BYU Transfer Portal Tracker 2024

Just like last year, this page will track transfer portal arrivals and departures throughout the 2023-24 BYU football offseason. I will be updating this list as more transfer news comes in. Please DM me on Twitter @JFloyd314 if I've missed anyone.

Departures

Oh, what might have been. A heralded four-star recruit out of high school when he signed with BYU as part of the class of 2017(!), Chaz Ah You played only sporadically over the course of his Cougar career as he suffered one discouraging injury after another. His time at BYU reads like a Greek tragedy—he appeared in just 27 games over six seasons (seven if you include his 2018 redshirt year). The pinnacle of his BYU career, and one of the most electrifying plays in recent BYU history, was unquestionably his first quarter interception against Utah in 2021, a play which set the tone for an epic BYU win. But he only appeared in the majority of games in a season once at BYU (all the way back in 2019!) and has never been able to get into much of a rhythm. He was one of several players who entered the portal on April 30, 2024, which marked the start of spring ball interviews with the coaching staff—he may have learned that he wasn't likely to start this season and decided to see what other options are out there. Alternatively, he might just have wanted a fresh start, and given how his BYU career has gone, who can blame him?

As with several other players signed by Ilaisa Tuiaki's defensive staff, it's a little hard to see why Zion Allen was ever recruited to BYU at all. While technically a low-end three-star prospect out of Manteca High in California, he only had one other FBS offer—Colorado State. For a coaching staff that knew they were joining the Big 12, it seems like a stretch to offer that type of prospect. In any case, Allen appeared in two games as a true freshman in 2022 and then never took the field in a BYU uniform again.

Burton was a three-star signee in the class of 2023. He was heavily praised by the coaching staff for his high-end arm talent and great developmental potential. But after redshirting the 2023 season, he became another of the several Cougars who entered the portal after the April 30 coach interviews. It's possible that the current logjam in the quarterback room caused Burton to worry about his potential for ever getting reps—not an unfounded concern, given that there are multiple older players above him on the depth chart whom he would have had a difficult time displacing. Burton has since committed to West Virginia.

Oof. This one hurts. Daley and his brother, Michael, were legacy recruits—their father, Neal, played for LaVell Edwards at BYU—and John Henry in particular was a highly-touted recruit out of high school and someone the coaching staff was really excited to land. He redshirted his freshman season, appearing briefly in a couple of games. But just like position-mate Logan Fano in 2023, Daley headed for redder pastures this offseason. He entered the portal on December 4 and almost immediately transferred to Utah. Though I don't think his ceiling is quite as high as Fano's, Daley is a great player who will only get better from here, and I hate to see him go.

Like his younger brother John Henry, Michael Daley entered the transfer portal back on December 4. But instead of Utah, Michael chose to head south and sign with Rice. Daley initially signed with BYU in 2021, then redshirted his freshman season and didn't even appear on the roster as a sophomore. During his junior campaign in 2023, he appeared in five games but failed to record a single stat.

Danielson was a three-star prospect in 2023 out of St. Mary's High School in California, but was not heavily recruited. BYU was his only P5 offer and one of only a small handful of FBS offers. Danielson redshirted his freshman season last year and never appeared on the active roster. He has since committed to San Jose State.

A three-star recruit out of American Fork in the class of 2020, Downing enrolled at BYU for the 2023 season following his mission. He redshirted as a true freshman and never appeared on the Cougars' active roster, and with the receiver depth that BYU will enjoy this year, his prospects for seeing playing time in 2024 looked slim at best. He was another unsurprising April 30 portal entry, and has since committed to SUU.

Nukuluve Helu is a bit of an enigma. Recruited to BYU in the class of 2020 as an 'Athlete', rather than with a specific position in mind, he served a mission before enrolling in 2023 and bounced around through multiple position groups during his time as a Cougar. Primarily a running back in high school, he never really broke into the conversation in a deep RB room  in 2023. Eventually, the staff decided to move him to the slightly less crowded linebacker corps, but he couldn't break into the rotation there, either.

I was really excited when Dom Henry signed with BYU last year—easily the most excited I've ever been about a walk-on. After all, it's not every day that you land the leading high school receiver in the state of Florida as a walk-on at BYU! But the fact that BYU was able to land the leading high school receiver in Florida as a walk-on should tell you something about that receiver. Henry is crazy fast and athletic, but he doesn't have prototypical WR size and was severely injury prone in high school. He redshirted his freshman season in 2023 and looked like he might be a little buried on the depth chart in 2024, so his decision to transfer makes sense. He has since signed with FAU.

The younger brother of former BYU defensive back Jared Kapisi, Jordan signed with BYU as part of the class of 2023. His timing was unfortunate, as BYU also signed sure-footed Boise State transfer Will Ferrin in that class, and Ferrin quickly claimed the starting job. Given that Ferrin still has two more years of eligibility, Kapisi's chances of seeing significant snaps for the Cougars in the near future were virtually nil.

