusations. There is none. In fact, the complete opposite is true. Bronco doesn't waste the university's time and resources on players who have committed to other schools.
Here's the bottom lineJan. 29, 2010 10:16 p.m.
BYU got the raw end of the deal.
This didn't hurt Kona Schwenke one bit. He went where he wanted to go. He was fully free to choose where he wanted to go, and he did. All Bronco did was give him a choice of what he wanted, and he made his choice. This hurt BYU and other players who would have wanted to be in his place.
If all it was was a trip to see a friend, then he was using Notre Dame's money to do it. That was a trip that wasn't his right to take anyway if his intention was never to talk to Notre Dame about playing football there. I'm sure Kona is a decent young man who is going to be a great player wherever he goes, but both ways he really was being selfish and not thinking about how it would affect both BYU and Notre Dame.
In the end, BYU is left without a much needed player at defensive line and Kona will still have a scholarship where he wants, with his friends, at a big time program. So you can't really feel sorry for the kid.
UngaJan. 29, 2010 10:03 p.m.
Are you sure Unga committed to Utah? The story I very clearly remember being reported is Unga told both BYU and Utah he was going to the other school and based his real decision on the respective coach's reaction. Bronco wished him the best at Utah and Whittingham went ballistic. Hence Unga goes to BYU.
As far as Bronco showing hypocrisy by taking players that decided to transfer or had committed to other schools he never told Kona he couldn't go, just the consequences of him going. And he has never refused to release a player that wanted to transfer. If you don't want to be there, he doesn't want you there. What is he supposed to infer from Kona taking two trips? And why is he taking trips if he is fully committed to BYU? Kona did what he felt he had to do and so did Bronco...end of story.
See yaJan. 29, 2010 9:59 p.m.
It's like me, if I told my wife that I'm 100% committed to her, but I'd still like to date other women and see what's out there. She would send me out the door, too. BYU may miss out on a great athlete, but he seems to have some character flaws. If he was genuinely committed to BYU, he's giving up his dream school for the sake of a little flattery and a free trip to Notre Dame. I wouldn't want that kind of 100% commitment.
Some fans just don't get itJan. 29, 2010 9:52 p.m.
What Bronco is concerned about is loyalty to HIS program, that is BYU.
Bronco is willing to commit a scholarship to a player in return for that player committing to sign a letter of intent to play for BYU.
If player is still out there taking recruiting visits to other schools, BYU has every right to question whether that player is truely committed to playing football at BYU, in fact, BYU's coaches would be inept if they didn't keep an eye on every recruit until they had a signed letter of intent in hand.
Scholarships are much too precious to the success of a college football program to be wasting them because a player you thought was going to sign with you changes his mind at the last second.
A few commentsJan. 29, 2010 9:47 p.m.
To: Hmmmm
The trip Kona was taking was a paid recruiting visit by Notre Dame, and Kona was claiming to be "visiting friends." There are two reasons that this is inappropriate. 1. He had verbally committed to BYU so going on a recruiting trip to Notre Dame are actions speaking louder than words in terms of his college football interest. 2. If he was still firmly committed to BYU, as he said, then he is using Notre Dame's money as a free, all expenses paid trip to visit a buddy. That isn't being honest to Notre Dame. Can I get a college to pay for a pleasure trip for me to visit friends too?
To: Anonymous
Some "island" kids have made less than fully thought through decisions. There are plenty of players from Polynesia that are fully committed to BYU. It so happens that some that have broken their promises to BYU recently have been from Hawaii. If one gets a DUI, one goes to a beer party, and two others break verbal commitments, how is that BYU's fault?
To: dubbs
I'll admit that it sucks to lose him, because he was a solid DL committ.
Re: 9:28 p.m.Jan. 29, 2010 9:44 p.m.
"How many Ute Basketball players did Majerus just pull the rug out from under when he was coach?
Cougar fans universally despise Majerus and then point to his behavior as justification for Mendenhall pulling scholarships.
Wow... and... Wow.
Re: 9:28 p.m.Jan. 29, 2010 9:41 p.m.
Oh you you...
Mojo is no longer the coach at Utah.
DennisJan. 29, 2010 9:36 p.m.
There is nothing wrong with trying to get a player from another school. What you want is a player who will be giving you 100%. If he decides to change schools, that's his right. If a school wants to revoke their offer, that's their right. I say good for him to go on to ND. It will be his loss in the long run of things.
