BYU Football picked up their highest-rated high school player of this recruiting cycle with 4-star safety/receiver Faletau Satauala. The signing is a huge get for the Cougars, and particularly the defense as Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill continues to build and recruit players who fit his scheme.
Satauala was a highly sought after high school recruit receiving offers from BYU, Utah, UCLA, USC, and Arizona to name a few.
It’s official ✍️
Cougar Nation 🤝 @faletausatuala pic.twitter.com/lwRvYdwKgo
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) January 6, 2024
BYU Football’s Excellent Recruiting Cycle
With the signing, BYU Football moves up to seventh in the Big 12 recruiting rankings according to 247 Sports. Nationally, the Cougars rank 51st in the nation, which to an average fan may not sound great, but when considering that the Cougars finished 66th last year, the positive momentum is promising as they continue to establish themselves in the Big 12 Conference despite a losing record last year.
Even more impressive, the Cougars have a better ranking than rival Utah, which is ranked 13th in the conference and 63rd overall. The Cougars haven’t finished a recruiting cycle higher than Utah since Utah joined the Pac 12 in 2011. If BYU is able to hold onto the higher ranking, it would show a shift in recruiting in the state, despite Utah coming into the season with the higher ranking.
The Big Flip
Many considered the Bountiful, Utah safety as a significant rival between Utah and BYU. Utah aimed to maintain their strong defensive dominance, while BYU tried to continue their momentum of getting great defensive players under Jay Hill.
There was a time when Sataula was considered a Utah lock, however as BYU started to gain some momentum early in the recruiting cycle, more analysts started to predict that the BYU would be able to flip the commitment.
In his response to why he chose BYU, Sataula said the following:
“Coach Jay Hill is doing something special, I just love being around him.”
Kalani Sitake’s Biggest Recruit
Head Coach Kalani Sitake has been with BYU Football since the 2016 season. In his time as the Head Coach, BYU has only had one player, Chaz Ah You, who has ranked higher than the 92 score that Sataula has according to 247 Sports.
What makes Sataula Kalani’s biggest recruit however isn’t just the composite score or star-rating, but also his versatility. Sataula wants to be a two-way player, and with teams like fellow Big 12 teams Utah and Colorado utilizing players to play both ways, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Last year, Faletau Satauala caught 54 passes for 799 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior this past fall while recording 86 total tackles and six interceptions on the defensive side of the ball. In other words, he dominated on both sides of the ball.
Even if Sataula only plays on defense, having a safety who knows how offensive routes look and has the catching ability to actually make interceptions could make him a prime candidate to be a star for the Cougars.
What’s Next For BYU Football?
Earlier this week, BYU Football picked up Gerry Bohanon from the transfer portal, who isn’t the sexiest QB get, but it at least makes the QB room more competitive. As of right now, the focus still needs to be the defensive line. At times last year, the Cougars looked solid, but as the season went on, they wore out and struggled to run Jay Hill’s defensive scheme.
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