As BYU football coach Kalani Sitake said Monday, it is not unusual for former University of Utah football players to transfer to BYU, or vice versa. It happens all the time.
The schools separated by less than 50 miles that share the same media market often recruit the same players out of the high school and junior college ranks, and many times those players remember that recruitment when things don’t work out at their initial school. Sitake, in particular, has been careful not to sever ties or burn bridges with recruits who originally choose a school other than BYU.
The 50-year-old coach who is in his 10th season at BYU after spending 10 seasons coaching under Kyle Whittingham at Utah is wise in that way.
Special Collector’s Issue: “1984: The Year BYU was Second to None”
Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football’s 1984 National Championship season.
It is no surprise, then, that as No. 15 BYU (6-0, 3-0) and No. 23 Utah (5-1, 2-1) prepare to battle Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium (6 p.m. MDT, Fox) for the second time as Big 12 members, Utah’s roster includes several former Cougars and BYU’s roster includes several former Utes.
Perhaps no player on either side of the rivalry has experienced more criticism and vitriol from the fan base from which he departed than new BYU defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa, one of the anchors of the Cougars’ nationally prominent defense.
“I knew that (the move) was going to cause earthquakes,” Tanuvasa said while representing BYU at the Big 12 media days last July, after having played for Utah for three seasons. “I’ve never been hated that much in my life.”
The other former Ute who landed in Provo over the offseason, tight end Carsen Ryan, has arguably made a bigger impact at BYU than Tanuvasa, but with considerably less fanfare. More on Ryan later.
Tanuvasa fueled by Utah fans’ fiery jabs
Three months after that turbulent day in Frisco, Texas, Tanuvasa appeared at BYU’s weekly press briefing Monday to discuss his season and feelings about the first matchup of ranked teams in the rivalry since 2009, when the Cougars won 26-23 in overtime at LaVell Edwards Stadium behind a Max Hall pass to Andrew George.
“I’m just extremely excited and passionate to be able to take the field with so many individuals that have impacted my career, both at the University of Utah and now being here at BYU,” Tanuvasa said. “… A lot of people could say it’s just another game. Obviously, I feel that it isn’t.
“But I’ve never had this game just circled, because I believe that every game deserves the fullness of my energy at that time. So now this game is circled, now that it’s game week.”
Will the 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman use the harassment from scorned Utah fans and former teammates as fuel, or does he consider it water under the bridge?
“I think it’s both, which can seem contradictory. I recognize that there are moments where I need to recognize that people are going to say things, and the way of the world is just going to happen,” he said. “Communication is a huge part of this field, and recognizing that mental strength has to be a battle we fight amidst a lot of voices. But it is also a blessing to have some extra fuel to the fire again, as long as it’s siphoned into the proper performance and proper focus.”
Tanuvasa said he has kept in touch with a few former teammates, attended a few weddings and events since announcing he was transferring last December. But he acknowledged there hasn’t been any communication recently and probably won’t until they see each other on the field Saturday.
“I’m hoping the best for those guys, and I look forward to a competitive match,” he said, noting that he doesn’t have any secrets about Utah’s offense to share because the Utes have a new offensive coordinator, former BYU coach and player Jason Beck, and a new quarterback, the elusive New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier.
Tanuvasa: Utah, BYU treat the rivalry differently
Tanuvasa, a redshirt junior who is from Mission Viejo, California, but served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Provo, coincidentally, said that Sitake treats the rivalry somewhat differently than Whittingham.
“I love the position that I’m in (having been) on both sides,” he said. “I think that the way that both teams attack it is recognizing that there is extra passion, extra emotions going into this game. I do believe that BYU, not just in the difference of culture, but in the perspective of the way that they go about the game, is handled a little bit differently. Both (approaches) are great. I’m just buying into what BYU’s and what Kalani’s culture is for this week.”
“I knew that (the move) was going to cause earthquakes. I’ve never been hated that much in my life.”
— BYU defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa
Asked if he was surprised by the way Utah fans reacted to Tanuvasa’s departure, Sitake took the high road, as he usually does regarding anything rivalry-related.
“I think fans are gonna react however they want. I just hope that they respect the fact that it is a personal decision for these young men,” Sitake said. “There are players up at the U. that played for me here, you know, and I love what they did for us in the program, and their presence when they were here playing. I was honored to be their coach. I’m proud of them. I’ll always cheer for their success as they move on, but just not this weekend.”
Ex-Cougars Daley and Fano shining for Utah
Former BYU players on Utah’s roster include defensive ends Logan Fano and John Henry Daley. Daley, who has blossomed into a star at Utah, made three tackles in three games for BYU in 2023.
“I hope that everybody can understand that those are the rules of the transfer portal, and it doesn’t have to be so negative,” Sitake said. “I want these young men to be happy and be where they feel like they belong. And it goes both ways. We’ve lost players in the portal and gained some, and I feel like the players that we’ve gained have been a perfect fit for what we want here.”
Tanuvasa off to a slow start at BYU
After playing in seven games for the Utes in 2024 and making 17 tackles and a sack, Tanuvasa has yet to make that kind of an impact for BYU in 2025. He’s played in all six games, with one sack and 10 total tackles.
He’s also picked up personal fouls in each of the past two games, wins over West Virginia and Arizona. He was flagged for a late hit against WVU and a roughing-the-passer penalty against Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita that resulted in a disqualification for targeting because he lowered his helmet into Fifita’s helmet.
“Unfortunate. I think potentially West Virginia’s (penalty) was a little bit more of a dumb play on my behalf. Noah’s a great quarterback. He’s a little shorter than I am, so I need to learn how to tackle those shorter quarterbacks.
“But they are bumps in the road and they are learning experiences to go and be even better this week. It is just (about) staying disciplined to my technique, my fundamentals, and just staying consistent,” he continued. “That happens to everybody. Unfortunately, it was a little undisciplined on my behalf, but I recognize that I can bounce back and learn from those lessons.”
Ryan’s Hope: TE a nice addition to BYU offense
Conversely, tight end Carsen Ryan has given BYU just what it needed after stints at UCLA and Utah. Although he didn’t have a catch in the 33-27 win over Arizona, Ryan has excelled as a pass-catcher and a blocker. He rarely leaves the field.
“He’s good in everything. He’s a very good front-line zone blocker. He’s good on the back side. He’s good at gap-scheme blocking. You can get him on the perimeter (to block),” said BYU tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride. “In the passing game, he’s fast enough to be a vertical threat. He goes up and gets the ball because he’s got great hands.
“He runs very crisp routes and knows how to create separation from man defenders and knows the areas to attack in zones. So he’s the complete package.”
Last March, Ryan spoke to the Deseret News about what it would be like to face his former team in October.
“I feel like it is going to be an exciting game. I like to play in it. That rivalry game last year was such a fun game for me even though I was on the losing side of that game. It was a fun experience and such a close game, came down to the end,” he said. “I have a lot of friends on that team from last year, so it is going to be fun to play them and see them and hopefully get some bragging rights over them.”
Ryan said he was relatively happy at Utah and not thinking about leaving before that 22-21 loss to the Cougars on Nov. 9, 2024, but things changed shortly after that.
“Once I made my decision to transfer, I felt like BYU was a possibility. I knew they needed a tight end,” he said. “We have great coaches over here in Kalani and Aaron Roderick and Gilbride. I just felt like this was a big program that I wanted to be a part of.”
Ryan has caught 14 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns, with a long of 28 yards.