BTW, to Re:8:33p.m. above, I have witnesses that beer was thrown on me at RES. All the Utes who sat there and did nothing and said nothing. Not to mention my two buddies who were with me. Karma took over though when I saw him a couple of days later and I stopped in to a 7-11 and saw him working. I just had to smile and thought to myself, "yeah, he's a Ute, he may not be pumping my gas, but it is pretty close to it"
Kewwgawr LogicJan. 29, 2010 9:36 p.m.
Why so much passion and fuss for a game that is played on SUNDAY - the most holy day of the week?
Re: 9:24 p.m.Jan. 29, 2010 9:30 p.m.
Still searching for a rational verifiable comment in your post.
Care to clarify?
re:Roy S. | 7:16 p.m.Jan. 29, 2010 9:28 p.m.
Glad there is a Utah fan out there that understands it.
How many Ute Basketball players did Majerus just pull the rug out from under when he was coach?
The kid knew wht would happen, you you Utah fans just sit and cry...
You guys are really just pathetic little kids.
BroncoJan. 29, 2010 9:28 p.m.
is just weird.
Are you really that clueless?Jan. 29, 2010 9:24 p.m.
Example of hater message:
"Byu didn't mind taking harvey unga when he gave his word to Utah. How come Byu and their fans still wanted him. Or max hall at arizona state. They gave their word somewhere else. What happened to your code of ethics?"
When Unga and Hall left those schools and committed to BYU, Utah and ASU BOTH rescinded their scholarship offers. When I left The U and went to UCSB, I no longer went to the U.
Kids move. Non-athletes also go to other schools, and lose any scholarship offer from the University that gave them the scholarship.
The guy knew the rules, the scolarship was pulled, he's not whining, what's the deal? It's a college decision, not prison or military service.
It's like so many Utah fans, and BYU haters, they just run at the mouth and throw any logic or common sense to the wind. It really is too bad so many Ute fans never had the college experience so they understand what really happens.
Maybe the trip is how they decidJan. 29, 2010 8:57 p.m.
"I can't speak for coach Mendenhall," Tidwell said, "but I think his approach is, he wants kids who want to be here, who are 100 percent committed. If the kids aren't 100 percent sure about coming to BYU, then it might be best that they take a trip and go somewhere else."
And maybe the trip is how they make sure.
HmmmJan. 29, 2010 8:39 p.m.
Kona said he was still committed to BYU, just wanted to visit a few friends in South Bend.
No trust from BYU? Jealousy? Fear? Or...wanting to get out of a sticky situation BYU had got *itself* into - too many offers and not enough scholarships.
The spin is ripe on this one!
NYJan. 29, 2010 8:35 p.m.
Since BYU continues to recruit players who have verbally committed elsewhere (Unga comes to mind) this seems a bit heavy handed. The trip to Notre Dame may have cemented his decision to come to BYU. I can't see where this is evidence of Bronco's "integrity".
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 8:27 p.m.
Next years BYU D-line will be like swiss cheese, You'll be able to drive a doublewide through it.
CAAZJan. 29, 2010 8:26 p.m.
Good call Coaching staff. I support what they did 100%.
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 8:23 p.m.
The "Island" kids (as BYU coaches and fans refer to "them" will remeber this....
Looks like the Hawaii pipline will only grow stronger for the Utes.
FYI: Whit had a great in house with V.J and looks like a 4 star shoe in for next week.
JMTJan. 29, 2010 8:23 p.m.
Having spent 10 years in the military, Armored Corp, you need commitment. When you run a tough program and ask alot of the troops they had both better be committed. Both the troops and the leaders. Having a soldier in the unit who isn't committed, they become the weak link. They moan about this and that, loaf all the time, always day dreaming of being home with the girl friend, on the beach with his hommies, etc. All the while the mission at hand is lacking because everyone is having to both pick up the pace to compensate and deal with having the 'downer.'
When we took tough Cav missions it was strickly volunteer. Only those who wanted to chew dirt with one or two hours sleep for a few weeks at a time were allowed to particpate.
If I were in the trenches of BYU football I would want no less commitment then what I had in a different uniform. He is welcome to go to Notre Dame. Let him daydream of "Touchdown Jesus" all he wants. We stick with 'Rise and Shout' and are pretty happy for it.
Just my huuaaaahhhh speaking!
