In a perfect college football world BYU would beat USC, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and every other Division I team in finding and winning the hearts of the nation's top prospects before the start of fall camp.

Apparently, BYU is more perfect than even its Stone-Cold-Sober record would let on.

According to Scout.com, BYU's 21 oral commitments from the class of 2007 are second only to the National Champion Texas Longhorns.

How unprecedented is it for the Cougars to have 21 promises to play before two-a-days even start? It has never happened.

"The majority of the time, if we have three or four going into fall season, we're thinking that's pretty good," BYU's Paul Tidwell said.

Though each member of the Cougar coaching staff is involved in the recruiting process to some extent, the title and duty of recruiter falls mainly on Tidwell's shoulders.

"We're just following the lead of our head coach," he said.

To put things into perspective, BYU's 21 commitments are nearly three times the number of every other Mountain West Conference school combined. TCU, the nation's 14th ranked team last year, is a distant second with five commitments.

Nationally the number is even more impressive. According to Scout.com, Nebraska and Oklahoma, two powerhouse football programs, combine for 13. Miami and Ohio State have seven each, and Pac-10 dominators USC and Oregon each have eight commitments.

"The sales pitch," Tidwell said, "is come to BYU and you're going to have the whole package. You're going to have a great university that has everything to offer you as an individual and to be a better football player."

This new level of recruiting excellence stems from the well-accepted philosophy of second year head coach Bronco Mendenhall: get the best LDS players before anybody else gets them.

"I have a very specific profile of player we're looking for at Brigham Young because the mission of the university is specific and distinct from any other place in the country," Mendenhall said. "I think BYU ought to do the best job of identifying [LDS players], recruiting them and signing them every year from this point on. I don't intend for others to have their first pick and then we'll pick up what's left."

What is the specific profile the coaches and administration are looking for? Tidwell said first and foremost he has to be a Division I player.

"Bottom line is he's got to be able to play football," he said.

Secondly, the player has to fit in academically.

"He can be a D-I player, and be a great kid, and be a right fit, but can he get into school?" Tidwell said.

Finally, Tidwell said, if he is a Division I player and has shown academic responsibility, the character of the athlete, the third aspect, usually falls in line.

"You've got to have those standards and values, but you can't put that ahead of the other two because obviously you've got to win," Tidwell said.

Once it is determined the player has Division I ability and background checks have been performed and the character of the player determined, the coaches see no need in waiting.

"We look at each other and say, 'Why wait?' We want to be first [to offer scholarships]," Tidwell said.

When Mendenhall came aboard as BYU's head coach his responsibility was clear: clean up camp and return BYU football to excellence.

The two years before Mendenhall's takeover were filled with incredible disappointments on and off the field. Players being investigated in rape charges, alcohol use and honor code violations embarrassed the university and smeared the idea of what it meant to be a BYU football player. On the field, the team struggled through two consecutive losing seasons, and fan support dwindled.

Mendenhall immediately raised the bar upon his inception as head coach.

"The expectations of what I ask of our players haven't been for everybody," he said.

Raising the standards, values and expectations in the recruiting process has narrowed the pool from which BYU can find and recruit players. Tidwell sees this natural filtering process of a smaller pool as an advantage.

"It's so much more of an advantage to have the standards and high expectations because we're going to get a kid that has the same beliefs that we do; we're going to be on the same page for five years with these players," he said.

With so much emphasis in the new philosophy being geared toward elite LDS athletes, the number of young men who might be going on missions creates difficulty in filling holes in certain positions. This unique challenge, however, doesn't affect recruiting. In fact, Mendenhall believes contrary to the notion that missions are a disadvantage to the program.

"I think it is a great strength that a young man has a chance to act in accordance with his beliefs and then come back and be ready to play," he said. "The two years of service that these young men will provide will add value to their lives and our program. It's a magnificent core to our recruiting. We're recruiting specifically to that."

Many college football programs are hesitant to give scholarships to LDS players that plan to serve missions. Though admittedly a gamble, Tidwell said it's a proven gamble that works at BYU.

"Look back at the tradition of BYU football. There's always been guys going on missions and there's been some pretty good teams, some pretty good success," he said.

Given the philosophy in targeting LDS athletes, the Cougar coaching staff is still dedicated to finding non-LDS athletes who fit the mold of a BYU football player.

"We're still going to recruit and try and get the best D-I players we can, regardless of religion," Tidwell said. "We've got a couple of kids out of California who aren't LDS that are D-I, big-time national recruits, and because of the atmosphere that's here, this is where they want to come."

Winning is of supreme importance, no matter the religion of the athlete. Though much of the new recruiting program is focused on the character of the player, players want to know about the tradition of excellence at BYU, and the BYU staff is "happy to tell them," Tidwell said.

That tradition of excellence includes 28 bowl appearances, 21 conference championships, a Heisman Trophy winner, 40 All-Americans, fourth in the west behind USC, UCLA and Cal in developing current NFL players, and not to mention, an NCAA National Championship in 1984.

After all the talk, all the hours of recruiting and watching game film, it's about winning football games, Tidwell said.

"For this all to work, we've got to win."

Game on.



Copyright Brigham Young University 7 Aug 2006