On national signing day earlier this month BYU added four new commits to their Class of 2019: JUCO defensive back Dimitri Gallow, receiver Javelle Brown, 3-star defensive lineman Cade Albright, and running back Luc Andrada.
That takes the total number of signees to 18, which is a relatively small recruiting class and thereby less likely to carry a great recruiting ranking.
However, BYU also “signed” their largest ever class of preferred walk-ons, with a bunch joining the squad as part of the Class of 2019.
The Cougs also held their walk-on tryout and a few more to the mix.
That means there are actually more than 30 new players joining the BYU football team as part of the class of 2019.
Throw in the 18 players who are returning from LDS missions or who have waited out a year as transfers and there are going to be a whole lot of new players in 2019.
The following is a comprehensive list of all the players joining BYU as the expanded Class of 2019 (signees, PWOs, and RMs), complete with prep summaries and highlights (listed alphabetically by last name). Click on their names to go to their BYU Insider profile which includes expanded statistics, measurables, recruitment list, and interviews.
Note: This list will be updated throughout year
Ah You, Chaz (LB, RM, c/o 2018). 4-star Ah You spent his senior season at Timpview High School where as a senior he had 56 tackles, three interceptions with two returned for touchdowns, and six forced fumbles. He also caught 36 passes for 659 yards and four touchdowns. He also played on the basketball team and place seventh in the state championships in long jump his sophomore year. Ah You held scholarship offers from Boise State, BYU, Duke, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, Utah, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington, Washington State, and Wisconsin.
Cade Albright (DL, Feb. 6 signee). 3-star Albright preps at San Juan Hills (Orange County, California), where as a senior he had 62 tackles (47 solo), three passes defended, one fumble forced and one recovered, two blocked punts, 25 hurries, 33 tackles for loss and 19 sacks. He has scholarship offers to UCLA, Utah, Utah State and Yale.
Trey Andersen (TE, committed by not yet signed). Serving an LDS mission directly from high school, the plan is to sign as part of the Class of 2021. 3-star Andersen preps at Lehi (Utah), where as a senior he caught 28 passes for 487 yards and two touchdowns. He also plays for the basketball team.
Luc Andrada (RB/WR, Feb. 6 signee). Andrada preps at Pueblo East High School (Pueblo, CO), where as a senior he completed 203-of-353 passes (.575) for 3135 yards and 33 touchdowns against 7 interceptions. He also rushed 131 times for 886 yards (6.8 avg.) and 16 more scores, and caught a 48 yard touchdown pass. In track Andrada won the 4A state title in the 100 meters (10.66) and placed second in the 200 (21.41)
Tyler Batty (DL, RM, c/o 2017). 3-star Batty prepped at Payson High School (Payson, UT), where in eight games as a senior he had one touchdown reception, 50 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks. He earned a most valuable player award at the tight end position at the All-Poly Camp in 2016. He held scholarship offers from Air Force, Hawaii, Utah, and Utah State.
Javelle Brown (WR/RB, Feb. 6 signee). Brown preps at Mira Mesa High School (San Diego, CA), where he played at running back, wide receiver, defensive back, and kick returner. As a senior he rushed 78 times for 652 yards (8.4 avg) and six touchdowns, caught 33 passes for 540 yards and three scores, and returned 10 kicks for 291 yards and a touchdown. On defense he recorded 17 tackles, one pass defended, and a sack. He also competes on the track and field team.
Bywater, Ben (LB/RB, RM?). As a senior at Olympus high school (Salt Lake City, UT) 3-star Bywater rushed 133 times for 766 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 10 passes for 77 yards. On defense he had 95 tackles (21 solo) with 10 tackles for loss, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and one sack. He holds scholarship offers from Air Force, Cornell, Fresno State, and Utah State.
Caleb Christensen (DB, Dec. 19 signee). 3-star Christensen preps at Sky View high school (Smithfield, UT) where his senior season was stunted by injury and MCL surgery. However he still managed three carries for 20 yards, three receptions for 51 yards, 18 tackles (seven solo), and seven kick returns for 346 yards (49.4 avg) with one touchdown. Christensen also runs on the track team and recorded a 10.92 time in the 2018 Utah State championships (2nd in state in 4A classification), with a 22.61 200m (6th), and 23-1 on the long jump (1st). He holds scholarship offers from Dixie State and Southern Utah.