Right on Mendenhall!
re: dubbs | 8:02 p.m.Jan. 29, 2010 8:16 p.m.
Problem is 90% committed at BYU may mean that you could end up breaking honor code rules in the first year and then your value to the team plummets as you are suspended or expelled. It is more than studs and stars at BYU and that is the way we like it. Just like at Stanford you've got to have Ivy League grades to play. At BYU you have to also live the honor code. It is a choice we as fans are willing to make.
Re: Dodgerkid | 7:46 p.mJan. 29, 2010 8:16 p.m.
Disloyalty can be rationalized a thousand ways.
The truth is that for Bronco disloyalty to other schools is fine. Disloyalty to BYU is inexcusable and even reflects poor character.
LennyJan. 29, 2010 8:08 p.m.
What a bunch of whinning Ewets. Why don't you all worry about your own program and the 7 decommits of recent days.
You nothing of substance about the Kona situation and yet you are so loud and outspoken. Bronco has bent over backwards for Kona in an attempt to get him to BYU.
Good luck to Kona and I stand firmly with coach Mendenhall and his decision.
dubbsJan. 29, 2010 8:02 p.m.
I'm a ute fan. I get that you want kids that are 100% committed. I get that bronco has the ability to take away the scholarship offer. What I don't get is why all you cougar fans are saying you'd be better off without him? Losing a 4 star stud on a team that is losing all of its d-line starters doesn't seem like a good idea to me. I hate losing recruits too. (Utah lost some good ones this year as well.) But to say your happy he's not coming to provo is puzzling to me. I also would have a 4 star that is 90% committed come to my school than a 2 star that is 100% committed. Just my opinion.
Agree with Win WinJan. 29, 2010 7:52 p.m.
I agree with Win Win...
Best of luck to Kona at ND. He will get a great education and a great football experience. (I hope they stand by him by following up with an offer.)
And I think Bronco wins too. His system seems to be working just fine and if you want to play in his system, you need to be committed to his rules. This sends a message to all new recruits what is expected of a committed player.
BYU is getting a lot of great kids lately. One product of having a successful program is being able to pick and choose a little. Seems like the stable is full with others banging on the door to get in.
Again, best of luck to Kona and his family.
DodgerkidJan. 29, 2010 7:46 p.m.
Most of you need to get your facts straight before comparing athletes. First off having an athlete change his mind 8 months before signing day (Apo) is a lot different than coming to a university on a recruiting trip 2 weeks before signing day and confirming your commitment (Schwenke) and then wanting to trip to other universities. It is also different for Hall who left on a LDS mission, came home early and didn't have a scholorship waiting for him at ASU because they weren't expecting him back so soon. Riley Nelson looked elsewhere on his own primarily because his father was the team physician at USU but was basically fired as they gave the contract to another MD group. You can't blame him for looking elsewhere. Kavenga might have left because his coach was leaving? Bronco has been up front from day one that he wanted athletes that wanted to be at BYU. He promised them that when they committed to the Y he would commit to them and wouldn't pull their scholarship at the last minute, even if a better recruit were available. Its about time coaches take a stand. Good for Bronco!
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 7:42 p.m.
Bronco doesn't drag kids through the mud. Not once has he said, yeah this kid is no longer on the team because he broke a rule, beat up his girl friend, went out drinking, etc.
No Bronco says, this player has decided to leave the program and we are helping him transfer.
There wasn't much talk about Manti last year for many reasons. One Bronco can't talk about him unless he signs. Two Bronco wouldn't disparage him. But do you really think that after Manti went to a beer party on his recruiting trip that the scholarship was still available to him? Do you think at that point he went to ND over BYU? That would be hard to do when I'm guessing the scholarship wasn't available anymore.
I wish Manti the best at ND and hope he makes choices more aligned with his chosen faith in the future. But I could understand if coaches at BYU rescinded a scholarship offer in that situation. If you can't go one weekend without breaking rules like that how will you go 4+ years?
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 7:42 p.m.
Oh waaahh waaahhh I'm a Utah fan who's jealous because BYU's recruits are actually worth talking about. I can't handle the fact that their program is heading up and we've hit our ceiling and are going back down...
The jealousy from these Ute fans is pathetic and laughable. Go follow your own team.
saltcatJan. 29, 2010 7:41 p.m.
Kona will miss out on a National Championship. His loss.Bronco did the right thing. People need to honor their commitments,and to be fully invested if they want to play with the best. These men are stripling warriors ready to do battle. they will crush Texas and all comers in 2011.
