BYU Football Continues to Prioritize Relationships in Recruiting<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
When asked during Wednesday\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re all memorable,\u201d Sitake said. \u201cIf we mention one home, then we\u2019ve got to mention all 30 of the people we\u2019ve brought into the program since December, so it\u2019d be hard to choose.\u201d<\/p>\n
He values the connections made with athletes, coaches, staff, and families.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just love bonding with these young men and their families,\u201d Sitake said. \u201cIt\u2019s been truly special to be in their homes, meet their parents, and understand their family values. It aligns perfectly with BYU\u2019s culture and family atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many believe that the relationships built between Cougar coaches and athletes have played a key role, even for players who didn\u2019t initially commit to BYU.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Sitake believes in maintaining connections and being upfront about expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeeping relationships is important, but so is honesty and constructive feedback,\u201d Sitake said. \u201cEveryone values feedback, even if it\u2019s not what they want to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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\u2019t contribute much on or off the field. We\u2019ll stick with that approach, and it seems to be working.\u201d<\/p>\n
While athlete-coach relationships are crucial in recruiting, Sitake and his coordinators credit the entire staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like we have an elite staff in terms of recruiting,\u201d Hill said. \u201cI\u2019d 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
One notable recruitment was Clovis, Calif., standout McKay Madsen, who drew interest from major football programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole staff was involved in recruiting McKay,\u201d Roderick said. \u201cRunning backs coach Harvey Unga did a fantastic job down the stretch since we were competing against a couple of Top 5 teams.\u201d<\/p>\n
During his opening remarks, Sitake expressed gratitude for the efforts of coaches, staff, and the community in making the recruiting process successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always want to extend our appreciation to everyone involved in recruiting\u2014our department here on campus, faculty, staff, players, and students,\u201d Sitake said. \u201cRecruits have talked about the energy at games and events. Many have attended home games and understand the significance of sports at BYU.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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\u2019ve built over the last few years has helped us sign outstanding young men, as well as develop players with incredible potential.\u201d<\/p>\n
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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\u2019s signing press conference about standout moments from the latest recruiting cycle, BYU head coach […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1869],"tags":[2204],"class_list":["post-26657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-byu","tag-kalani-sitake"],"yoast_head":"\n