BYU Recruiting 2013

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Maybe he watches the games. This is from about a week ago:



http://www.northwesteliteindex.com/2...earsley-aloha/

So this kid must mean more to Bronco than Manti did, since allegedly once you commit to BYU you stop looking or BYU pulls their offer.

[MarkGrace]

So this kid must mean more to Bronco than Manti did, since allegedly once you commit to BYU you stop looking or BYU pulls their offer.

That was schwenke, not manti. Manti never committed to byu.

[The_Douger]

Is Schwenke starting at ND?

[USUC]

HOw many schollies does BYU have to offer for '13? Both lines could use some depth from JUCO guys. I don't think Kearsley sticks with his BYU commitment.

[frank ryan]

Per the list of scout BYU’s commits and my thoughts on this class so far:

Braydon Kearsley OG/ Beaverton, OR
I think the star rating system is largely useless with the exception that four and five-star guys usually are very highly-sought after. But two and three-star ranking don’t mean a whole lot to me. Having said that, Kearsley is this years most sought after commitment by far. Rated as the 15th best OG in the country with a four-star ranking, Kearsley is still getting attention. Fairly recently he has decided to take his other four official visits. I believe the Oregon and Arizona schools are in the mix. I read somewhere that Alabama wants to trip him down south to see their program. Now Kearsley is still committed but he is now listed as a “soft commit.” BYU’s class needs this guy. He is their only true marque recruit.

Claudell Louis, DE/OL juco College of the Sequoias
Very much an unknown. He is new to football and has only been playing a few seasons. BYU purportedly wants him as an OL. He is not rated and I am not aware of only other scholarship offers. He is of Haitian extraction. I’m not sold on taking a guy two years to play, who has very limited football experience and possibly switching positions.

Davion Orphey, CB juco Santa Ana JC
This guy is a must get player in my book. His film shows him to be an excellent cover corner. He picked BYU over Utah, which is also an added plus. Orphey, on paper, should have a good shot at taking over for Preston Hadley.

Darrin Laufasa, FB Bothell, WA
Laufasa looks a step slow for a ball carrier. He has the size to be a solid run and pass blocker. This year two of his brothers are on Washington State’s team. He isn’t LDS and didn’t have a ton of other offers. I do know Wyoming and Idaho wanted him, but as a linebacker. His dad tried to get him to model his running style after Manase Tonga and Harvey Unga. I see him as a project.

Inoke Lotulelei, WR, SLC, UT.
Lotulelei is a fast and nifty little scatback slotback who can make plays. I’d love to see BYU play him in Falslev’s spot. It seemed to take forever for BYU to offer this guy. He was previously committed to UCLA. Some chatter has suggested that he may be reconsidering his current commitment. I think that would be a big shame. His versatility and athleticism will guarantee he finds somewhere on the field to play.

Michael Davis, WR, Glendale, CA.
Cougarboard was buzzing when he committed. BYU was on him early. Scout lists BYU and Iowa State as being his only offers. I strongly suspect he had other options. USC, for one regularly visited him and kept in contact with him. The Trojans wanted him as a backup plan should one of their targets bolt or struggle to qualify. Apparently, Davis brings a lot of speed. He is as hyped as anyone in this recruiting class despite not having a ton of accolades.

Thomas Shoaf, OT, Columbus, IN.
The Midwest hasn’t been fertile recruiting ground for BYU due in no small part to the dearth of LDS members. Shoaf is Mormon and he seems to be a pretty solid lineman. BYU took him away from a couple of Big Ten schools including the Iowa Hawkeyes. I think he has the talent to start at BYU before his time is up should he get adequate coaching.

Garrett England, S, SLC, UT.
Don’t know much about him other than he is a tall rangy athlete who could play somewhere in the secondary or maybe wideout. I don’t believe he had any other offers. Definite project.

Patrick Palau, FB, SLC,UT.
This East High player is a load to bring down at 5-11ish and approx.. 250 pounds. He committed fairly early before anyone else really started to court him. I think he has potential as a blocking back. I’m more excited for him than Laufasa. And just like Laufasa he didn’t have loads of other choices.

Kai Nacua, S, Henderson, NV.
Kai’s younger brother has also committed to BYU, and he may be the best of the pair. Scout doesn’t list any other offers but I seem to recall Hawaii, UNLV, Washington State and maybe even Utah pursuing him. Kai has a lot of upside, he isn’t afraid to hit and has the kind of hip-movement you want in a safety. I don’t know what his mission plans are and that could play a role in when he sees the field. This is an unspectacular but solid pickup.

Hayden Weichers, WR, South Jordan, UT.
His 6-0 height listing is generous. He is more like 5-10. Nonetheless his both fast and very quick. His recruiting decision came between BYU and Utah State. But he committed right before Boise State seemed poised to make an offer. Weichers isn’t a lightly recruited athlete that BYU kinda went after. He was an instate priority along the level of Harrison Handley. He is a solid get, but the kind of kid who should almost always go to BYU.

Billy Green, QB, Seattle, WA.
I am very unfamiliar with Green. He has put up decent stats as of late. But I believe BYU was his first D-1A offer. The staff, I believe wants Green because they won’t have to worry about juggling his mission with all the others. I’m not too terribly excited about this prospect.

Johnny Tapusoa, S, Laie, HI.
Hard-hitting compact Kahuku Red Raider with average speed. I see Tapusoa as serviceable player but not a star. He may be more David Tafuna than Aaron Francisco. Still it is nice to see a Kahuku name on our list of recruits. Scout lists him at 5-10 190. No other offers listed but I believe Hawaii and USU were also interested.