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 7:39 p.m.
He didn't show 100% commitment?
Commitment in what? going to Vegas Bowl ever year and loosing most? Yea, sign me up!
Notre Dame can lose 3 or 4 games and STILL go to a BCS game. Oh Yea, and the Nation gets to watch ND EVERY Saturday.
Decisions, Decisions.
Re: 7:24 p.m.Jan. 29, 2010 7:37 p.m.
It is about loyalty.
Bronco told the family that if he didn't have the loyalty to hold true to his commitment by not taking the trip to ND, then he didn't have the loyalty to conform to the honor code.
If however a player breaks his commitment to another school in favor of BYU, that doesn't reflect poorly on their loyalty.
Bronco is all about loyalty as long as it breaks in BYU's favor.
reporting fact or fictionJan. 29, 2010 7:29 p.m.
All this story states is that a father of a kid who fully knows his son is wavering on his committment (or wants him to) told a reporter (not even a DNEWS reporter) about an interaction with Bronco he says he had. He knows full well that Bronco can not and likely would not even respond to the accusation. But by it being reported that his scholarship was being threatened his son would not be the bad guy in any scenario that unfolds.
The recruiting coordinator did not validate the report. He did mention they wonder about recruits true committment based on various actions they take, but did not validate this story.
If Bronco did have what seemed to be described in the other report as being an angry agressive conversation filled with threats of revoking scholarships then he is not the same person that everyone else that knows him and talks about him publicly knows. There are too many hounds out there that would love to air dirty laundry on him. If this 3rd hand accusation is all they got I'm not convinced it actually happened.
Vulchers everywhere starving because no meat to be found in this story.
re: Howard S.Jan. 29, 2010 7:24 p.m.
No commitment = No scholarship
It has nothing to do loyalty.
It has everything to do with whether the player will actually end up signing a letter of intent on signing day.
Would you really expect Kyle to hold a scholarship for a player he didn't think was fully committed to signing with Utah?
It's really not that hard of a concept to understand if you think about it just a little.
Roy S.Jan. 29, 2010 7:16 p.m.
Didn't Nelson commit to Utah State?
Didn't Kavenga commit to USC?
Didn't Apo commit to Texas?
Didn't Hall commit to Arizona State?
Didn't Unga commit to Utah?
They all broke their commitments.
Bronco seems fine with the disloyalty of these de-commits as long as they show unwavering loyalty to their BYU commitment.
re utah hypocritsJan. 29, 2010 7:16 p.m.
Coach Whitt did let a 4 star receiver go to texas am last weekend. I guess it shows that coach whitt wasn't scared to let a recruit visit. Now the 4 star recruit is even more on the ute bandwagon. It will be fun to watch teams driving trucks through your d-line next year though.
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 7:15 p.m.
Lolz no Quarterback and suspect defense, I would much rather go play at a school where I could get some recognition for my defensive play. Especially if I would like to further my football career via the NFL or another professional league. Hated the Red Raiders when I was at Kalaheo, but they always had a stout defense. OIA East Ftw!
Good DecisionJan. 29, 2010 7:15 p.m.
Coach Mendenhall is allowing Notre Dame or any other college the opportunity to work with an athlete that isn't committed to BYU. If another athlete decides that they aren't really committed to some other school and wants to commit to the Y, I see no reason that this should be prohibited. People can, and have apparently, changed their minds.
So, is Coach Mendenhall being hypocritical? Not unless he broke his commitment without cause. I think he has done no such thing.
hold on a minuteJan. 29, 2010 7:11 p.m.
There is no rule about how many scholarships can be offered in one year. All I can find is the following:
To retain division I status, a football team must have 76.5 football scholarship players and can carry 85 active scholarship players.
Do you have all the numbers calculated and know everyone in the programs intentions to know for a fact that BYU only has 22 scholarships available for next year?
I'm sure the coaches know a little more about the situation than you do. To have a coach say we may have committed more than we should doesn't mean he doesn't have enough scholarships available for the number of commitments, just that maybe he wishes he would have held some for next years class that may be shaping up as better than this one.
Bottom line - there is no rule on # of offers per year or # of scholarships awarded to one class so you don't know anything.
Would it be foolish to offer all scholarships to one class - yes - unless you only want to have a great BCS season once every 4 years and then dwell in a cellar the other years :-)
Please Utah hypocritsJan. 29, 2010 7:05 p.m.