Jacob Conover (QB, Dec. 19 signee). 4-star Conover preps at Chandler high school (Chandler, AZ) where as a senior he competed 223-of-327 passes (.682) for 3306 yards and 38 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He carried the ball 50 times for 264 yards and two more touchdowns. ESPN rates Conover the no. 5 pocket passing quarterback nationally. He received scholarship offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Memphis, Nevada, Northwestern, Ole Miss, Oregon State, South Carolina, Utah State, and Washington State.
Michael Daley (LB, Dec. 19 signee). Michael Daley is a 6-foot-3 225 pound outside linebacker and defensive end who preps at Lone Peak High School (Alpine, Utah). As a senior he recorded 77 tackles (50 solo), with three passes defended, two fumble recoveries with one forced, four blocked punts, six quarterback hurries, 36 tackles for loss, and 24 sacks. Daley has scholarship offers from Air Force, BYU and UNLV and has also seen recruiting interest from Princeton, Rice, TCU, Utah State, and Yale.
Eric Ellison (DB, Dec. 19 signee). Ellison is a 6-foot-0, 170 pound running back that played cornerback last season at Mt. San Jacinto College in California. He rushed twice for 46 yards, caught 21 passes for 459 yards and four touchdowns, returned 11 kickoffs for 158 yards and eight punts for 142 (17.8 avg). On defense he had 13 tackles (12 solo) and a pass breakup. Ellison prepped at Banning High School (Wilmington, CA), where he played running back, wide receiver, cornerback, and returned kicks. As a junior he returned four kickoffs for 193 yards (48.3 avg) and two touchdowns, three punts for 153 yards (51 avg) and another score. On defense he had 56 tackles (34 solo), three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), caught 17 passes for 436 yards and eight touchdowns, and rushed 78 times for 806 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also played on the basketball team and ran track. He held scholarship offers from Idaho State, New Mexico, Northern Arizona, UNLV, and Washington State.
Ethan Erickson (TE, Dec. 19 signee). 3-star preps at Kahuku High School (Laie, Hawaii), where he plays tight end, punts, and is on the basketball team. He holds scholarship offers from BYU, Navy, and Utah State, and has seen recruiting interest from Eastern Washington, Fresno State, UCLA, and Weber State. Mission first.
Fevaleaki, Seleti (DL, RM?). 3-star Fevaleaki preps at Centennial high school (Corona, CA), where he played in seven games as a senior (2016) and had 29 total tackles (6 solo), with six tackles for loss and three pass deflections. He held scholarship offers from Boise State, Hawaii, New Mexico, and UNLV. He is returning from an LDS mission to join the Class of 2019.
Blake Freeland (OL/ATH, Dec. 19 signee). 6-foot-8 260 pound Freeland preps at Herriman high school (Herriman, UT) where he has played a number of positions including quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, defensive end, and now center. As a senior the 3-star athlete caught 13 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown on offense, and had five tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception for a touchdown as part of the defense. He held scholarship offers from Utah and Vanderbilt. His father Jim was a linebacker for the BYU football team in the 1990s and his mother was a three year all-conference basketball player for the Cougs.
Funa, Solofa (LB, RM). Funa prepped at Spanish Fork high school (Spanish Fork, UT) where he played tight end, defensive end, and linebacker. As a senior he carried the ball 67 times for 357 yards and five touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 243 yards. On defense he made 35 tackles (21 solo), with 5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, one interception, and three sacks. Prior to suiting up for the SF Dons he played at Servite high school (home of Jherremya Leuta-Doouyere and Butch Pau’u) where he also played both sides of the ball. He is now home from an LDS mission and is projected to play linebacker.
