BYU Football Signs 31 Players For 2024 Recruiting Class
Feb 8, 2024, 12:05 AM | Updated: 11:04 am
PROVO, Utah – BYU football had a strong finish to its 2024 recruiting class.
The second-year Big 12 program finished with the fifth-highest-rated recruiting class in the conference in the 247Sports Composite based on high school and junior college prospects. Nationally, the class ranks at No. 44.
That’s 22 spots higher than the 2023 class.
BYU football signed the No. 44 ranked high school/JUCO recruiting class
The volume of recruits BYU picked up from the high school and JUCO ranks was a big reason for that jump. But also the willingness to engage in heated recruiting battles with fellow power conference programs.
As part of its 31 total signees, BYU added Oakland, California linebackers Naki Tuakoi and Sefo Akuila during the February Signing Day.
Tuakoi had offers from Stanford, USC, and Notre Dame, among others. Some recruiting services had him listed as a four-star prospect. BYU had to battle to get him.
Recruiting battles
In the past, as an Independent program, BYU shied away from the prospects that had dozens of power conference offers next to their name. To survive in the physical Big 12 Conference, you need to pick up some recruiting victories over your peers. Sitake feels they did that.
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 @NakiTuakoi 🤙 pic.twitter.com/2VOtyFshlU
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) February 7, 2024
“You have to be ready to get into some battles in recruiting,” said Sitake after Wednesday’s Signing Day. “…We want guys who want to be here. But sometimes, you have to fight for those guys, too. You have to get into the recruiting battles and you have to show them how this place can really help them and how they can become their best self when they’re here at BYU.”
A big boost to the recruiting efforts has been defensive coordinator Jay Hill. Hill was an ace recruiter as an assistant coach on Kyle Whittingham’s staff when the Utes transitioned from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 in 2010.
“Part of [recruiting] is getting into recruiting battles and not being afraid of recruiting because the guy has a lot of offers and may not be familiar with BYU. That’s our job is to get him familiar with BYU and understand where they are at. Then, not being intimidated by other recruiters, and Jay [Hill] has been awesome on that. It’s been infectious to everybody else on the staff.”
Faletau Satuala will begin his BYU career at safety
Another heated recruiting battle in the long list of high school prospects was for Bountiful High star Faletau Satuala. The four-star athlete had his choices down to BYU and Utah. For many months, Utah was viewed as the favorite by recruiting analysts, but BYU was able to sway the heralded prospect to Provo. Satuala signed with BYU in December and made his commitment official on network television at the All-American Bowl in January.
Kalani Sitake said that four-star athlete Faletau Satuala will begin his #BYU career at safety. Sitake highlighted the "natural instincts" of Satuala.#BYUFootball
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) February 7, 2024
“He has such great instincts,” Sitake said on Satuala. “He can play so many different positions, but we are going to start him off at safety first,” said Sitake. “We need someone in the post who is thinking with the instincts he has. Then we will see how it goes. He’s got so much knowledge of the game. I think he’ll fit exactly with what we want on this defense..”
Unlike most years where BYU signs a class and then says goodbye for two years as many players elect to serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the 2024 class has 22 of the 31 players projected to compete in the 2024 season.
QB Gerry Bohanon is officially on board
One of those guys who will be competing for playing time is former Baylor and USF quarterback Gerry Bohanon.
Bohanon was officially announced by BYU as a signee on Wednesday, despite joining the program in January.
#BYU adds former USF, Baylor QB Gerry Bohanon out of the Transfer Portal.
Instant reaction from #BYU Insider @Mitch_Harper.#BYUFootball #GoCougs #Big12 pic.twitter.com/kXGfEPLkrW
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2024
The seventh-year college quarterback projects to be the leading contender to Jake Retzlaff for the starting quarterback job in spring practices that begin on February 29.
“I’m really excited about him,” said Sitake. I think he brings a lot of competition to that quarterback position, which is what we need.”
BYU Football 2024 Recruiting Class
- Sefo Akuila | LB | Fremont High School (CA)
- Therrian Alexander III | CB | Southwest DeKalb High School (GA)
- Ephraim Asiata | LB | Herriman High School (UT)
- Joe Brown | OL | Lone Peak High School (UT)
- Siosefa Brown | ATH | Highland High School (UT)
- Kinilau Fonohema | EDGE | Springville High School (UT)
- Dallin Johnson | DT | Springville High School (UT)
- Jonathan Kabeya | ATH | Byron Nelson High School (TX)
- Brody Laga | K | Mountain Ridge High School (UT)
- Matthias Leach | S | Chisholm Trail High School (TX)
- Blake Lowe | ATH | Chaparral High School (CA)
- Noah Lugo | QB | Eaton High School (TX)
- Tei Nacua | WR | Timpview High School (UT)
- Jett Nelson | ATH | American Fork High School (UT)
- Viliami Po’uha | DE | Bingham High School (UT)
- Thomas Prassas | S | Basha High School (AZ)
- Adney Reid | ATH | Spanish Fork/Australia
- Danny Saili | DT | Hutchinson C.C. (KS)
- Faletau Satuala | S | Bountiful High School (UT)
- Cannon Skidmore | LS | Mesa, Arizona
- Carson Su’esu’e | ATH | Granger High School (UT)
- Ryner Swanson | TE | Laguna Beach High School (CA)
- Luke Toomalatai | DT | Long Beach City College (CA)
- Naki Tuakoi | LB | Fremont High School (CA)
- Sani Tuala | EDGE | Citrus College (CA)
- Devoux Tuataga | EDGE | Cedar Valley High School (UT)
- Ikinasio Tupou | OT | Palo Alto High School (CA)
- Enoch Watson | QB | American Leadership Academy (AZ)
Transfer Portal Signees
- Gerry Bohanon | QB | Baylor/South Florida
- Jack Kelly | EDGE | Weber State
- Sam Vander Haar | P | Pitt
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s’ coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