Call Kyle and demand that he never recruit another player who has already verbally committed to another school.
And while you're at it, demand that Kyle never revoke a scholarship offer to a Utah recruit who doesn't seem fully committed.
Until you do that, who are the real hypocrits here?
Howard S.Jan. 29, 2010 7:03 p.m.
Bronco is perfectly happy to recruit players who have committed to other schools.
It escapes him that they are displaying disloyalty to their commitment by talking to him.
But as long as he stands to benefit, his standards of loyalty become more flexible than when his commits talk to other schools.
re: Bronco is CrazyJan. 29, 2010 7:02 p.m.
Your right these players like Kona need to go to Utah where there is no commitment.
re: whyJan. 29, 2010 7:01 p.m.
then why did you bother to read it. I think you are secretly envious of BYU, which is why you just can't resist reading every tidbit of any article. the only joke around here is you (well, and a few others too.)
oopsJan. 29, 2010 6:59 p.m.
I meant "here" and not "hear", just thought i better correct that before some Ute goes berserk.
re: communistJan. 29, 2010 6:57 p.m.
do you know anything about communists? or China?
apparently not - I'm having a hard time figuring out the connection.
Also, how is this "out of touch" with reality rules? guess what, this happens all of the time in other programs. You wanna play for a big name school. You better be the best their is or, if you are marginal, you better not show any signs of waivering in your commitment or they will can your scholarship.
What is the definition of Commitment anyway? I don't want people hear that don't understand that word.
Staying CommittedJan. 29, 2010 6:57 p.m.
Kona gave a solid verbal commitment to BYU.
BYU gave a solid scholarship offer to Kona.
When Kona showed signs that he wasn't fully committed to BYU, by taking recruiting visits to another school, BYU asked him to reaffirm his commitment by cancelling his visit to Notre Dame.
No solid commitment; no solid scholarship offer.
It's not a double standard to recruit unsigned players, even if they have already committed to other schools. Every other school, including Utah, does exactly the same thing.
But BYU is fully within it's right to expect a player who has verbally committed to BYU to demonstrate that he's still committed.
Dozens of other players are waiting in the wings who would love to have that scholarship that was reserved for Kona. If Kona's not committed enough to cancel a recruiting visit to another school, when asked, then give the scholarship to a player who is fully committed to BYU.
BYU shouldn't risk losing another good player while waiting for a player that may or may not sign on signing day.
UngaJan. 29, 2010 6:57 p.m.
Im glad he came to BYU. sleep well Uties.
CougarJan. 29, 2010 6:56 p.m.
We never said we wouldnt take players from other schools who had allready verbaly commited. Nothing wrong with that. The test is, are they commited to BYU. Its fine for people to change their minds.
Go COUGARS!
come on peopleJan. 29, 2010 6:52 p.m.
does it really take much character and commitment to play football?
whyJan. 29, 2010 6:52 p.m.
is this a story big whoop i hate BYU they are not good and Bronco is a joke.
businessJan. 29, 2010 6:51 p.m.
a savvy coach has to put pressure on athletes to commit. those that do early get a spot, those that wait may not. Too much pressure by idiot fans to leave it to chance. Coaches have to play hardball to survive. you armchair coaches don't understand much about the politics of football.
UngaJan. 29, 2010 6:50 p.m.
Byu didn't mind taking harvey unga when he gave his word to Utah. How come Byu and their fans still wanted him. Or max hall at arizona state. They gave their word somewhere else. What happened to your code of ethics? How come byu still recruited them even after they had committed elsewhere? Byu can recruit verbally committed players but everyone else can't? The fact of the matter is, if your a good recruit (like a 4 star d lineman) schools are going to call, and want you to visit. Byu is going to suffer from this mistake by bronco with their whole defensive line gone or going on missions. Just my two cents.
no double standardJan. 29, 2010 6:50 p.m.
The question is who goes after who, recruiting someone that approaches you is different than "going after" a recruit. This seems more like a test of loyalty, and now we know who the recruit was loyal too, himself!
Dear Hater'sJan. 29, 2010 6:44 p.m.
