Transfer Portal Roundup For BYU Football Heading Into 2022 Season

PROVO, Utah – We’ve reached a point in the off-season where the Transfer Portal might see some slower activity. After May 1, undergrad student-athletes won’t be able to take advantage of the NCAA’s one-time transfer waiver to be immediately eligible for the 2022 season.

The rule applies to all student-athletes in fall and winter sports.

Undergrad players can still submit their names into the portal, but they’ll need to get a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible to play in the 2022-23 academic year.

✔️ + 🤙 + 🏈 = 💙 pic.twitter.com/pHdamDulG1

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) March 8, 2022

For BYU football, the Transfer Portal has proven to be a spot where they can get impactful players. Last year, BYU landed the Nacua brothers, Kaleb Hayes and Jakob Robinson. All four of those players significantly impacted BYU’s 10-win campaign last year.

In 2019, BYU signed Ty’Son Williams from South Carolina. Williams played in only four games at BYU before an ACL injury, but he was good enough to earn an opportunity with the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.

“We’re always going to look at the transfer portal to see if there are people that fit what we’re trying to get done as a team,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. “I think, so far, we have a good track record of guys that have been in the transfer portal that we signed and have performed for us.”

Sitake has always shown a willingness to keep tabs on the portal if it’s a player that can improve his program. But they’ll have to be the right guy for BYU.

“I don’t know if we’re going to make a living signing half of our class on the transfer portal. But if they are a fit in what we expect them to do, and how to perform, and how to behave here, that’s going to be someone we’re definitely going to look at,” said Sitake.

What has BYU done in the portal for the 2022 cycle? Here’s a recap of BYU’s portal activities since August 1, 2021.

BYU players that entered the Transfer Portal

* = Walk-on

• Caleb Christensen, DB (Withdrew from the portal, returned to BYU)
• Sione Finau, RB/DB
• Bentley Hanshaw, TE (Signed with Liberty)
• Christopher Jackson, WR (Signed with Hawaii)
• Cade Parrish, OL (Signed with Utah State)
• Rhett Reilly, QB*
• Baylor Romney, QB (Left football, began a career at Adobe)
• Viliami Tausinga, LB
• Victory Vaka, DL*
• Jacques Wilson, DB

A total of ten players from BYU’s roster last year entered the transfer portal. Out of those ten, four are expected on FBS rosters this fall, including Caleb Christensen, who withdrew from the portal to return to BYU for spring practices.

There’s always the possibility of additional players entering the portal, but for now, portal activity has come to a halt.

BYU will face former tight end Bentley Hanshaw, when the Cougars travel to Lynchburg on October 22 to face the Liberty Flames.

Praise God 🙌🏽 extremely proud of you ! @Chris24yackson @PFF_College pic.twitter.com/vI2GPV59Nl

— Lee Moreno (@mrleemoreno) April 14, 2022

Wide receiver Christopher Jackson was a key contributor in BYU’s win over Arizona last season. He landed in the Mountain West Conference with Timmy Chang’s Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

Portal commits BYU received during the 2022 cycle

• Kingsley Suamataia, OT (Oregon)
• Christopher Brooks, RB (Cal)
• Houston Heimuli, FB/TE (Stanford)
• Gabe Jeudy-Lally, CB (Vanderbilt)
• Sione Veikoso, OT (Arizona State)

BYU picked up a top-five Transfer Portal prospect in the 2022 cycle in Oregon offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia. His family was a big motivator for the 6-foot-6 tackle from Orem to transfer back to his home state.

SIGNED ✍️🤙

Oregon transfer OL Kingsley Suamataia (@baby76kings). A former 5-star recruit out of Orem High.#BYUFootball #NSD22 #RoyalCrew22 pic.twitter.com/Z40jpAb2XF

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 15, 2021

Suamataia was running primarily with the first-team offensive line at right tackle during spring practices.

Christopher Brooks led Cal in rushing yards during the 2019 season. The following two seasons, he was in a running back-by committee battle and dealt with injuries. However, through a month of spring ball, Brooks, a grad transfer, appeared to be a perfect fit in BYU’s wide zone offense. As a result, he will likely have the first crack at filling the shoes left behind by Atlanta Falcons draft pick Tyler Allgeier.

Houston Heimuli has strong BYU ties. His father, Lakei, was a running back for BYU during the 1984 National Championship season. Houston’s older brother, Hema, is an employee at BYU Broadcasting. The former Stanford captain will finish his college career at BYU as a preferred walk-on.

In March, BYU picked up a commitment from Vanderbilt cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally. Jeudy-Lally is a graduate transfer with three years of eligibility remaining. He was a full-time starter for the Commodores in the nation’s toughest conference, the SEC.

On May 5, BYU added Sione Veikoso from Arizona State. A 6-foot-7 offensive tackle that has four years of eligibility remaining.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.

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