The core of BYU’s 2025 roster was ready long before signing day. Kalani Sitake’s quarterback returned along with the majority of his skill-position players.
Whereas in years past, the transfer portal has been about adding to the program’s foundation, this year it was about touching up the periphery of an 11-win team.
BYU signed only seven transfers this cycle — the second-lowest in the Big 12 to Iowa State.
But one of those transfers could end up being defensive coordinator Jay Hill’s next big playmaker.
Utah’s Keanu Tanuvasa headed south to headline Hill’s defensive line. BYU was in desperate need of depth after losing three starters: Tyler Batty, Isaiah Bagnah and Blake Mangelson. Tanuvasa, with his 19 starts and four sacks, can help.
“A big need for us to fill the shoes of some departing senior D-linemen,” Hill said. “We went to the portal, got Keanu Tanuvasa from the University of Utah. I think he is going to be phenomenal. Maybe the best D-lineman, D-tackle in the country. He looks phenomenal right now in the weight room and through the runs and stuff. So we’re excited about him.”
BYU’s defensive line was productive last year, particularly stopping the run, but needed more size in the interior.
Hill also wanted to upgrade his pass-rushing options. Most of Hill’s best pass rushers remained at the linebacker spot with guys like Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glasker. The defensive line wasn’t getting to the quarterback with a four-man rush.
“He helps solidify that size that we were lacking. He just adds so much beef,” Hill said. “And we have good players here, too, that he’ll be competing with that have really taken a step forward.”
The main recruiter on Tanuvasa was defensive line coach Sione Po’uha. But Sitake was also involved.
“Any time a player the caliber of Keanu goes in the portal, it’s going to go fast, because everybody in the country wants him,” Hill said. “He could have basically picked any school he wanted to go to. I think Sione Po’uha did a phenomenal job with him. I know his relationship with Sione and Kalani was a big part of him coming to BYU.”
McKay Madsen
BYU’s best prospect in this class, four-star McKay Madsen, could have played anywhere for the Cougars. He was a two-way star in California on offense and defense.
But at BYU, it will be offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick’s job to mold him. Roderick said Madsen will play running back at BYU and can be a versatile weapon there. It was running backs coach Harvey Unga who did most of the recruiting work with Madsen — who was heavily sought after by Oregon, UCLA and several other major programs.
“I think the defense would have been happy to have him as well. But we really like him as a running back,” Roderick said. “He plays quarterback like a Wildcat [package]. He’s a really good receiver. He does everything, but guys like that on offense are fun to coach because there’s so many different things you can do with him. Can literally line him up anywhere on the field.”
Madsen is listed at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds. He was the shot put champion out of California.
High school class concerns?
BYU’s transfer class might be understandably low, but this high school class is also down.
The Cougars’ recruiting class finished 59th in the country and 13th in the Big 12. That is a step back after a top-50 class last year. There were some major wins, like Madsen, but he was the lone four-star recruit.
But Sitake thinks BYU remains in a healthy spot on the recruiting trail, particularly if it can keep signing players of Madsen’s caliber. The average rated recruit did improve from a year ago.
“We’re not going to make a lot of statements about what’s going to happen this fall, but we’re excited about the program and where we’re at,” Sitake said. ‘I’m excited about the talent that we have remaining on this team, and the talent that we added. But I’m also excited about the coaching.
“With Jay, I think the most common theme he kept saying over and over again is like, ‘We should have been much better. We should have been so much better [last year]. And then I go over to the offensive side and hear A-Rod and [wide receivers coach] Fesi [Sitake] say we should have done so much better. So there’s a lot of things that are very fixable.”
