PROVO -- BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall today announced the signing of 24 new student-athletes who have elected to play college football for the 2006 Mountain West Conference and Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl champions.
The list of student-athletes includes 14 offensive and 10 defensive players, including five offensive line recruits; four wide receivers; three tight ends, linebackers and safeties; two defensive backs and defensive linemen; as well as one running back and one quarterback.
Among the list includes nine players from the state of Utah, including the 5-A Player of the Year Jordan Pendleton. Seven highly ranked players from California have signed to play for the Cougars, including the state's Offensive Player of the Year, J.J. Di Luigi. This year's class of recruits also includes three players from the state of Hawaii, as well as players from Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Texas and Arizona. Among the recruits are two junior-college transfers, including offensive lineman Levi Mack who recently returned from an LDS Church mission in Russia.
2007 BYU FOOTBALL SIGNEES
Famika Anae
6-5, 260, OL
Provo, UT (Timpview HS)
Son of BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae ... helped lead Timpview HS to the 2006 4A State Championship title ... played for former BYU standout Louis Wong at Timpview HS ... blocked for an offense that produced 26.5 points per game ... part of an offensive line that helped produce a 1,700-yard rusher and a 1,400-yard passer ... high school teammate of BYU signees Houston Reynolds and cousin Ethan Manumaleuna ... plans to serve an LDS Church mission before attending BYU ... recruited by UNLV, Colorado, Texas Tech and Hawaii.
David Angilau
6-2, 255, DL
Longmont, CO (Niwot HS)
A two-year letterwinner for head coach Ron Tesone at Niwot HS ... a Longmont Daily Times-Call All-Area Defensive Player of the Year as a junior ... Rocky Mountain News 3-A Defensive Player of the Year as a junior ... a Rocky Mountain News first team 3-A All-State defensive lineman as a junior ... a 4-A all-state selection as a senior ... earned all-region and all-area honors as a senior ... Niwot HS Defensive MVP ... led 3-A with 15 sacks as a junior ... also lettered in wrestling and track ... also recruited by Colorado, Colorado State, New Mexico and Wyoming.
Tyler Beck
6-1, 205, LB
Murrieta, CA (Vista Murrieta HS)
Helped lead Vista Murrieta to an 11-1 record ... Southwestern League Defensive MVP ... recorded 75 solo tackles on the season and 16 assisted takedowns ... averaged 8.3 tackles per game as a senior ... totaled 13 sacks for a combined loss of 104 yards ... averaged 1.2 sacks per game ... credited with one interception and a 55-yard return in a 63-0 win over Serra ... credited with a season-high 17 tackles in a 33-30 win over Temescal Canyon ... had four rushing touchdowns on the season ... had 25 carries for 107 yards ... recruited by Arizona, Nebraska, Oregon, Portland State, UCLA and Utah.
Brannon Brooks
5-10, 175, DB
Elk Grove, CA (Elk Grove HS)
Under the direction of head coach David Hoskins, helped lead the Thundering Herd to an 11-2 record on the season ... had 120 carries for 1,028 yards, averaging 79.1 yards per game ... had five receptions for 52 yards ... credited with 27 tackles and six assists ... totaled four interceptions on the season ... had a season-high nine tackles in Elk Grove's 30-15 win over Nevada Union ... scored 12 touchdowns on the season, including 10 rushing touchdowns ... recruited by Alabama, Boston College, Fresno State and Oregon.
6-6, 230, TE
Salt Lake City, UT (Highland HS)
Under the direction of head coach Brodie Benson, helped lead the Rams to the 4-A State Championship game ... A Salt Lake Tribune 4-A first-team All-State selection as a senior ... earned first-team All-State honors by the Deseret Morning News ... totaled 279 yards receiving and six touchdowns ... also led the Rams in tackles ... started three straight years at Judge Memorial High School before attending Highland HS ... named the offensive MVP at the 2002 BYU summer camp and the defensive MVP at the 2000 BYU summer camp ... participated in a service project with Engage Now Service Expedition to Cuenca, Ecuador to help build a school, build irrication systems and taught young villagers how to play football ... recruited by Oregon, UCLA, USC, Utah State, Washington and Washington State.
J.J. Di Luigi
5-9, 188, RB
Canyon Country, CA (Canyon HS)
Under the direction of head coach Harry Welch, helped lead Canyon HS to the California State Championship with a 27-13 victory over De La Salle ... named the CIF Division I State Championship MVP after racking up 138 yards on 21 carries ... named the Foothill League Player of the Year ... named The Signal-All Santa Clarita Valley Player of the Year as a junior and senior ... earned CIF Southern Section Offensive Player-of-the-Year honors as a junior and senior ... named to several high school All-America teams ... named the Old Spice/Red Zone California Player of the Year ... was named a first-team All-State running back by The Los Angeles Daily News and The Los Angles Times ... rushed for 2,159 yards on 266 carries as a senior ... averaged 154.2 yards per game ... scored 34 touchdowns on the season ... had 29 receptions for 390 yards and four touchdown receptions ... ran for a season-high 282 yards in the Cougars' 49-32 win over Chaminade ... ran for over 200 yards three different times during the season ... recruited by Colorado, Colorado State, Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State.
