2023 Fall Camp: Practice 7: Coach Sione Po'uha and Defensive Tackles Preview

BYU practiced in full pads again Tuesday as it continues to prep for the 2023 season in fall camp. Today, BYU previews new defensive tackles coach Sione Po'uha and the defensive tackle position.

View the 2023 Fall Camp Photo Gallery. 

2023 BYU DEFENSIVE TACKLES
#	Name	HT	WT	YEAR	HOMETOWN, PREVIOUS SCHOOL
91	Cravens, Jackson*	6-2	305	Sr.	Provo, UT/Utah/Boise State
98	Dawe, Wyatt*	6-0	295	So.	Pleasant Grove, UT/Southern Utah
95	Haws, Caden	6-2	305	R-Jr.	Little Rock, AR/Pulaski Academy
62	Mahe, Atunaisa	6-1	315	R-Sr.	West Jordan, UT/West Jordan HS
96	Mitchell, Bruce	6-4	300	So.	Kamas, UT/South Summit HS
90	Latu, David*	6-4	300	So.	Bountiful, UT/Snow College
94	Nelson, John	6-4	280	Jr.	Salem, UT/Salem Hills HS
90	Singh, Joshua	6-0	275	R-So.	Orem, UT/Orem HS

*newcomer
Lost from 2022:
Josh Larsen, Alema Pilimai

Coach Preview - Sione Po'uha
Sione Po’uha enters his first year with BYU after joining Jay Hill’s new defensive staff in December 2022.

Po’uha is a former Utah defensive tackle (2001-04) and eight-year NFL veteran player who has coached at Navy and Utah since finishing his professional playing career.

A Salt Lake City native, Po’uha comes to BYU after coaching defensive tackles at Utah from 2018-2021 and serving in the same capacity at Navy for the 2018 season. He was also Utah's director of football player development under Kyle Whittingham in 2017 before going to Navy. Po’uha previously worked two years as a Utah student-assistant coach in 2015-16 while completing his undergraduate degree after finishing his NFL career.

Po’uha developed great defensive linemen while coaching at his alma mater. He was a big part of the development of Leki Fotu, John Penisini and Junior Tafuna, among others. Under Po'uha's tutelage, defensive tackle Fotu earned All-America Second Team honors from Walter Camp and FWAA, and third-team accolades from AP, while earning his second-consecutive first-team All-Pac-12 recognition. Penisini also earned second-team All-Pac-12. Fotu was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by Arizona, and Penisini was selected in the sixth round by Detroit. Tafuna was named the 2021 Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.

As a player, Po’uha completed his four-year career at Utah as a first-team All-Mountain West defensive lineman for the program’s undefeated Fiesta Bowl champion team in 2004 before embarking on an eight-year NFL career. He was selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft by the New York Jets and played in 106 games with 55 starts from 2005-12, accumulating 263 career tackles.

Po’uha will begin to make his mark on talented returners and newcomers alike as part of a defensive staff that saw numerous changes following the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Coach Po'uha at Practice August 8
On the defensive tackles
“Our guys are doing well, they’re progressing. During our very first meeting, I told them that my objective was for them to play at their very best. They’re each at different skill levels and have different strengths, so if they can each bring their most elite self to the team, then that’s when it becomes really fun. I’m helping each individual player become the very best at what they do and the techniques that we’re teaching them.” 

 On aggression in practice
“I like the aggression, but I don’t like punches. When that happens, you see that there’s a deficiency that needs to be retaught and supported in a way that they can be tough when that situation comes up again. As a coach, you have to say, ‘What made them go off the deep end and get in that situation, and “how do we strengthen that weakness? How can we cool our temper when it’s hot?” You have to coach them so when that happens again, it becomes a strength for them.” 

On the leaders in the defensive tackle room
“When I think about leading, I think of the person who can lead themself the best. He’s the leader. Leaders influence rather than dictate where everybody goes. When I look at a leader, I look at someone who can take care of their farm, and their farm looks so good that everyone wants to take care of their own farm too.”  

On defensive tackle Jackson Cravens
“Jackson is a strong player, a natural player. I coached him as a freshman when I was at Utah, so he understands the verbiage and expectations of this defense. He not only understands the expectations but he is the expectations. He’s been able to say, ‘this is the level we need to play at, this is the stoutness we need to have, this is the aggression we need to have in certain situations.’”  

Defensive tackles preview
Starters John Nelson and Caden Haws headline the returners as both enter their junior campaigns in 2023. Nelson started 11 games in 2022 and led BYU with three sacks. The 6-foot-4, 280-pounder also recorded 28 tackles (21 solo) with six tackles-for-loss, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.

Haws was one of just three BYU players to play in and start all 13 games last season, totaling 40 tackles (12 solo), two tackles-for-loss, a sack, pass breakup and fumble recovery. Appearing in 38 games for the Cougars since 2020, the Little Rock, Arkansas native, has amassed 86 total tackles (30 solo) and three pass breakups.

Impact transfer portal addition Jackson Cravens bolsters the group with 26 game appearances and 13 starts on a stout defensive line at Boise State (2019-22). Originally from Provo, Utah, the Timpview High product’s most dynamic year came in 2021 where he started in all 11 game appearances with 36 tackles, including 2.5 for-loss. In all, Cravens registered 69 career tackles with the Broncos, including five tackles for loss and three sacks.

Atunaisa Mahe returns for a senior campaign boasting plenty of gameplay experience, posting career numbers of 61 tackles (30 solo), four quarterback hurries and three sacks on 33 games played. BYU also returns underclassmen Joshua Singh and Bruce Mitchell. Both now sophomores, Singh has appeared in nine career games and Mitchell seven.

Snow College transfer David Latu signed in spring and aims to make an impact. As a freshman with the Badgers last year, the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder was a 2022 NJCAA Second Team All-America selection with 23 total tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.

Another new addition, Wyatt Dawe, joins the ranks from Southern Utah after appearing in two games for the Thunderbirds last season. 

Caden Haws at Fall Camp, August 8
On how things are going in fall camp so far:
"This is my fifth fall camp, and it's definitely the most physical. We're way further ahead than where we've been in years past. I'm really happy with where the [defensive] tackles are at. I'm really excited about our coaches, the scheme, and everybody's looked good so far."

On the defensive tackles group this year:
"It's been a great mix. I think our room in particular is probably the closest position group on the team. We have a lot of games played and a lot of leadership. Everybody's selfless and ready to do their job with whatever they're asked to do, whether that's to start, go in the rotation, let some younger guys get some reps, or help coach each other up. It's a selfless group."

On the intensity of practice:
"It's intense everyday. We come with the same type of mentality everyday, and we just want to be our best self. We practice at high levels and let the rest take care of itself. It's really focused on us doing what we need to do to get better and just being at our best."

On where he feels the team is ahead of previous camps:
"For the team as a whole, the expectations are clear. We know what we're doing in practice everyday and we know the tempo. Everybody's attitude is good. I don't think anybody comes everyday expecting to be the starter - I think the mentality has changed to where we're all out here competing and just trying to be our best selves."

On the new defensive scheme:
"It gives us a lot more freedom to do what we can do, like being explosive and getting in the backfield. Everybody wants more production out of the defensive tackles, and we are excited that this scheme frees us up and allows us to be physical. We know our assignments, techniques, and we just go play."