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Provo • Every year at BYU's preseason football camp, it seems like a couple of players who will probably never see the field make play after play in the scrimmages, sometimes against the frontline guys.
This year, one of those players is redshirt freshman Dallin Cutler, a walk-on from Sandy's Alta High. Cutler was an all-state quarterback at Alta in 2007, but receiving is in his blood. He's the son of former BYU receiving great Chuck Cutler.
At 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Dallin Cutler knows he's not big enough to be a Division I college quarterback. But with decent speed, shifty moves and great hands, he's already made some starting BYU defensive backs look bad in camp.
And at least twice he's leaped over defenders to snare passes from Jake Heaps, including Wednesday, when he turned a short throw into a 17-yard gain.
"I am just trying to catch the coaches' eye," he said. "I am obviously trying to get on the travel squad and see some playing time. That's been my main goal, coming into training camp."
Cutler credits his wife, Natalia, for her support in allowing him to chase his dreams. He knows what he's getting into as a walk-on, and that it won't be easy.
"It does get frustrating once in a while, but I have been working at it so long that I am kind of used to it," he said. "I know it is going to be tough, being a walk-on, to move up. The key is consistency. … That's the biggest thing coach preaches to us, that the consistent play is better than the occasional great play."
A day off
As he's been known to do midway through camp, coach Bronco Mendenhall canceled Thursday's practice and took the players on a team activity. A party of nearly 150 went to the Provo Beach Resort, an amusement park-type center that features a Flowrider for simulated surfing.
The coach said practices Tuesday and Wednesday were sluggish and a bit sloppy, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
He praised the defense, especially the outside linebackers, Jordan Pendleton, Kyle Van Noy, Jameson Frazier and Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah.
"One of the strengths on the team. Not only who our outside linebackers are, but the depth we have there. If not the strength, it is one of the strengths," he said.
Briefly
Mendenhall said nose tackle Romney Fuga, who suffered a devastating and season-ending knee injury last year against Nevada, has recovered well and is on track to start in the opener. "It will be really hard to run the football on us, because of him." ... Saturday's 10:15 a.m. scrimmage at the stadium will be the final one for the main players. There might be a scrimmage for the younger players on Wednesday at the practice field.
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Practice points
What we learned • With his team in the dog days of preseason camp and looking weary and downtrodden on Wednesday, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall canceled Thursday's only scheduled practice and took the players on a "team activity" to the Provo Beach Resort.
Up next • The Cougars are scheduled to practice at 10:15 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday, then scrimmage at 10 a.m. Saturday at the stadium.