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BYU center James Empey earns freshman All-America honors, while a Cougar DB plans to leave the program

Provo • After BYU walloped Western Michigan 49-18 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, WMU coach Tim Lester said BYU’s James Empey was one of the best centers the Broncos faced the entire season.

A 13-person panel of college football experts apparently agrees, because on Monday Empey was named to the 2018 Football Writers Association of American Freshman All-America Team.

The redshirt freshman, a returned missionary from American Fork High, is one of 32 players on the team. He started all 13 games for the 7-6 Cougars in 2018 and was ranked as the No.