Breaking news: BYU cougar Lands commitment from…
Breaking news: BYU cougar Lands commitment from…
The curious timing of BYU extending head football coach Kalani Sitake’s contract late on a Saturday was weird. It came at the end of a day of college football conference title games. But it was necessary to squeeze it in.
It was a big week, a big football day, and only fitting that BYU took care of their football custodian smack dab in the middle of it all.
Breaking news: BYU Cougar Lands commitment from PJ Takitaki, a talented EDGE rusher from Lehi High School in Utah! Takitaki, who’s also the nephew of former BYU star and current New England Patriots linebacker Sione Takitaki, announced his commitment to BYU on Tuesday night ¹.
This is a huge win for the Cougars, as Takitaki is a highly sought-after recruit who chose BYU over Cal. He’s known for generating havoc on opposing offenses and had an impressive junior year with 58 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and one interception ¹.
Takitaki is the second commitment in BYU’s 2026 recruiting class, joining cornerback Justice Brathwaite from Gilbert, Arizona ².
The move by BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe came hours after Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham announced he was returning to lead the Utes next season. It came after the announcement of USU’s hire of Bronco Mendenhall as head coach.
The USU announcement also came with details that Mendenhall would receive $2 million a year and an increased package for his assistant coaches. Whittingham’s salary in 2024 was $6.5 million for a five-win season.
It made sense that BYU extended Sitake, whose team won twice as many games as his friend and rival. Whittingham, Sitake and Holmoe share some of the same legal and financial adviser connections.
