This article was first published in the Cougar Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each week.
Kalani Sitake is smack dab in the middle of trying to upgrade his recruiting to compete in the Big 12 after ending the season on a five-game losing streak. A big part of this past week’s effort to enhance his roster was the commitment of four-star receiver LaMason Waller from California.
In the days following a big week for visits, BYU is receiving commitments almost every day.
Sitake told reporters Monday the energy and support of the fan base this past weekend of recruit visits loomed large in these efforts.
“Still, we can’t forget what got us, what made BYU and that’s the base of signing players who are acquainted with and want to be playing for BYU,” said Sitake. He also reiterated the importance of recruiting preferred walk-ons, who he says must be handled and looked at as potential contributors, if not starters — not just practice players.
Cougar Insiders predictions
Question of the week: BYU football just completed an important week for recruit visits and several prospects announced their commitments. Evaluate how BYU fared during this important week.
Jay Drew: Recruiting experts were calling last week the most important football recruiting week of the year for Kalani Sitake and his BYU football coaching staff.
I mentioned that in an article we published last Friday, and although all the returns are not in — and won’t be in until the early signing period begins in December for the class of 2025 — to date, it appears that it was a fairly successful week for the Cougars.
That was evident Friday, as four-star receiver LaMason Waller III of Hesperia, California, committed to BYU while on his visit. Waller is big time, with more than two dozen offers from Power Four programs. I’ve been told that BYU receivers coach Fesi Sitake closed the deal. Getting Waller is huge and BYU’s first four-star commit in this class.
To date, four more three-star recruits have followed suit: tight ends Tucker Kelleher (Georgia), Jackson Doman (Oregon) and edge rushers Ulavai Fetuli (California) and Cole Cogshell (California).
BYU has lost some recruits to Utah in this recruiting cycle, which the Cougars obviously don’t want to see happen, but Sitake is getting some of his own from the Utes — including the much-hyped Waller. Again, a lot can happen between now and December, but BYU appears to be off to a solid start with this particular recruiting class.
Dick Harmon: In talking to BYU coaches, they believe they had a strong weekend of campus visits and the commitments that followed are a solid foundation for the class of 2025 effort; however, they admit the new era with new rules, like unlimited visits, is a challenge. Recruits are committing and then decommitting all over the country, and BYU has been the beneficiary of some of those, especially in basketball with Elijah Crawford (Stanford) and Kanon Catchings (Purdue). BYU got burned when JC noseguard Danny Saili came, enrolled, then transferred to Arkansas. I expect BYU will get some of those transfers coming their way before this class is completed.
Kalani Sitake said his staff have seen a myriad of recruits with few if any ties to Provo or BYU come to town and the campus and a switch goes on — they love it, they’ve never been in this kind of community and feel welcome and comfortable. That’s his secret sauce of sorts, he says.
A key to this class is defensive rebuilding, especially with edge rushers. It has excelled with additions to the receiving corps and tight ends.
The No. 2 player in the state, OT Aaron Dunn (Spanish Fork), and No. 3, OT Austin Pay (Lone Peak), both reside in Utah County, and it will be interesting to see if new offensive line coach TJ Woods can turn them BYU’s way. It would go a long way if BYU were to improve their performance in the Big 12 this coming season. Dunn and Pay are the type of linemen BYU has recruited the past half-decade and put in the NFL.
Cougar tales
BYU was more than well-represented in the U.S. Olympic trials this past week. In the men’s steeplechase, the Cougars dominated with NCAA champion Kenneth Rooks taking first and current BYU sophomore James Corrigan taking third.
From the archives
From X-verse
Extra points
- BYU ‘cold chocolate milk’ ad strikes home (KSL Sports)
- Cougars feeling disrespected (Locked on Cougars)
- BYU losing streak records opponents (@CougarStats)
Fanalysts
Comments from Deseret News readers:
Kevin Young has coached and helped NBA all-stars become better players and that will certainly interest many young and good BB players.
In reading some comments below, those that don’t like BYU are in such a state of denial they ignore or reject everything that doesn’t fit their desired belief despite the facts that are right in front of their frustrated faces.
— KAS78
It was great for my wife and me to watch the Olympic trials and not only see all the fine athletes who’ve been working towards doing well in these events for years ... but then to have it topped off by seeing Kenneth Rooks take off in the final two laps of this steeplechase event and kick it in style to win. Then to put the icing on the cake we got to see Corrigan make his late charge to pass the U.S. record holder down the stretch and take third. Wouldn’t it be cool to see him get a high enough qualifying time to get to Paris?
Coach Eyestone seems to have foreseen this race’s possible outcome. Good on him to prep his runners accordingly.
Congrats also to Ms. Hawkins, who’s looking very good in the heptathlon right now. Good luck to her tomorrow. It would be great to have an Aggie alum in Paris, too. (One of my uncles used to be a professor up in Logan [his specialty was “irrigation free” farming]). Go Aggies — go Cougars — go USA!
— CougarCat
Up next
- Aug. 7 | TBA | W Soccer | Utah Valley | @ Orem
- Aug. 9 | TBA | W Soccer | Wyoming | @ Provo
- Aug. 15 | TBA | W Soccer | Wisconsin | @ Provo