We'll always have Albuquerque. Though he never turned into a major contributor at BYU, either at his original position (quarterback) or his adopted position (running back), Sol-Jay will forever be remembered for his Offensive MVP performance in the 2022 New Mexico Bowl—called upon to start in place of the injured Jaren Hall and Jacob Conover, he rushed for 96 yards and a score and led the Cougars to a gripping, last-second victory over SMU despite only completing 7 passes on 12 attempts. But that game marked his only real playing time at the quarterback position, and the coaching staff's decision to move him to tailback netted him few additional touches. He has since committed to joining former Cougar HC Bronco Mendenhall at New Mexico.

Moore was a two-star recruit out of Lehi all the way back in the class of 2020. But because the 2020 season didn't count towards eligibility and he redshirted the 2021 season, he still has two years of eligibility left. He only even appeared on the active roster once—back in 2020 as a true freshman—and has never been a major contender for playing time.

Quenton Rice was a legacy recruit—his father, Rodney, was a prominent DB under LaVell Edwards in the late 1980's. For his part, Quenton was a three-star recruit out of Faith Lutheran in Las Vegas who redshirted his freshman year in 2021 and never appeared on the active roster, let alone in a game, in three total seasons at BYU. He has committed to Kansas State out of the portal and is one of  three Cougars so far who are transferring to another Big 12 program (John Henry Daley committed to Utah; Ryder Burton committed to West Virginia).

Austin Riggs was a highly-recruited long snapper out of Eagle, Idaho who turned down Utah and Washington to join the Cougars in 2020 following his mission. He was the primary starting long snapper at BYU throughout his career and had a spectacular fumble recovery to set up a touchdown in the Cougars' win over Cincinnati last year. But there seem to be two reasons for his decision to enter the portal: first, the opportunity to pursue grad school at his transfer destination, Rutgers; and second, his desire to let his younger brother, Dalton (also a long snapper) have an opportunity to start. 

A three-star OL prospect out of the class of 2021 and Montana's highest-rated college prospect in years, Rollins seemed like at least a reasonably solid add for the Cougars at the time. But after redshirting his freshman season, he served a mission and decided to pursue a career closer to home when he got back. He has since committed to Montana State.

This one is a little disappointing. Saili was a highly-touted junior college transfer who committed to BYU back in December. At 6'3" and 355 lbs, he brought some needed size to the interior of the defensive line. Saili is one of the players who entered the portal after the April 30 coach interviews, so it's possible that he found out he wouldn't be getting the playing time he wanted and decided to try his luck elsewhere. He has since committed to Arkansas.

Darrien Stewart, we hardly knew ye. Originally a three-star prospect with several P5 offers in the class of 2021, Stewart committed to Utah and spent three seasons there before entering the portal after his 2023 campaign. He signed with BYU back in January, but then entered the portal again in late April. It's not entirely clear why, but the fact that he was a PWO at BYU might have had something to do with it. He may be looking for a scholarship opportunity and a more prominent role somewhere else.

Ben Ward actually began his BYU career as a tight end back in 2018, redshirting that season before serving a mission. After he returned to the program in 2021, the coaching staff decided to bulk him up and turn him into an offensive lineman. But in three seasons post-mission, Ward never even appeared on the active roster, much less in a game. And while the on-field results from BYU's offensive line have been a little underwhelming over the last couple of seasons, there's still serious talent in that group and Ward's chances of breaking into the rotation did not look good.

Arrivals

Kedon Slovis's departure for the NFL left BYU with Jake Retzlaff as really the only viable starting quarterback on the roster after the 2023 season, so it's unsurprising that Aaron Roderick dipped heavily into the portal to restock his QB room. In addition to being the first of the three transfer signal-callers that Roderick has signed this offseason, Bohanon is also probably the most likely—at least initially—to challenge Retzlaff for the starting job. Bohanon's career so far has followed a bizarrely similar path to that of former Utah QB Charlie Brewer—signing with Baylor out of high school, Bohanon posted a 9-2 record as the Bears' starter in 2021 and led his team to a convincing victory over Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. But injuries and inconsistency plagued Bohanon in the latter half of that season, and after it became clear that he was far from certain to retain his starting job in 2022, he decided to enter the transfer portal and ended up at USF. After an up-and-down, injury-riddled season in 2022, he missed the entire 2023 season before transferring to BYU in January 2024. Bohanon is a dynamic (if streaky) passer and was a phenomenal athlete before his injuries. It's hard to know how he'll perform at BYU, but if he's healthy, it's hard not to think that he's got a better-than-average shot at starting for the Cougars in 2024. And if, by some miracle, he can return to his old Sugar Bowl-winning form, well...watch out, Big 12.