Scotty Ebert
6-0, 185, WR
Sandy, UT (Jordan HS)
Under the direction of Alex Jacobson, helped lead Jordan HS to an 8-3 record as a senior before losing in the quarterfinals ... a Salt Lake Tribune 5-A All-State second-team selection ... an all-region selection ... credited with 45 receptions for 730 yards and five touchdowns ... credited with two receptions in the Beetdiggers' 34-3 victory over Brighton, including a 50-yard touchdown ... recruited by Utah, Utah State and Weber State.
Kaneakua Friel
6-4, 220, TE
Honolulu, HI (Kamehameha HS)
Under the direction of head coach Kanani Souza, helped lead the Warriors to an 8-3 record as a senior ... a Honolulu Star-Bulletin All-State selection ... recruited by Boise State, Oregon and Nevada.
Austen Jorgensen
6-3, 210, LB
Mt. Pleasant, UT (North Sanpete HS)
Graduated from North Sanpete HS in December ... currently enrolled at BYU ... an academic all-region selection as a senior ... an honor roll student for head coach Mark Wooton ... a four-year letterwinner ... earned all-state honorable mention honors as a sophomore ... an all-state second team selection as a junior ... led the state with 14 sacks, 12 tackles for a loss and 115 total tackles ... did not play during his senior season after breaking his leg during spring football ... a two-year letterwinner in basketball ... an all-region basketball player as a sophomore and junior ... won the state championship in the javelin as a sophomore and junior ... recruited by Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Boise State, Georgia Tech, Arizona State, Utah, Illinois, California and Notre Dame.
Ryan Kessman
6-0, 190, WR
San Jacinto, CA (San Jacinto HS)
An all-state receiver as a junior ... recorded 43 receptions for 848 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Tigers ... helped lead San Jacinto to the CIF Division 11 semifinals ... averaged 38 yards on punt returns and 46 yards on kickoff returns ... an all-region selection ... under the direction of head coach Bill Powell, helped lead the Tigers to the CIF title game as a senior ... carried the ball 102 times for 1,134 yards as a senior, averaging 11.2 yards per carry ... credited with 15 rushing touchdowns ... averaged 94.5 yards per game ... credited with 16 receptions for 188 yards and one touchdown in 2006 ... totaled a season-high 211 yards rushing in the Tigers' 38-37 win over Ontario Christian ... also ran for 204 yards in a 33-10 win over Citrus Hill ... listed among the top 100 recruits in California ... an All-Foothill League performer ... recruited by BYU, Arizona State, Hawaii, Miami (Fla.), Oregon, Texas Tech and UCLA.
Star Lotulelei
6-3, 245, DL
South Jordan, UT (Bingham HS)
A Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News 5-A first-team All-State selection ... credited with 72 tackles on the season, including seven sacks ... averaged 5.1 tackles per game ... credited with on interception on the season ... had a season-high nine tackles in the Miners' 38-12 win over Copper Hills ... had a season-high three sacks in Bingham's season-opening victory against Alta ... played in the East vs. West High School All-Star Game in Florida ... helped lead the Miners to their first state championship in 60 years with a 14-0 record ... listed as one of the top players in the state of Utah ... recruited by UNLV and Utah.
Levi Mack
6-5, 315, OL
Thatcher, AZ (Eastern Arizona JC)
Served an LDS Church mission in Russia ... will enroll at BYU with three years of eligibility ... graduated from Thatcher HS in 2002 ... anchored an offensive line that produced 3,550 yards of total offense, including 3,225 yards rushing on the season ... averaged 322.7 yards of total offense per game ... helped lead Easter Arizona to a 25-21 victory over top-ranked Snow College ... a 2006 All-Western States Football League second-team selection ... a Junior College Pre-Season All-American ... recruited by Arizona State, Nebraska, Oregon State, Texas, Texas Tech and Utah State.
Devin Mahina
6-6, 225, TE
Upland, CA (Upland HS)
Plans to serve an LDS Church mission before enrolling at BYU ... credited with 19 receptions for 373 yards, averaging 19.6 yards per reception ... had four touchdowns during his senior season ... had a season-high 151 yards receiving in Upland's 40-23 win over Claremont ... defensively, credited with 36 tackles, including 21 solos and 15 assisted takedowns ... averaged 4.0 tackles per game ... credited with six sacks on the season ... also credited with a blocked field goal and a blocked punt ... credited with two safeties ... an all-CIF performer ... recruited by Colorado, Oregon and UCLA.