It is called integrity!!! Unfortunately some of that is missing in today's society. BTW, Bronco Mendenhall did not approach Riley Nelson. Riley's dad had a ugly business "broken marriage" with USU that started the ball rolling. To the person who signed as double standard, please, your facts straight and maybe learn to lose some hate at the same time.
cry babyJan. 29, 2010 6:43 p.m.
waaaayyyyy! Coach Bronco is unfair! Its to hard! He has a double standard! Hes a Hypocrite! Why cant I bring my stuffed bunny to practice!?
re: the hailstormJan. 29, 2010 6:41 p.m.
You know not what you speak of. The assistant coach did not break the rule because he said nothing about the specific recruit only BYU's concern. You have no idea nor do I what the specific conversations and commitments have been between the two parties. I'd say it's a bold move on Bronco's part to pull a scholarship this late. If Bronco doesn't feel the kid is respecting his commitment then I support his decision. You on the other hand will be critical no matter what anyway, so nobody of consequence cares!
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 6:40 p.m.
Feels kinda like communist China. Go ahead and stick with your our "out of touch" with reality rules. BYU will continue to be marginalized on a national scale and will NEVER be thought of as anything more than some outpost religious school.
Truth is the kid was leaving anyway and this is just another transparent attempt to save face from a program out of touch.
Good luck in the future with any recruite that isn't a hardcore LDS.
Buck up kiddysJan. 29, 2010 6:39 p.m.
Listen to the wynners
Bronco is CrazyJan. 29, 2010 6:35 p.m.
Commitment? What is that? What he is expecting from these kids is too much. I would rather play at Utah.
IdahoanJan. 29, 2010 6:33 p.m.
It is a bold move for BYU and for this young man. If he committed to BYU, BYU has a scholarship reserved for him. What if BYU had to turn down someone else because the scholarship limit was reached? Then on signing day it becomes available too late to offer it to someone else, what good is that?
There's no loss of free agency here. This young man is not being forced to do something against his will. He made the decision that he would commit to BYU. Then he made the decision to take a recruiting trip somewhere else.
re: The HailstormJan. 29, 2010 6:33 p.m.
Sorry sir - you don't know what you are talking about.
When a recruit makes a commitment it is a two-way street. The school also makes a commitment. I have heard Bronco say that he would never pull a promised scholarship if a player were injured. He pointed out the risk of injury as a potential pitfall in gaining early commitments from recruits. Kona committed last summer (before his senior year) and BYU committed to Kona. For that year BYU was taking all the risk. What happens if Kona has a bad year? what happens if he gets hurt? BYU is still committed to a player who may never play a down of football for them.
Did Kona make the commitment last summer because he was looking at BYU as an "insurance policy?" I'm not saying he did, but if that is the case then his actions were not fair to other potential recruits who may have been really committed to the BYU program. If Kona is visiting ND on their $$ with no real intent of signing with them is that not deceitful?
You have no idea how BYU is balancing it's scholarships with missions, etc..
diggerJan. 29, 2010 6:33 p.m.
hope Kona enjoys the next four years at .500 whether at Washington or Notre Dame. all these kids thinking the grass is greener elsewhere are almost always sorry. the LDS missions rarely happen for these kids after attending schools outside of Utah. bad decision by Kona just to get to hang out with Manti for a couple of days.
Double StandardJan. 29, 2010 6:32 p.m.
This is just great. Coach says while on your mission if you change your mind come to BYU. It doesn't matter that you gave your WORD to another school. If you say that Coach you can't solicite or go after any Young Man who has committed and or signed an offer or this is hypocritical. You can't have it both ways.
Bronco MendenhallJan. 29, 2010 6:29 p.m.
What does this guy eat for breakfast? I recall that when Bronco Mendenhall took over as head coach some players left just because it became too hard.
What does he think this is? the Marines?
ogmsonJan. 29, 2010 6:28 p.m.
I think it was a great move. BYU had limited scholarships and offered them all out. With or without Kona they have the Best recruiting class amongst the non-BS (sic)schools and are 20th including the BS schools. If Coach does not hold a hard line, it hurts the University and is not fair to them. It seems like no one wants to see the logic here. For me, a school MUST depend on commitments, if not, they would offer 30 or 40 scholarships and then take the top 25 and tell the others, "Sorry." What a mess that would become.
Coach offers to the best top 25 who say, "BYU is for me. I don't want to go anywhere else". It's not fair for Coaches to depend on a committ and then in the eleventh hour have NO TIME to go recruit a replacement. Kona tripped TWICE this weekend to ND and UDub. It's not right to BYU and it's not fair. To McKay (Dad) and Kona I say, so long, farewell and enjoy either a .500 season or a losing one. Pick your poison.
