Nike camp reveals Texas receiver

The first-ever Nike Training Camp at BYU drew more than 150 athletes from 28 states on Saturday.

The camp took place Saturday in the Indoor Practice facility. (See Sunday’s column).

This was a chance to see some of the players who have committed to BYU and a lot of others who are still being recruited nationally including Cottonwood’s John Martinez. His teammate, OL Percy Taumoelau, who is also a nephew of BYU defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi, was in attendance.

Needless to say, there were a lot of locals, including a big contingent from Timpview High.

The best QBs in camp were Andrew Pulsipher from Temecula, Calif., and Breck Lewis from Spanish Fork as Washington’s Jake Heaps and Tysom Hill, from Idaho, did not stay Saturday after Junior Day.

This was a good chance to see one of the receivers BYU has offered, 6-2, 185 pound Ross Apo from Oak Ridge High in Conroe, Texas. A fluid athlete with decent speed and a burst to the ball, Apo joins Brett Thompson (6-3) from El Dorado High in California (Austin Collie’s high school) and 6-5 Mitch Mathews, Southridge High, Oregon as the trio of pass catchers singled out by BYU for offers so far.

Apo spent plenty of time before the camp requirement that BYU coaches vacate the site according to NCAA rules, visiting with the Cougar staff including receiver’s coach Patrick Higgins, Jaimie Hill, Paul Tidwell and Bronco Mendenhall.

While Mathews attended Junior Day on Friday and received an offer, Thompson was not in Provo this week. It is evident BYU is going for the tall receiver look in the future. In short order, McKay Jacobson, now on a mission in Japan, will be the shortest receiver left on scholarship.

BYU offered Timpview safety Chris Badger, the first for the 6-0, 185 defender.

Bronco Mendenhall’s staff also extended an offer this weekend to a Texas offensive lineman. Fono Vakalahi is a 6-4, 290-pound center from Bryant Texas who attended Junior Day before going home. He did not attend the Nike Camp.

I do not think BYU will receive any commitments from recruits this weekend but may do so during or after summer camps end in weeks to come.