Dick Harmon

Orem

Columnist at Deseret News

Deseret News columnist, father of four, lover of golf, movies, fishing. Heisman Trophy voter.

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Articles

What recent spate of BYU recruiting wins signals

1 week ago | deseret.com | Dick Harmon

This article was first published in the Cougar Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week. Recruiting in college is 80% of the job and reloading after losing personnel is a necessity. It appears BYU's basketball and football programs have addressed this at a high level this winter. Kevin Young has freshmen AJ Dybantsa and Xavion Staton on campus working out and going to classes, and they are impressive.
Meet Xavion Staton, BYU basketball's next 'big' thing

1 week ago | deseret.com | Dick Harmon

Xavion Staton is the Kevin Young recruit who occasionally peeks out from the shadow of projected No. 1 draft pick AJ Dybantsa. Both played for Utah Prep in Southern Utah's St. George area. Both players are on BYU's campus right now getting acclimated, working out, meeting with strength and conditioning coaches and nutritionists, signing up for classes, and preparing for summer workouts. Staton is 7-foot-1, athletic and mobile.
Even in retirement, the staying power, character and class of Jimmer Fredette lives on

1 week ago | sports.yahoo.com | Dick Harmon

“A champion is one who is remembered. A legend is one who is never forgotten.” ― Matshona DhliwayoThe Jimmer Fredette legacy is etched in what the Biblical Paul called the fleshy tablets of the heart. He will not be forgotten regardless of his endeavors. AdvertisementJust that kind of entity. It goes beyond a basketball career that included winning the Naismith Trophy as the best college basketball player in the country in 2011.
A gorilla versus 100 men? Kyle Van Noy's taking his NFL buddies

1 week ago | deseret.com | Dick Harmon

Could 100 men take on a silverback gorilla and come out victorious? Who you got? Baltimore Ravens linebacker and former BYU star Kyle Van Noy declared if you gave him his list of 100 NFL players, he'd take on the gorilla and ride to a win.
What did we learn about BYU's 11-2 team

1 week ago | deseret.com | Dick Harmon

This article was first published in the Cougar Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week. While the NFL draft ignored BYU players in 2025, this should change in 2026 with some key players set to draw attention. According to The Athletic's Dane Brugler's projection of draftees in 2026, Keanu Tanuvasa will be taken in the first round. Isaiah Glasker and Jack Kelly should follow in subsequent rounds.
Navigating chaotic college football, Kalani Sitake has his own style

2 weeks ago | deseret.com | Dick Harmon

Kalani Sitake has a voice he's going to use. His tone is one of common sense and humility. College football is like a three-ring circus these days and from Sitake's perch as a member of the board of directors for the American Football Coaches Association, BYU's head coach would like common sense to rule.
How BYU became a player after first year with Kevin Young at the helm

3 weeks ago | deseret.com | Dick Harmon

This article was first published in the Cougar Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week. In one year under head coach Kevin Young, BYU has become known as a player on the national collegiate stage with some preseason polls listing the Cougars as a top-five team.
Former BYU athletic director receives 'Hero Samaritan' gift from son. Here's why it's so meaningful

4 weeks ago | deseret.com | Dick Harmon

Val Hale comes from pioneer stock sent by Brigham Young to southern Utah to carve out a life on desert red rocks and muddy Virgin River water. Walking by faith is in his DNA. This past weekend, Hale hit balls on the driving range at Fox Hollow Golf Course in American Fork while waiting for his son Brandon to arrive. Together they would play in a men's association shambles golf tournament. That may not seem like a big deal to many, just fun. But for Hale, it was a miracle.
BYU hoops registers a first with signing of Dybantsa, Wright III

4 weeks ago | deseret.com | Dick Harmon

This article was first published in the Cougar Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week. Kevin Young is expected to pass another milestone within the span of one year. He signed and played five-star freshman Egor Demin last season and he will have two five-star recruits, AJ Dybantsa and Baylor transfer guard Robert Wright III, on the court this coming year. To put it in perspective, BYU has never had even one five-star recruit on its roster.
Comfortable in his BYU skin, Jay Hill shares his contentment

1 month ago | sports.yahoo.com | Dick Harmon

Jay Hill isn’t bouncing anytime soon. In his second year as BYU’s defensive coordinator, Hill delivered a remarkable system that helped catapult the Cougars to an 11-win season and almost a spot in the College Football Playoff. AdvertisementHill’s attention to detail, player development, confidence and leadership of BYU’s staff of coaches and analysts will stand as one of the top performances in Provo in some time. Hill’s defense tied Texas as No. 1 in interceptions gained with 22 in 2024.