BYU Freshman Defensive End Hirkley Latu Enters Transfer Portal

PROVO, Utah – Redshirt freshman defensive end Hirkley Latu has entered the NCAA transfer portal according to reports and confirmed by KSL Sports.

Latu, a member of Kalani Sitake’s first recruiting class at BYU in 2016, was a three-star recruit coming out of Kahuku High School in Hawaii.

In high school, Latu originally committed to BYU and the Cougars previous coaching staff under Bronco Mendenhall.  The summer before Latu’s senior season at Kahuku, he de-committed from the Cougars and opened up his recruitment.

Latu later turned down offers from Utah, Utah State, and Oregon State before ultimately signing with BYU in February of 2016 when Kalani Sitake became the head coach.

Thank you cougar nation! pic.twitter.com/qOo1G7jENq

— Hirkley Latu (@hirklatu) August 23, 2019

Latu served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Atlanta, Georgia before enrolling at Brigham Young University in 2017.

Coming out of Kahuku, Latu was 200 pounds and playing the safety position. During his career with the Cougars, he bulked to 240 pounds and was moved to outside linebacker then this past fall camp was moved to defensive end.

Last season, Latu was projected to see time at linebacker but he suffered a season-ending injury that sidelined him the entire year.

This past month, Latu had been competing in fall camp practices but according to sources was not in attendance at BYU’s final scrimmage of camp this past Wednesday.

When players enter the NCAA’s Transfer Portal, they are immediately available to be contacted by other universities and coaching staffs around the country.  Student-athletes also lose their scholarship privileges with the current university they are attending once they enter the portal.

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