BYU football signs 19 recruits on Wednesday

PROVO, Utah (Dec. 15, 2021) — BYU head coach Kalani Sitake announced 19 signees to its 2022 recruiting class on Wednesday at the conclusion of the first day of the early signing period for college football.

“I am excited to add this group of talented young men to our program,” Sitake said. “There are some players that we definitely expect to contribute right away and others going on missions we look forward to joining us in a couple of years. All of these players are great fits for this university and will be a welcome addition to our football program.”

The 19 new members of the BYU football program come from four states and feature 10 offensive players and nine on defense with several signees who could play multiple positions on either side of the ball.

The 10 offensive players include five linemen, four receivers and one tight end, while BYU’s nine defensive recruits include four linemen, three linebackers and two defensive backs.

On offense, Oregon offensive line transfer Kingsley Suamataia (6-6, 330, Orem HS) and Corner Canyon High School receiver Cody Hagen, the 2021 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, headline a talented group of new additions.  Suamataia was the Utah 5A MVP as a senior in 2020 and was rated a five-star recruit considered one of the top offensive tackles in the country in class of 2021: No. 5 (Rivals), No. 6 (247Sports), No. 11 (ESPN).

Hagen (6-1, 180, Corner Canyon HS), the top receiver recruit in Utah, leads a fleet-footed receiver group that also includes Dominique McKenzie (6-0, 165, Pine View HS), Parker Kingston (6-0, 175, Roy HS) and Jarinn Kalama (6-3, 195, Wasatch HS). Hagen amassed 201 receptions for 3,927 yards and 51 touchdowns during his prep career, including 89 receptions for 1,805 yards (129/game) and 23 touchdowns in 2021. Meanwhile, tight end signee Noah Moeaki (6-3, 220, American Fork HS) adds another strong pass-catching threat to the Cougar arsenal.

Newcomers joining the offensive and defensive lines make up nearly half of those who signed on Wednesday. In addition to Suamataia, BYU’s offensive line signees include Peter Falaniko (6-3, 315, Pine View HS), Trevin Ostler (6-6, 260, Bountiful HS), Vae Soifua (6-4, 290, Orem HS) and Talin Togiai (6-5, 291, Rigby HS). 

BYU’s defensive front will be bolstered by four-star prospect Aisea Moa (6-3, 245, Weber HS), Utah’s top defensive line prospect, who totaled 73 tackles, 10.5 sacks, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown in 2021.  Fellow Utah-native Kaden Chidester (6-8, 240, Richfield HS) and Arizona products Cooper Ross (6-5, 245, Heritage Academy) and Brooks Jones (6-6, 190, American Leadership Academy), brother of BYU defensive back Dean Jones, also join the class.

Linebackers signing with the Cougars on Wednesday included Maika Kaufusi (6-4, 185, Alta HS), Liutai Kinikini (6-3, 195, West HS) and Micah Wilson (6-3, 215, Corner Canyon HS). Wilson, the younger brother of All-American quarterback Zach Wilson, will join his brother Josh in the BYU linebacker room, while Kaufusi, the brother of former linebacker star Isaiah Kaufusi, also joins his brother Jackson on the linebacker roster.

The BYU secondary received official commitments from cornerbacks Cannon DeVries (6-0, 165, Weber HS) and Marcus McKenzie (6-0, 165, Pine View HS). McKenzie and his brother, receiver signee, Dominique, are twin sons of former BYU running back Brian McKenzie (1996-97) and former Cougar track athlete Salote O’Reilly (1996-2000).

In all, BYU signed 16 players from Utah along with two from Arizona and one from Idaho. Wasatch High School receiver Jarinn Kalama, who hails from Honolulu but finished his prep career in Heber City with the Wasps, also represents Hawai’i in the class.

Selecting the links below (in the order in which they signed) provides individual biographical Information and highlight videos on each new signee.