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 6:28 p.m.
message to knoa... you snooze, you lose.
Re: HailstormJan. 29, 2010 6:27 p.m.
This has always been the case at BYU since with those that sign and then leave on missions do not count to that total etc... it's nothing new.
BYU GroundsJan. 29, 2010 6:27 p.m.
HateStorm, um a number of those commits are going right on a mission duh. And if a recruit wants to take his trips then take them before you commit. You will find many programs do this exact same thing. Ask Kyle Gunther he talked about it today on 1280 the Zone
i would encourage all the tripsJan. 29, 2010 6:26 p.m.
Why not ask all your interested recruits to take their trips early, and have BYU be the last trip? This way, if they still want BYU, and BYU still wants them, they have no regrets, they have seen what the competition has to offer, and then chose BYU. If it were me, why not take a ton of free trips? It increases your value and experience. It promotes recruits who come here with their eyes wide open, not with the blinders on.
Convenient TruthJan. 29, 2010 6:25 p.m.
This could be a hard rule that BYU follows, OR this could also be a convenient opportunity for Bronco to rescind an offer since he over-offered this year (he admitted it himself). The scholarship situation will be tricky this year.
ridiculousJan. 29, 2010 6:22 p.m.
"I'd want to take all the recruiting trips I could if I were a high school player looking for a college."
You can . . . . I'm not sure anyone said you can't. There is no such thing as agency with freedom FROM consequences. Don't like the consequences? Don't do the action! No one has taken this young man's agency away.
The principle is sound.
If you were engaged and your future spouse went out on a date with another, how would you react? Would you question their commitment? If you didn't/wouldn't you need to think about that some more.
Is it the same situation? No.
It's all concepts and principles and the coach is correct. This is why he is the coach.
bronco is a hypocriteJan. 29, 2010 6:22 p.m.
if bronco wants only kids who are 100% commited to byu will he and his coaches stop recuiting kids who have verbaled to other schools? How about the kids who are on their mission being recuited to change schools for byu?
"Coach!"Jan. 29, 2010 6:22 p.m.
No playing patty cake with Bronco.
to ridiculousJan. 29, 2010 6:21 p.m.
So would I. The difference here is he accepted an offer while at the same time working for something better. He should have made his recruiting trips before making a commitment.
The real HailstormJan. 29, 2010 6:20 p.m.
Agency. Kona made his choice.
BryanJan. 29, 2010 6:19 p.m.
You got to respect a program that sticks to their guns. When Crowton was the coach he let all sorts of things slide, and look where the program ended up. When you are tough you get tough players, and it is the tough players that play the best on the field for you.
Re: ridiculousJan. 29, 2010 6:18 p.m.
Yea but wait to commit after your trips.
ridiculousJan. 29, 2010 6:13 p.m.
This is ridiculous; I'd want to take all the recruiting trips I could if I were a high school player looking for a college.
KonaJan. 29, 2010 6:13 p.m.
You can still walk on.
TheHailstormJan. 29, 2010 6:10 p.m.
As per NCAA rules, coaches can't talk about specific recruits until they sign.
So we talk specifically about the Athlete and forget the rules but let an assistant coach break the rule. As for black balling the student if he takes a visit elsewhere.... oops there went free agency out the window.
Has Bronco any ethics left in his little bag of tricks, double talk , and stretching the rules.
This year he had 22 scholarships allotted from the NCAA to give out, but he has already dished out 29 -30. Which player does he let down and break his promise , or does he wait and let the NCAA come down on his tactics ?
Will the real Mendenhall please stand up ?
Its that song...Jan. 29, 2010 6:08 p.m.
another one bites the dust.
win winJan. 29, 2010 6:07 p.m.
Good for Kona
Good for BYU
SadlyJan. 29, 2010 6:02 p.m.
Gone are the days when BYU was soft.
AnonymousJan. 29, 2010 6:01 p.m.
That was a BAD move.
Desert CougJan. 29, 2010 5:57 p.m.
I like the spunk of the coach to play it tough. Sorry Kona, see ya!
TwardyJan. 29, 2010 5:56 p.m.
Good, well done coach. Enjoy .500 ND next season buddy.
WowJan. 29, 2010 5:55 p.m.
That was a bold move.