Eathyn Manumaleuna
6-2, 269, OL
Provo, UT (Timpview HS)
A Salt Lake Tribune 4-A first-team All-State selection ... a Daily Herald Elite 11 All-Valley selection ... ranked second on the roster with five sacks, four hurries and three forced fumbles ... part of an offensive line that helped produce a 1,700-yard rusher and a 1,400-yard passer ... helped lead Timpview HS to the 2006 4-A State Championship title ... played for former BYU standout Louis Wong at Timpview HS ... blocked for an offense that produced 26.5 points per game ... high school teammate of BYU signees Houston Reynolds and cousin Famika Anae ... nephew of BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae ... recruited by Oregon.
Marcus Mathews
6-4, 200, WR
Beaverton, OR (Southridge HS)
An all-state second-team selection ... helped lead the Skyhawks to the state title game ... credited with over 50 receptions as a senior and scored seven touchdowns had 47 receptions for 690 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior ... earned all-metro honors ... named one of the top 10 players in the state by The Oregonian ... plans to serve and LDS Church mission ... recruited by California, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State and Utah.
Jason Munns
6-5, 225, QB
Kennewick, WA (Southridge HS)
Produced a 60.7 completion percentage as a senior ... completed 122 of 201 attempts with a league-high 18 touchdowns ... produced a league best 140.8 efficiency rating ... holds several school offensive records, including 5,957 career passing yards and 82 touchdown completions ... credited with 2,178 yards passing as a junior ... had 32 touchdown completions and was the Big Nine Co-Player of the year ... had 2,297 yards passing as a sophomore ... tallied a career record of 25-9 for head coach Andy Troxel ... other school records include 277 pass attempts during his sophomore season, 749 career pass attempts, 25 completions in a single game, 160 passes completed in a season and 441 passes completed over his career ... holds the single-game, single-season and career completion percentage records ... tied the school record with 337 yards passing in a game as a junior ... holds the single-season passing record with 2,297 yards as a sophomore ... produced a school record four games with five touchdown completions ... holds the single-season and career records for total offense, including 6,215 career yards ... recruited by Arizona State, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, USC, Washington, Washington State and Utah.
Gary Nagy
6-1, 180, S
Kahuku, HI (Kahuku HS)
A four-year letterwinner for coach Reggie Torres ... a team captain ... helped lead Kahuku HS to a second straight state championship ... Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star Bulletin frist-team All-State selection ... earned all-conference honors ... was selected as an OIA all-star performer ... participated in the Goodwill All-Star Game ... voted team's most outstanding special teams performer ... recorded four interceptions as a senior ... credited with 17 tackles ... plans to serve an LDS Church mission before enrolling at BYU ... also lettered in baseball, track, basketball, soccer and paddling ... an Eagle Scout ... recruited by Arizona, San Diego State, California, Oregon, New Mexico State, UNLV, Washington and Utah.
Jordan Pendleton
6-2, 195, S
South Jordan, UT (Bingham HS)
Under the direction of head coach Dave Peck, helped lead Bingham HS to its first state championship in 60 years ... a three-year starter ... Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News 5-A Most Valuable Player ... named the best overall athlete in the state by the Deseret Morning News ... credited with 40 receptions for 699 yards and 11 touchdowns ... on defense, tallied 89 tackles, five interceptions and eight pass deflections ... recruited by Utah.
G Pittman
5-9, 175, DB
Rancho Cucamonga, CA (Rancho Cucamonga HS)
Started at defensive back for head coach Nick Baiz ... totaled 58 tackles as a senior, including 35 solos ... credited with 1.5 sacks and two interceptions ... twice tallied a season-high eight tackles on the season ... credited with 96 tackles as a junior, including 69 solo takedowns ... had five games with 10 or more tackles ... credited with a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown against Corona Centennial in 2005 ... anchors the Rancho Cucamonga 4x100-meter relay team ... recruited by Colorado State, Oregon, San Diego State, UTEP, Washington State and Utah.
Houston Reynolds
6-2, 295, OL
Provo, UT (Timpview HS)
A Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News 4-A first-team All-State selection ... a Daily Herald Elite 11 All-Valley selection ... a four-year starter at Timpview HS ... plans to serve an LDS Church mission before enrolling at BYU ... helped lead Timpview HS to the 2006 4-A State Championship title ... played for former BYU standout Louis Wong at Timpview HS ... blocked for an offense that produced 26.5 points per game ... part of an offensive line that helped produce a 1,700-yard rusher and a 1,400-yard passer ... high school teammate of BYU signees Eathyn Manumaleuna and Famika Anae ... son of BYU assistant head coach Lance Reynolds ... brother Lance played at BYU ... brothers Dallas and Matt are current members of the BYU roster ... recruited by Arizona Stae, Iowa, Oregon, Stanford, Utah and Washington State.
