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- BYU added four players to its 2025 recruiting class on traditional signing day.
- Key additions include McKay Madsen, a four-star athlete from California, and Landan Goff, a safety out of Lone Peak.
- Relationships were crucial in securing recruits and transfers, like Keanu Tanuvasa.
PROVO — While most of the recruiting for the 2024-25 cycle was wrapped up during December's early signing period, there were still a few pieces to add before the first Wednesday in February and the traditional signing period.
For BYU, that wrapped up quickly — with an emphasis on speed.
The Cougars added four players to the Class of 2025 Wednesday, including a pair of shifty defensive backs and a four-star linebacker who will play running back among the following:
- McKay Madsen, RB/ATH, Clovis North HS (Clovis, Calif.)
- Jacob Nye, TE, Melissa HS (Melissa, Texas)
- Landan Goff, S, Lone Peak HS (Highland, Utah)
- Jordyn Criss, CB, Seguin HS (Arlington, Texas)
The quartet adds to the 18 signees from BYU's early signing period, six of whom have already enrolled for the winter semester.
"We feel good about our program right now," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. "Obviously, there are a lot of things we've still got to accomplish. We've just got to keep working hard and stay humble; that's key."
No matter the timing, one player was hopeful his own road would end at BYU.
"I've been a fan since I was younger," Goff told KSL.com. "I'd go to my friend's house every Saturday to watch them play. It's been a goal of mine (to play at BYU), to say the least.
"I've also wanted to go on a mission since I was little. It was very important for me to find somewhere that accepted and actually encouraged it, as well."
Goff grew up a BYU fan, but his recruitment to the school accelerated since the Cougars hired defensive coordinator Jay Hill That's when the 6-foot-3 safety who moonlighted at kick returner and punter in helping Lone Peak to last year's 6A state title game developed a relationship that helped seal his commitment in January.
The fact that Goff, whose sister Lexi runs tracks for the Cougars, wanted to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before enrolling even helped. BYU is oversigned at safety for 2025, but the Lone Peak speedster with a 10.9-second 100-meter dash should play a role once he returns.
"We love his length and his speed," Hill said of the 64-tackle, seven-interception safety. "He was one of the best playmakers in the state last year. Adding Landan is huge for us."
The Cougars also solidified the commitment of McKay Madsen, the four-star athlete by 247Sports who committed to the Cougars during the Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas last month.
But Madsen, who rated the highest as a linebacker out of Clovis North High School in California after tallying 49 tackles and four interceptions as a senior, will enroll at BYU after a two-year church mission as a running back/athlete.
The future, at least foreseeable, lies on offense after the 1,238-yard rusher scored 19 touchdowns as a senior.
"I think the defense would've been happy to have him as well," said offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, crediting running backs coach Harvey Unga for sealing Madsen's commitment. "But we really like him as a running back; he played receiver and wildcat quarterback, too. Guys like that on offense are fun to coach, because there are so many different things you can do with him.
"He's extremely explosive. He's a 65-foot shot putter, a state champ in California. And Harvey did a really good job; he was pretty relentless, even as the whole staff was involved in recruiting McKay. We were up against a couple of top-five teams, and Harvey did a nice job. We can't wait to have him here."
Relationships were key for BYU coaches during the 2024-25 recruiting cycle, including in adding a group of early enrollees like four-star wide receiver Lamason Waller from Hesperia, California, and 6-foot-7 offensive tackle Andrew Williams out of Kirksville, Missouri. They also proved vital in a six-player transfer class that included former Utah defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa, Michigan offensive tackle Andrew Gentry and Texas edge rusher Tausili Akana — all former BYU recruiting targets — among others.
Hill said that Tanuvasa, a 6-foot-4, 301-pound interior defensive lineman who totaled 17 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack in seven games last year, could've played at any program in the country. But his previous relationship with two particular BYU coaches who helped recruit the Mission Viejo, California, native and returned missionary helped seal his pledge to BYU.
"Any time a player the caliber of Keanu goes in the portal, it's going to move fast; everybody in the country wanted him," Hill said. "He could've basically picked any school in the country.
"I know his relationship with Sione (Pouha, defensive tackles coach) and Kalani was a big part of him going to BYU," he added. "Bottom line, that was a huge get for us. And his leadership is already showing up right now in our workouts. He's a phenomenal player, and an even better person."
In addition to the four signees and previous signing class, BYU also welcomed the following transfers:
- Tausili Akana, EDGE, Texas (Skyridge HS)
- Hunter Clegg, DL, Utah signee (American Fork HS)
- Andrew Gentry, OT, Michigan
- Garrison Grimes, LS, Baylor
- Anisi Purcell, DL, Southern Utah (Bountiful HS)
- Carsen Ryan, TE, Utah/UCLA (American Fork HS)
- Kyle Sfarcioc, OL, Southern Utah
- Keanu Tanuvasa, DT, Utah
