High on the priority list for BYU’s defense is sacking quarterbacks in 2025.
It ranks right up there with stopping the run and stopping third-down plays, but it is a legitimate goal from a defense that was average at taking down quarterbacks in last year’s 11-2 season.
It took a long offseason of development, recruiting and conditioning former missionaries, but this version of Jay Hill’s defense will have more capable QB chasers on the field this season, which begins Saturday against Portland State in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“I feel that’s been one of the main goals that we’ve been going through in fall camp,” said defensive end Viliami Po’uha, son of defensive line coach and former NFL tackle Sione Po’uha.
“We have more agile and faster guys than a year ago when we had Tyler Batty, John Nelson and Blake Mickelson, who were all more of bull rush-type rush, push, pull technique guys,” said Viliami. “This year, we can run more of our twist games, rush off the end. I think our inside tackles are bigger and quicker and will take on double teams, especially in our three-man fronts, and that will free us up to bring more pressure.”
Those defensive ends include a dozen bodies who will be deployed among the three-deep and include the group’s fastest end Sani Tuala, from Citrus College by way of Australia; Bodie Schoonover; Logan Lutui; Orion Maile-Kaufusi; Kinilau Fonohema; Texas transfer Tausili Akana; Hunter Clegg; Vincent Tautua; Siosefa Brown; and Nusi and John Taumoepeau.
Some of those bodies, like JT (Taumoepeau) will be used as an inside tackle on four- and three-man fronts. Po’uha and Schoonover could also find themselves playing inside as Oklahoma State transfer tackle Justin Kirkland recovers from an injury.
BYU’s defensive front, led by Batty, had 20 sacks in 2024. The Cougars could have one-fourth of that total in the first two games this season, starting with FCS Portland State on Saturday.
“Tyler was our leader out there last year,” said Po’uha. “We had a lot of good examples last year like Batty, or Maddie, as the boys refer to him. He definitely set the standard on how we should play as a defensive end room and we’re just trying to take his culture that he left behind and amplify it and tailor it to us and how we can dominate the field.”
Po’uha said this 2025 group is young and it remains to be seen who will step forward as the firecracker leader Batty was last season.
He describes this group as “young and gritty.”
Po’uha appreciates playing on a defense where his father is a key coach, working with the defensive line.
“When I got into college football, he told me that I have nine or 10 coaches out there, but only one father, and that he will be leading with that role as my dad with me when we are out there, that being a father takes priority.”
His father has demanded hard work and accountability from him. “He said hard work and diligence will get you to the places you want to go.”
Viliami’s grandparents on both sides immigrated to the United States from Tonga. His father Sione and BYU’s head coach Kalani Sitake were both born and lived their early years in Tonga.
Viliami has had the opportunity to go to Tonga twice in his life, the first as a 16-year-old kid who he described as a little self-absorbed.
To see the humble living conditions of the people of Tonga and return to his grandmother’s village opened his eyes and brought him out of his self-focused worldview — it changed his life, made him want to reach out and help others.
“The experience opened my eyes,” said Viliami.
Defensive end coach Kelly Poppinga told BYUtv’s “Coordinators’ Corner” audience he loves the depth at defensive end with hybrid-type players like Ephraim Asiata, who can play on the line as a defensive end as well as outside linebacker, a role similar to that of senior Isaiah Glasker, who drops into pass coverage.
Asiata was rated the No. 1 most productive player in fall camp, according to Poppinga.
“We have a slew of guys, the challenge is to find a way to get them all on the field,” said the defensive end and special teams coordinator, who followed Bronco Mendenhall to Virginia and coached at Boise State before returning to BYU.
“I think this group is as talented as I’ve seen since I was here in 2012 when we had Ziggy Ansah, Kyle Van Noy and Bronson Kaufusi. Now, they aren’t as experienced as that group, but they have as much talent as that group.”
Poppinga said sack totals for the season may interest fans more than him and called it a meaningless statistic. He said Tarleton State shut out Portland State last week and didn’t have one sack.
“What matters is pressure on the quarterback, and sometimes that doesn’t result in a sack, but it hurries and they might throw it before they want to,” he said. “We had a lot of pressure last year that resulted in us leading the country in interceptions and turnovers, and we did that without getting a lot of sacks.”
Po’uha represents a youth movement along BYU’s defensive line that Poppinga is excited about.
This season is all about BYU defensive coaches giving talent experience.
