BYU COUGARS
BYU Football OL Vae Soifua Enters NCAA Transfer Portal
May 1, 2023, 4:15 PM
View inside the BYU Football Indoor Practice Facility. (Ryan Sun, Deseret News)
(Ryan Sun, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – As the Transfer Portal window closes, BYU football had another player squeeze in.
That would be redshirt freshman offensive lineman Vae Soifua.
After some prayer and talks with my family I have decided to enter the transfer portal with 4 years of eligibility. Thank you to all the coaches at BYU and everyone who has helped me to this point. Nothing but love.🖤🤞🏾
— VaeSoifua (@vae_soifua) May 1, 2023
“After some prayer and talks with my family I have decided to enter the transfer portal with 4 years of eligibility,” wrote Soifua on Twitter. “Thank you to all the coaches at BYU and everyone who has helped me to this point. Nothing but love.”
A former signee in the 2022 recruiting class out of Orem High School, Soifua didn’t appear in any games during his one season with the BYU football program.
Vae Soifua signed with BYU in 2022
The 6-foot-4, 296-pound Soifua competed in spring ball and saw second-team reps during the early part of spring practice. But as spring progressed, he wasn’t appearing as often in the second unit. Soifua often took snaps at the guard position.
Coming out of Orem High, Soifua signed with BYU over offers from Florida Atlanta, Louisiana Tech, UNLV, Utah State, and other Group of Five and FCS programs.
The NCAA’s spring transfer portal window closed on April 30. That was the official deadline for student-athletes to notify their current institutions that they would be entering. The schools then have 48 hours to submit the player’s name into the portal. That’s why Soifua’s name popped up after the April 30 deadline.
Soifua is the fifth high school prospect from BYU’s 2022 recruiting class to move on.
BYU football moves forward along the offensive line
With Soifua out of the mix to compete for a reserve spot along the interior of the offensive line, names to watch for include Trevin Ostler, Tyler Little, and Peter Falaniko as players to contend for spots along the second unit.
Soifua brings BYU’s number of Transfer Portal entries to 21 for the 2023 transfer portal cycle.
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 Mitch’s coverage of BYU moving to the Big 12 Conference on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