Bourget originally committed to Arizona out of high school in 2022 before flipping to Western Michigan. He saw the field a fair amount as a true freshman before becoming the Broncos' part-time starter as a sophomore in 2023. Of Roderick's three portal QB acquisitions this year, Bourget makes the least sense to me. He was essentially a high-end backup on a mediocre G5 team last year, and he adds little to BYU's crowded QB room that isn't already added by several other players. He's got a decent arm and some valuable live game experience, but nothing that really stands out.

The name Bryant should sound familiar—Bryant-Strother is the younger brother of former BYU basketball star Elijah Bryant. He's a fourth-year sophomore (gotta love that Covid year) out of UCLA. Because of his connection to Elijah Bryant, Bryant-Strother was close to signing with BYU out of high school back in 2020—he took an official visit, but was won over by Chip Kelly in the end. Bryant-Strother's offer sheet out of high school was crazy—Michigan, Tennessee, Miami, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Nebraska all offered him (among others)—though his recruitment in the portal was much quieter. 247 Sports lists him as a three-star transfer. He provides needed depth and experience for Jay Hill's pass rush.

BYU insider Jeff Hansen compared Marque Collins to a similar Weber State transfer from last year, Kamden Garret. Like Garrett, Collins comes to BYU with significant FCS starting experience and one season remaining, and like Garret, Collins is likely to play a "Robin" role to a more prominent "Batman" CB (Eddie Heckard for Garrett, Jakob Robinson for Collins). But, like Garrett, Collins should be a serviceable starter. The only question for him is health—he missed a ton of playing time due to injury over the course of six seasons at Weber State. If Collins can stay on the field, he will likely be a nice contributor for the Cougars this year.

Of the three quarterbacks Aaron Roderick has signed out of the portal this offseason, former Utah State Aggie McCae Hillstead was probably the most unexpected—not least because Roderick had made it abundantly clear that he didn't intend to pursue any more transfer quarterbacks after Treyson Bourget's commitment. Hillstead took major snaps in five games for USU as a true freshman in 2023, battling back and forth with Cooper Legas for the starting job. Hillstead was impressive at times, and considering that he's the youngest by far of the Cougars' three new quarterbacks, it may be that Roderick wants to develop him into a future replacement for this year's starter. Hillstead's ceiling feels higher than Bourget's, and I think it's safe to pencil him in as QB3 this year behind Bohanon and Retzlaff.

Jatta was one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the portal out of Colorado, and had offers from USC and a slew of G5 programs. He's a big, athletic, and experienced guy who got his start at Snow College and was pursued heavily by BYU back then. Now, the Cougars and Jatta have come full circle! He should be a contender to start at one of the tackle spots this season.

So far, Jack Kelly is easily BYU's most exciting transfer acquisition this year. A Weber State product with two years of eligibility left, Kelly was in contention for the title of best FCS edge rusher in the country as a redshirt sophomore last year—he led the Big Sky Conference with 10.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Kelly is also, by a significant margin, the highest-ranked transfer the Cougars have landed so far, with a four-star rating (91 overall) from 247 Sports. Like Eddie Heckard last year, Kelly is a high-profile Jay Hill recruit from Weber State who decided to follow his former head coach to BYU. The only real question now is where he'll play—he was primarily a defensive end at Weber State, but there are indications that he may move to linebacker at BYU. Regardless of his position, though, he will be a transformative force for the Cougar defense—a legitimate star with strong NFL potential.

Leausa is a 6'5", 310 lb beast on the offensive line who started his career at SUU, transferred to Utah State, then headed back to SUU after one season in Logan. His college career has been a weird one—he signed with SUU all the way back in the 2017 recruiting class, but didn't actually join the team until the COVID-shortened 2021 spring season. As a result, despite having been out of high school for seven years, Leausa still has two years of college eligibility left! He chose BYU over offers from Baylor, Houston, and Boise State, and his commitment couldn't have come at a better time for the Cougars' alarmingly depth-poor offensive line. He has the potential to start immediately at the vacant right guard spot.

Montgomery is another guy who was close to signing with BYU once before. As a JUCO prospect out of Snow College in the class of 2023, he had an extensive offer sheet that included the likes of USC, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Penn State as well as BYU. He reportedly established a good rapport with the BYU staff and strongly considered committing. Perhaps a little surprisingly, he ultimately decided to sign with Cal. However, his single season at Cal didn't go as planned—he barely saw the field, and entered the portal in the offseason. He was recruited by Alabama and Colorado, but ultimately chose to come to BYU as a PWO (which suggests that his other offers might also have been PWO spots, though I can't confirm that).

Sam Vander Haar is yet another in a long line of talented Australian punters who have made their way to the state of Utah. Originally a three-star recruit out of ProKick Australia, he signed with Pittsburgh in 2022 and became their starting punter as a true freshman. He started 11 games for the Panthers that season before redshirting in 2023 and entering the portal. Punter was a position of need for the Cougars, as Ryan Rehkow, one of the best punters in program history, is headed to the NFL. Assuming he's healthy, Vander Haar will be a more than adequate replacement for Rehkow at what has become an underratedly important position for the Cougars.