When BYU coaches showed up at his high school in Owasso, Oklahoma, five years ago, linebacker Jake Clifton figured they were there to talk to him.
After all, he was a recent convert to the faith that supports BYU, and he also had more than a dozen offers from other college football programs throughout the country after the 2021 season.
“Instead,” Clifton said last week, with a tinge of dismay in his voice, “BYU came and recruited a kid on my team, Korbyn Green, great player, but a kid who had probably never even heard of BYU before.”
A defensive back, Green ended up signing with BYU, but lasted only a year in Provo and is now at Tulsa after a stint at Western Kentucky. Clifton was never contacted by BYU after being named the 2021 District 6A1-2 co-Defensive Player of the Year in Oklahoma.
“BYU came and recruited a kid on my team, Korbyn Green, great player, but a kid who had probably never even heard of BYU before.”
— BYU linebacker Jake Clifton, a transfer from Kansas State
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker was viewed as the 85th best outside linebacker in the country and 20th-best overall player in Oklahoma by ESPN. He also played basketball and ran track and had helped his large Oklahoma high school win a state championship in 2019.
“BYU never reached out, and I took offense to that a little bit,” he said. “I was the only member of (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) on my team. I was truly puzzled. … It is a whole different defensive coaching staff here now, so I can’t blame the guys that are here right now.”
Clifton signed with Kansas State in February 2022 and started to see significant playing time toward the end of the 2022 season for the Wildcats. In 2023, he started at middle linebacker against Texas, Baylor and TCU before an injury cut short a promising season.
Then he decided to serve a two-year church mission, and was called to Nicaragua. He returned home last December. Earlier that month, K-State coach Chris Klieman had announced his retirement after seven years at the helm in Manhattan, and Clifton decided to hit the transfer portal.
“My old coach, Chris Klieman, was leaving Kansas State, so I decided it was in my best interest to (look around),” Clifton said. “I loved the guy. I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else except him, but I managed to find the next best guy. That was Kalani Sitake.”
Clifton said he had made a few connections before his mission with some current BYU assistant coaches, including Justin Ena, when Ena was at San Diego State. Hired by BYU in 2023, Ena reached out to Clifton “right when the portal opened,” according to Clifton, and on Jan. 13, Clifton signed with the school that had bypassed him four years earlier.
“It was pretty quick,” Clifton said last week as preseason training camp ended and the No. 14 Cougars turned their attention to Saturday’s game (6 p.m. MDT, ESPN+) against Utah Tech.
“I went on a mission and all you talk about is BYU football, BYU this, BYU that,” he said. “So BYU was kind of top of mind. They called one of my buddies from home, and he told them, ‘Heck yeah, this guy’s a decent player. He played Big 12 football.’ So it happened really fast.”
Finding a place in a loaded linebackers room
At about the same time Clifton was signing with BYU, the Cougars were also adding linebacker Cade Uluave of Cal, an All-ACC selection in 2025, to a loaded linebackers room that also included Isaiah Glasker Siale Esera and Nusi Taumoepeau.
Clifton wasn’t fazed. In fact, he’s willing to be patient in his quest for playing time and focus on special teams, if that’s what it takes. Clifton is a junior, academically and in eligibility.
“Cade Uluave is a four-year guy, and Isaiah Glasker is a fifth-year guy,” he said. “So I have to wait my turn. I can’t just hop in and think I am going to come in here and be that guy, right?
“So my role is to give them the breaks when they need them, and then, obviously, if I get hot at one point, go in and make plays when I need to.”
Coaches might have bigger plans for the lover of country music — Cody Johnson is Clifton’s favorite singer — golf and fishing.
When the depth chart was released Monday, Clifton was listed as a co-starter at the rover linebacker position with redshirt junior Siale Esera.
Wednesday, defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Kelly Poppinga said Clifton came to BYU in January prepared to play a lot and has not wavered from that upward trajectory.
“Since Day 1, when Jake got here and actually (during) winter conditioning, we saw how strong he was, how fast he was with just getting home off his mission,” Poppinga said. “I was like, ‘This guy’s gonna play immediately.’ I haven’t seen many guys like that.
“I mean, he got home from his mission in December, and he was ready to play with us in March,” Poppinga continued. “He’s continued that throughout the summer, throughout fall camp.”
Poppinga said that Clifton has elevated the talent level at the position that is widely regarded as the deepest on the team.
“If it wasn’t for Glasker or Cade, he would be our starter right now,” Poppinga said. “Those guys are playing really well, too. So that’s the thing that I’ve loved. There’s been a lot of competition amongst that group that has made the ones even better and made them aware (that) there’s guys behind them that can take their job at any moment.”
Other capable inside linebackers on the team include juniors Ace Kaufusi, Maika Kaufusi and Miles Hall and redshirt freshman Pierson Watson.
“That linebackers room right now is stacked,” Ena said. “The inside guys, they might be a good three or four deep, and with really good football players.”
Clifton’s versatility sets him apart
A Big 12 defensive player of the year candidate, Uluave is currently listed as BYU’s starting Mack (middle) linebacker, backed by Hall and Watson. Clifton is listed as a Rover (formerly called the Will linebacker) but says he can play Mack or Rover.
“Cade can play everything and I can play everything,” Clifton said. “A lot of the defense is pretty simple and just allows players to play free.”
Clifton also wants to be a big part of BYU’s special teams.
“There are dudes that will go to the NFL and play six, eight years on just special teams,” he said. “Some do better than a lot of guys that strictly play linebacker, or safety. So just being able to play both defense and special teams this year is ideal for me.”