Dimitri Gallow (DB, Feb. 6 signee). Gallow spent 2016-2018 at Mt. San Jacinto College (San Jacinto, CA) where as a sophomore (2017) he had 31 tackles and four pass break-ups, being named to the All-American Mountain Conference first-team. As a freshman (2016) he recorded 19 tackles (15 solo) and three interceptions and was also named to the All-Conference team. Gallow prepped at Valley View High School (Moreno Valley, CA). Gallow held scholarship offers from Purdue and UNLV. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Brock Gunderson (OL, Dec. 19 signee). Gunderson is a 6-foot-4, 265 offensive tackle that preps at Cypress Woods High School (Cypress, Texas) where he also plays on the basketball team. As a sophomore he was named to the UIL All-District 17-6A second team as well as the academic first-team for football and basketball. He holds scholarship offers from Air Force, Army, New Mexico, North Texas, Purdue, UNLV, USU, and UTEP. Gunderson has plans to serve an LDS mission following high school and will join the Cougars in 2021.
Donovan Hanna (TE, RM, c/o 2017). Hanna prepped at American Leadership Academy (ALA) in Queen Creek, Arizona, where he became the first student from the Academy to be signed to play D-1 football. As a senior he had 53 receptions for 989 yards (18.7 avg) and 10 touchdowns and 29 tackles, with five tackles for loss, and four sacks. He was also a two-year all-state performer on the basketball team, averaging 20.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game as a senior. He saw recruiting interest from Colorado, Northern Arizona, and San Diego State.
Ammon Hannemann (DB, RM, c/o 2017). 3-star Hannemann prepped at Lone Peak High School (UT), where as a senior he recorded 61 tackles (40 solo), with four passes defended, one fumble recovery, and two interceptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Hannemann also competed for Lone Peak’s track and field team in the 100m, 200m, 400m, javelin, and long jump. He served in the California Roseville mission and will join the Cougs in 2019.
Caden Haws (OL, c/o 2016). Haws prepped at Pulaski Academy (Little Rock, AR), where he started all 40 games from 2013-15. As a junior his team won the 5A state title and Haws was named to the All-Arkansas second team. Pulaski repeated as state champs in 2015 and Haws was named to the USA Today All-Arkansas team, All-Arkansas First-Team, and was voted team MVP by his coaches. While highlight reels for centers aren’t usually too exciting, Haws has a nasty streak and his HUDL reel (shown below) is worth checking out. He held scholarship offers from Air Force, Army, BYU, and Navy and was also recruited by Arkansas, Arkansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah, and Yale.
Kimball Henstrom (CB, PWO commit). Henstrom preps at Alta High (Draper), where as a senior he recorded 25 tackles, with 3.5 tackles for loss, four passes defended, a fumble recovery and two interceptions with 48 return yards and one touchdown. His father Doug played football at BYU in 1992 and 1996-99
Keanu Hill (WR, Dec. 19 signee). Hill preps at Trinity High School (Euless, Texas), where he also plays on the basketball team. As a senior he had 37 receptions for 616 yards and three touchdowns. He held scholarship offers from BYU and Wyoming and saw interest from Texas Tech. Hill father Lloyd was an All-American at Texas Tech and played for the Chicago Bears and in the Arena Football League, while his uncle Roy Williams played for the Dallas Cowboys
Cade Hoke (MLB, PWO commit). Hoke preps at North Allegheny High (Wexford, Pennsyvania), where as a senior he had 86 tackles (47 solo), 14 tackles for loss, two passes defended, a fumble recovery and five sacks. He missed his entire junior season with a torn ACL and consequently flew under the radar as a recruit. His father Chris played at BYU (1994, 1997-2000) before spending 12 years in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Fisher Jackson (FS/WR, PWO commit). The 6-foot-5 Jackson preps at Herriman High, where as a senior he had three carries for six yards, 14 receptions for 135 yards and four touchdowns, 44 tackles (15 solo), two passes defended, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and five interceptions. He also plays rugby and holds scholarship offers from Montana State-Northern and Southern Virginia
Jake Jensen (QB, PWO). Jensen preps at Pleasant Grove High School (Pleasant Grove, UT), where as a senior he completed 141-of-244 passes (.578) for 2431 yards and 21 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He also scored three touchdowns on the ground. A three years starter for PG, Jensen has 460 career completions for 7423 yards and 61 touchdowns, with an additional 16 touchdowns rushing. Jensen has seen recruiting interest from Arizona State, Boise State, Cal, Colorado, Dixie, Hawaii, Montana, SUU, UCLA, Utah, and Utah State. He will serve an LDS mission in Argentina prior to joining the team as a preferred walk-on in 2021.