Jordan Smith
6-4, 200, WR
Spanish Fork, UT (Spanish Fork HS)
A Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News 5-A first-team All-State selection ... earned second-team all-state honors as a junior ... clocked at 4.51 in the 40-yard dash ... credited with over 1,300 all-purpose yards ... totaled eight touchdowns on the season ... defensively, credited with three interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown ... plans to play one season before leaving on an LDS Church mission ... recruited by Arizona State, Oregon, Utah and Utah State.
Steven Thomas
5-11, 180, S
Chino Hills, CA (Chino Hills HS)
Under the direction of head coach Terry Roche, helped lead Chino Hills to an 8-3 overall record, including a 4-1 mark in league play ... credited with 31 receptions for 498 yards and four touchdowns as a senior ... totaled 49 tackles on the season, including 25 solo and 24 assisted takedowns ... averaged 4.5 tackles per game ... credited with one sack for a nine-yard loss on the season ... twice produced a season-high nine tackles ... had one fumble recovery and one blocked field goal during the season ... averaged 15.2 yards on nine punt returns ... had 12 kick returns for an average of 45.67 yards ... returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, including a 98-yarder in the Huskies' 42-25 win over Tesoro ... recruited by Utah.
Manaaki Vaitai
6-3, 299, OL
Euless, TX (Trinity HS)
A Dallas Morning News first-team All-State selection ... provided run blocking for the state's top rushing team, averaging 276 yards per game ... credited with 264 knockdowns ... a two-year starter for head coach Steve Lineweaveran ... helped lead the Trojans to an 11-1 record and a state championship game appearance ... a unanimous first-team District 7-5A offensive lineman ... named a Fort Worth Star-Telegram Super Teams first-team all-state selection ... earned MaxPreps second-team All-America honors ... received the Ray Verkerk Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award ... an Eagle Scout ... recruited by Baylor, Colorado State, Houston, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and TCU.
Aveni Leung Wai
6-1, 220, LB
Aiea, HI (Grossmont JC)
All-Foothill Conference first-team linebacker ... helped lead the Griffins to the California junior college state championship as a freshman ... plans to serve an LDS Church mission before enrolling at BYU ... prepped at Aiea High School in Oahu ... a first-team All-Foothill Conference selection.
Watch all the highlights as well as the entire signing day press conference on BYU All-Access at www.byucougars.com.
2007 Football Signees
Name HT WT POS HOMETOWN (Last School)
Famika Anae 6-5 260 OL Provo, Utah (Timpview HS)
David Angilau 6-2 255 DL Longmont, CO (Niwot HS)
Tyler Beck 6-1 205 LB Murrieta, CA (Vista Murrieta HS)
Brannon Brooks 5-10 175 DB Elk Grove, CA (Elk Grove HS)
Braden Brown 6-6 230 TE Salt Lake City, UT (Highland HS)
J.J. Di Luigi 5-9 188 RB Canyon Country, CA (Canyon HS)
Scotty Ebert 6-0 185 WR Sandy, UT (Jordan HS)
Kaneakua Friel 6-4 220 TE Honolulu, HI (Kamehameha HS)
Austen Jorgensen 6-3 210 LB Mt. Pleasant, UT (North Sanpete HS)
Ryan Kessman 6-0 190 WR San Jacinto, CA (San Jacinto HS)
Aveni Leung Wai 6-1 220 LB Aiea, HI (Grossmont JC)
Star Lotulelei 6-3 245 DL South Jordan, UT (Bingham HS)
Levi Mack 6-5 315 OL Thatcher, AZ (Eastern Arizona JC)
Devin Mahina 6-6 225 TE Upland, CA (Upland HS)
Eathyn Manumaleuna 6-2 269 OL Provo, UT (Timpview HS)
Marcus Mathews 6-4 200 WR Beaverton, OR (Southridge HS)
Jason Munns 6-5 225 QB Kennewick, WA (Southridge HS)
Gary Nagy 6-1 175 S Kahuku, HI (Kahuku HS)
Jordan Pendleton 6-2 195 S South Jordan, UT (Bingham HS)
G Pittman 5-9 175 DB Rancho Cucamonga, CA (Rancho Cucamonga HS)
Houston Reynolds 6-2 295 OL Provo, UT (Timpview HS)
Jordan Smith 6-4 200 WR Spanish Fork, UT (Spanish Fork HS)
Steven Thomas 5-11 180 S Chino Hills, CA (Chino Hills HS)
Manaaki Vaitai 6-3 299 OL Euless, TX (Trinity HS)