They say when a coach is recruiting, he first must sell the parents.

Other times, the parents dont really get in on the action.

A case in point is Utah defensive lineman Moana Ofahengaue, from Westlake High in Saratoga Springs. Ofahengaue is 6-foot-3, 235 pounds and a true freshman. One of the best things about him is gaining 30 pounds in the last year.

But how he ended up at Utah was a surprise to his parents. His father, Tevita Ofahengaue, played at BYU in the late 1990s and early 2000s and was drafted in 2001. The elder Ofahengaue was also a recruiting staffer for the Utes in Kyle Whittinghams first season as Utahs head coach.

But Tevita was saying this week that it was funny because when [Moana] committed I was shocked, because he wanted to go on with his life. I was pushing other schools. Michigan was one I heavily pushed; Arizona was another. Florida State was another I was pushing.

Ofahengaue said he didnt know his son wanted to stay close to home until it happened.

He said, Coach Whit, I want to commit today, said Tevita. I was like, What? Coach Whit? If [Moana] had told me this, I wouldnt have even talked about the other schools.

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