Addison Pulsipher, DE, Temecula, CA.
Last year BYU signed his brother and his recruitment locked up before any big name schools came calling. At the time of his commitment, Pulsipher didn’t have any other offers. He has a nice motor but isn’t blazing fast. Time will tell if he was a worthwhile use of a scholarship, but I have my doubts.

Merrill Taliauli, DL, SLC,UT.
Love this recruit. He is a bit raw and flew under the radar for most of his high school career but has both the edge and meanness you want in a noseguard. He also looks to be deceivingly athletic. I hope he isn’t switched to the other side of the line. Depending on mission plans, he could contribute right away. Very strong.

JonRyheem Peoples, OL/DL, Rigby, ID.
He came out of nowhere to show his stuff at the all-poly camp. BYU offered right away and locked him up, but soon after Utah came calling and he committed to the Utes. Bronco then got him to recommit to the Cougars. Peoples is a freak of an athlete and I hope that along with Taliauli the coaches keep him on the dline. His strength and lower body explosion would make him an immediate difference maker.

Maataua Brown, DL, Cerritos JC
Brown committed early to BYU, picking them over the Western Michigan Broncos. But had he held out more offers would have surely gone his way. Cerritos is or was home to legendary coach Mazzota who’s son Frank started at free safety for a year at BYU following Derwin Gray’s career. He has also seemed to give us a decent shake and access to his players. Brown will be looked on to play right away. He is ranked pretty high up on the list of potential impact jc players. I look at this as a nice pick up for BYU.

Kalolo Manumaleuna Utu, LB, Compton CC
Some speculation has been bandied about that Utu could play on the front 3. He is listed at 250 but thought to be more like 260ish. But with Ogletree and Kavienga wrapping up their eligibility, I expect Utu to stay put. This guy is a bit of a mystery to me. I do know BYU was on him aggressively and pretty quickly into the recruiting game. He is a definitely interesting recruit. I think Utu has 3 years of eligibility.

Nathan DeBeikes, LB, Thoasand Oaks, CA.
Committed very early to BYU. He has made a living as a tailback for his high school team. He doesn’t possess blazing speed but he does have some good quicks and a high-football IQ. He will need to put on a good 25 pounds to play linebacker in college. Has definite mission plans. Wasn’t real highly sought after.

Talon Shumway, WR, Highland, UT.
I peg him as one of the bright spots in this class. He picked BYU over Utah and Utah really wanted him. With Chase Hansen making a different choice many though that Shumway would follow. He is a great lengthy target and while not a track type sprinter, he is plenty fast. Shumway is also a good route runner. I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns out to be a multi-year starter for BYU.

Keegan Hicks, OG, South Jordan, UT.
Smallish interior lineman. He committed very early and with no fanfare. He definitely needs to bulk up before he can contribute. I haven’t seen much film or heard any buzz regarding him. I hope he can contribute. I’m not real fired up about this guy though.

Moroni Laulu-Pututau, Hyrum, UT.
He makes for a tall, but underweight tight end target. He has shown some flashes of ability but he will need to both grow and develop into the role. He also committed to BYU quite early on and at that time the Utah State Aggies were his only other suitors. I look at him as a bit of a project but one with real updisde.

Trajan Pili, LB, Las Vegas, NV.
After Kearsley, Davis, Shumway and Orphey, this linebacker has me most excited. Another early commit, but one that Pac-12 schools have still tried to woo. He has a knack for pursuing call carriers and disrupting opposing offensive backfields. Of the players listed, I’d put him as my biggest steal. To me, he is further evidence the star-system is very flawed.

If people like this I'll write about the players BYU may still be after.

[The_Douger]

Thanks for doing that. Great info.

[USUC]

Thanks for the break down. When i get home tonight I'll look it over.

[Indy Coug]

Trent Trammel, CB from San Francisco JC, just committed to BYU. That makes two JC CB commits for next year.

[frank ryan]

Trent Trammel, CB from San Francisco JC, just committed to BYU. That makes two JC CB commits for next year.

Huge get!!

[frank ryan]

Hey Indy or anyone, why is BYU not all over Phil Ford? They went after Cladell Louis who has zero OL experience and Ford wants to be at BYU. Hell, even from Bronco's PR vantage point he would be a good get. An African-American convert to the LDS faith.

[MarkGrace]

Ford wants to go to KU again, apparently.

[The_Douger]

I am worried about Brayden Kearsley.

[USUC]

I am worried about Brayden Kearsley.

BYU might get him if they can show him they are willing to take the O-line serious and make the changes to make it successful. In this scenario Weber has to go.

[Indy Coug]

Hey Indy or anyone, why is BYU not all over Phil Ford? They went after Cladell Louis who has zero OL experience and Ford wants to be at BYU. Hell, even from Bronco's PR vantage point he would be a good get. An African-American convert to the LDS faith.

I stopped paying attention when I read somewhere that he was going on a mission before returning to D-1 football.

[byu71]

I stopped paying attention when I read somewhere that he was going on a mission before returning to D-1 football.

It is comforting to know I agree with you on something. When I used to be really into this type of thing, I wanted to know about who was coming who wasn't planning on a mission and who was coming home from a mission.

While plenty have come back and been very good players, plenty of hyped recruits have left never to really have amounted to much on the field.