Defensive Ends

Jan Jorgensen will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the great DEs in BYU history and should easily be the all-time leader in sacks in the MWC when he leaves Provo. (Hopefully, Kruger won't break that record 1 year later) Jan has a great knack for making the big play and the defense really does look to him as the leader of the defense. So far, this year, I think he is still getting used to the constant double teaming he is getting. Jorgensen's biggest strength is his incredible motor but it isn't as effective against a double team. I would really like for him to develop some more countermoves in his rushing so can beat the double team more often. Also, Jorgensen is sound against the run but isn't spectacular. He can still improve his ability at the point of attack.

It has surprised me that we haven't seen Brett Denney in on more big plays. I thought he was playing really well at the end of '07 and I expected him to pick up where he left off and maybe even look improved. So far, I think he has taken a step back. He hasn't been as stout against the run as I expect him to be and he hasn't put on a lot of QB pressure yet. Don't get me wrong, he has still been a solid player, I just expected more and I think he needs to pick it up if he plans on joining his brothers in the League.

Ian Dulan, IMO, has been the most consistent DE on the team so far. He looks much quicker than in the past and he has really benefited from the Jorgensen double teams. I also like how well he has played at NT on passing downs. His quickness has bothered the interior linemen and he holds up well if they decide to run too.

Matt Putnam looks like he may be a star in the future. So far, he has displayed a great ability to rush the passer. I don't know if he has near the motor that Jan has but he seems to have a bigger variety of moves to use to get to the passer and I am really impressed with his aggression. Obviously, his height is a big plus on passing downs but I've been impressed with his burst and overall athleticism as well. He will probably always struggle a little bit against runs right at him but he is better than I thought he would be from reports I'd heard and he should only improve as he continues to add some bulk to his frame. It would not surprise me to see him become a better NFL prospect than Jorgensen by the time he graduates.

Brock Richardson has seen a lot of time the last 2 weeks. It is apparent that he lacks the talent of the other 4 talked about and, as a senior, may not contribute a lot in many more games. That said, he does a serviceable job when he is in there. He has not been overmatched and is a testament to how far the program has come. Early in this decade, he would probably have been a starter for us. Now, he provides great depth and I'm sure is a great asset to the scout team. I would think he is as good as what a lot of the teams in the conference roll out on Saturdays and BYU has the luxury of using him more for game prep than needing him in the games.