BYU Football Continues to Prioritize Relationships in Recruiting
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake departs the team hotel ahead of the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl against Colorado at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.
When asked during Wednesday’s signing press conference about standout moments from the latest recruiting cycle, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, and defensive coordinator Jay Hill struggled to pick just one. Sitake emphasized that every experience had significance.
“They’re all memorable,” Sitake said. “If we mention one home, then we’ve got to mention all 30 of the people we’ve brought into the program since December, so it’d be hard to choose.”
He values the connections made with athletes, coaches, staff, and families.
“We just love bonding with these young men and their families,” Sitake said. “It’s been truly special to be in their homes, meet their parents, and understand their family values. It aligns perfectly with BYU’s culture and family atmosphere.”
Many believe that the relationships built between Cougar coaches and athletes have played a key role, even for players who didn’t initially commit to BYU.
In recent months, transfers like defensive lineman Keanu Tanuvasa and tight end Carsen Ryan had offers from top programs but ultimately chose BYU, partly due to their relationships with the staff.
Sitake believes in maintaining connections and being upfront about expectations.
“Keeping relationships is important, but so is honesty and constructive feedback,” Sitake said. “Everyone values feedback, even if it’s not what they want to hear.”
“We want players who want to be here for the right reasons, who share our vision and values. If it takes too much persuasion, they likely won’t contribute much on or off the field. We’ll stick with that approach, and it seems to be working.”
While athlete-coach relationships are crucial in recruiting, Sitake and his coordinators credit the entire staff.
“I feel like we have an elite staff in terms of recruiting,” Hill said. “I’d put our guys up against anyone in a home visit. Our assistant coaches did an incredible job on both sides of the ball, forming those key relationships that bring players to BYU.”
One notable recruitment was Clovis, Calif., standout McKay Madsen, who drew interest from major football programs.
“The whole staff was involved in recruiting McKay,” Roderick said. “Running backs coach Harvey Unga did a fantastic job down the stretch since we were competing against a couple of Top 5 teams.”
During his opening remarks, Sitake expressed gratitude for the efforts of coaches, staff, and the community in making the recruiting process successful.
“I always want to extend our appreciation to everyone involved in recruiting—our department here on campus, faculty, staff, players, and students,” Sitake said. “Recruits have talked about the energy at games and events. Many have attended home games and understand the significance of sports at BYU.”
“I also want to deeply thank our coaching staff. These guys have worked tirelessly, traveling and recruiting hard to assemble one of the best classes in BYU history. The momentum they’ve built over the last few years has helped us sign outstanding young men, as well as develop players with incredible potential.”