Carter Krupp (CB/ATH, PWO commit). As a senior at Woodcreek High (Roseville, California) Krupp completed 80 of 147 passes for 1,157 yards and 17 touchdowns (against only three interceptions), rushed 87 times for 614 yards and 14 more scores, had a 57-yard interception returned for a touchdown, punted 15 times for 577 yards (38.5 avg.) and kicked 43 PATs. If that’s not enough, he also plays on the Woodcreek baseball and basketball teams. Krupp was named to the All-Metro second team and was the conference utility player of the Year. By the way, he says Taysom Hill is his favorite player
Spencer Lambert (SS/RB, PWO). Lambert preps at ThunderRidge High School (Highlands Ranch, CO), where as a senior he rushed 210 times for 1614 yards (7.7 avg) and 19 touchdowns, with 28 receptions for 504 yards and two more scores. He was named his conference’s Offensive Player of the Year. On defense he had five tackles with three passes defended.
Preston Lewis (LB). Summary coming soon.
Freddy Livai (DL, Class of 2016). Livai prepped at A.B. Miller High School, where Livai played defensive end and strongside linebacker. As a junior he recorded 93 tackles, 9 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception and 18 tackles for loss. Livai was named to the all-league team as a junior and ranked as one of the top 10 defensive performers at a Rivals Camp series event in Las Vegas (February 2015). Livai held scholarship offers from Colorado, Oregon State, UNLV, Washington State, and Weber State and also saw recruiting interest from Boise State, CSU, New Mexico, Oregon, Sacramento State, SDSU, Stanford, UCLA, USC, and UTEP. Livai was a bit of a surprise commitment to BYU and it has been reported that he made his goal to play at BYU after his frother Talia, who wanted to play at BYU, passed away in a car accident
Brooks Maile (DL, Dec. 19 signee). Maile preps at Pine View High School, where as a sophomore he had 63 tackles (32 solo) with five tackles for loss, two passes defended, a blocked punt, and a sack. He was a Class 3AA All-State honorable mention and All-Region second team. He was also the sophomore class president and plays rugby and basketball. Maile is rated 2-stars by Rivals and is not yet rated by Scout or ESPN. He has plans to serve an LDS mission following High School and joining the Cougars for the 2021 season.
Jackson McChesney (RB, Class of 2017). McChesney is a 5’11” 190 pound running back/wide receiver/free safety that preps at Lone Peak High School (UT). As a freshman he averaged 12 yards per carry, rushing 18 times for 212 yards and four touchdowns. As a sophomore he had 35 carries for 250 yards and three touchdowns, and 26 receptions for 284 touchdowns (10.9 ave) for four more touchdowns. He also stars on the track team, finishing 2nd in the 5A 100m with a 10.95 time. He has also recorded a 22.25 200m time (3rd in 5A), a 54.84 400m and can long jump 19’9” (5th in Region 4). His measurable are pretty impressive, recording a 4.46 forty, 4.24 shuttle, and 123.24 SPARQ (ranked #2 nationally for the Class of 2017) at the LA Nike SPARQ combine after his freshman year. McChesney is rated 3-stars by Rivals and Scout, and is not yet ranked by or ESPN. BYU was McChesney’s first scholarship offer and he committed as a HS sophomore. Scout.com shows that he has seen some interest from Alabama, Auburn, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Utah, Utah State, and Washington
Alex Miskela (LB, Class of 2018). Miskela prepped at Los Alamitos High School (Bellflower, CA), where he played his senior season at linebacker after being the starting defensive tackle for St. John Bosco as a junior. At Los Alamitos he was a big-time player, registering 3.5 sacks against returning Sunset league champs Edison High and then another big sack on the final play of their next game against Huntington Beach. With the position change he slimmed down from 237 to 220 and improved his 40 time to 4.56 while also improving his lifting numbers in the gym. Miskela held scholarship offers from BYU and Idaho State and saw recruiting interest from Arizona State, Army, Cal, UC-Davis, Idaho, Utah, and Washington State
Bruce Mitchell (DL, Dec. 19 signee). Mitchell preps at South Summit High School, where he as a junior he had 50 solo tackles and four sacks at defensive tackle while also playing on the offensive line. He helped lead his team to a football state title in 2017 and he also plays for the basketball team. BYU is his first scholarship offer. He plans to enroll in 2021 after serving an LDS mission
Parker Nicoll (DE, PWO commit). Nicoll preps at Bountiful High, where as a senior he recorded 63 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hurries, five passes defended, three sacks, one forced fumble and two interceptions returned for touchdowns (118 total return yards). He was named to the All-State first team (5A) and was the Defensive MVP for Region 5
Jake Oldroyd (K). Summary coming soon.
Jake Petersen (WR/CB, PWO). Pedersen preps at Orem High School (Orem, UT), where as a senior he caught 11 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He also plays on the basketball team.
Keenan Pili (LB). Summary coming soon.
Alema Pilimai (TE). Summary coming soon.
Ryan Rehkow (P). Summary coming soon.
Isaac Rex (TE). Summary coming soon.
Dalton Riggs (PWO). Summary coming soon.
Chase Roberts (WR, Dec. 19 signee). Summary coming soon.
Ethan Slade (SS/CB, PWO commit). As a senior at Orem High, Slade had 96 tackles (50 solo), six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, 24 passes defended and eight interceptions with three returned for touchdowns. He also returned four kickoffs for 170 yards (42.5 avg) and two touchdowns, and one punt for a 58-yard touchdown. Slade led the state in interceptions (4A) and helped his team to back-to-back state titles
Bailey Sulzer (RB/MLB, PWO commit). Sulzer preps at West Valley High (Cottonwood, California), where as a senior he rushed 283 times for 2,054 yards (7.3 avg) and 29 touchdowns. He also had nine receptions for 93 yards and a score, had 150 tackles (95 solo), 17 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hurries, an interception, three passes defended, four forced fumbles with two recoveries and three sacks. In three years as a starter he has 4,048 yards of total offense with 59 touchdowns. On offense he has accrued 255 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, two interceptions, six forced fumbles and six sacks
George Udo (DB, Dec. 19 signee). Summary cming soon.
Eli Unutoa (OL, Dec. 19 signee). Summary Coming soon.
Nathan Upham (WR, PWO commit). Upham preps at Skyridge High (Lehi), where as a senior he had one carry for nine yards, 54 receptions for 1,157 yards (21.4 avg) and 13 touchdowns, four solo tackles, one pass defended, one fumble recovery and two interceptions for 41 yards. He runs a 4.53 forty and has a scholarship offer from SUU
Masen Wake (FB, PWO commit). Wake preps at Lone Peak High (Highland), where as a senior he rushed 174 times for 1,263 yards (7.3 avg) and nine touchdowns, caught 19 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns, and had nine tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hurry and one sack. He was instrumental in helping Lone Peak to a 6-A state title, rushing 22 times for 133 yards and a touchdown in the state championship game. He was named to the 6-A All-State first tea
Carter Wheat (TE, Dec. 19 signee). Summary coming soon.
Seth Willis (OL). Summary coming soon.
Alec Wyble-Meza (RB, PWO commit). Wyble-Meza spent last season at Scottsdale Community College where he was second in the conference (and eighth nationally) in rushing with 181 carries for 1,018 yards (5.6 avg) and six touchdowns. He was the team’s offensive MVP. Meza also represented the United States in 2018 on the Under-19 National Team in the world championship. Meza prepped at Santa Cruz Valley High School (Eloy, AZ), where as a senior he carried the rock 85 times for 1,109 yards (13 avg) and 17 touchdowns. He also had three receptions for 107 yards and two more scores. On defense he had 52 tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hurry, one sack, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries, and one interception. Meza was named to the All-Region first team and was the region’s offensive MVP. He holds scholarship offers from Adams State, Eastern New Mexico, Fort Lewis and Jacksonville
You made it to the end of this page. Congratulations, that is quite an accomplishment.
Hey can you do me a solid. I’ve never made a comprehensive summary page like this… it took a lot of work and I would like to know if it is useful/something readers want.
Would you mind either posting in the comments below or shooting me an email (tyler@byuinsider.com) and let me know what you like or don’t like about this page? Cheers, that would be super. Have a great day and Go Cougs!
