Highly Regarded Running Back Prospect Joshua Quezada Commits to Cougars

After receiving official commitments earlier this month from the nation’s top prep quarterback and one of the best high school receivers in Texas, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall today announced that one of the top running backs in California—La Habra High School standout Joshua Quezada—has also signed a scholarship agreement to enroll at BYU in January.

Quezada joins Jake Heaps out of Skyline High School in Sammamish, Wash., and wide receiver Ross Apo out of the Oakridge School in Arlington, Texas, as high school seniors coming to Provo to begin college mid-year.

“Joshua is excited to come to BYU, and we are equally excited to have him join us,” Mendenhall said. “He embraces what our program is about on and off the field. He has the ability to be a very successful member of our team and help us continue to improve our program.”

A 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back out of La Habra High School in La Habra, Calif., Quezada rushed for 2,114 yards and 26 touchdowns and added 186 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver to lead the Highlanders to their third straight CIF-Southern Section Southwest Division Championship in 2009. He was named the 2009 Freeway League MVP, Daily News 2009 Football Player of the Year, and CIF-SS Southwest Division Offensive Player of the Year while earning back-to-back first-team All-Orange County honors as a senior. He averaged 8 yards per carry and 151 yards per game overall and accounted for 11.1 points per contest while leading La Habra to a 13-1 record.

Quezada not only put up big numbers during the season but also came through with his best performances during key games. Among the season’s many highlights, Quezada galloped for 304 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-21 semifinal victory over Cypress High School to advance to the championship game. He carried the Highlanders to the 2009 title by averaging 203.8 yards per game in four playoff contests.

As a junior in 2008, he ran for 1,680 yards on 163 carries and scored 21 touchdowns while adding 21 receptions for 318 yards and three touchdowns on the way to the 2008 CIF-SS title. He was first-team All-Orange County, first-team All-League and first-team All-CIF.

In addition to Quezada, Heaps and Apo, several other BYU recruits and returned missionaries plan to enroll in January. 2009 National Letter of Intent signee Kyle Van Noy, a linebacker out of McQueen High School in Reno, Nev., and 2007 NLI signees Famika Anae (OL, Timpview High School, Provo, Utah), Devin Mahina (TE/DE Upland High School, Upland, Calif.) and Marcus Matthews (WR, Southridge High School, Beaverton, Ore.) will enroll for winter semester as well as 2006 redshirt quarterback James Lark out of Pine View High School in St. George, Utah.

ROSTER INFORMATION
Ross Apo         WR    6-3   190  Arlington, Texas / The Oakridge School
Jake Heaps       QB    6-2   205  Issaquah, Wash. / Skyline HS
Joshua Quezada   RB    5-11  210  La Habra, Calif. / La Habra High School
Kyle Van Noy     LB    6-4   209  Reno, Nev. / McQueen HS
Famika Anae      OL    6-5   260  Provo, Utah / Timpview HS
Devin Mahina    TE/DE  6-6   225  Upland, Calif. / Upland HS
Marcus Mathews   WR    6-4   200  Beaverton, Ore. / Southridge HS
James Lark       QB    6-2   219  St. George, Utah / Pine View HS

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Cottonwood's Jordan Afo Announces for Brigham Young

From Cottonwood (Salt Lake City, Utah), defensive tackle Jordan Afo has committed to BYU over Utah State.

The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Afo is not expected to play his senior season after suffering a broken vertebra in his back while attempting a backflip at a party. The injury resulted in surgery, wearing a brace and months of extensive rehab.

Afo is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and plans to go on mission after his freshman season in college.

Evaluation: Afo is a kid who displays the ability to be a disruptive presence in the trenches. He displays good size and the frame to keep adding bulk. He will flash the ability to fire off the ball low, shoot his hands, derive power from his lower body, and just stand a blocker up. You like to see that, but want to see it more consistently as he is capable of causing problems in the heart of the trenches if he can do that regularly. He needs to watch his pad level and not get cute and be more consistent with his hands to protect his legs and not let blockers into his chest. He displays a good get-off and can get to the shoulder and get into the gap. He is a solid wrap-up tackler. When he keeps his pads down he can be tough versus the double team and hold his ground. He plays with a good motor. He is best suited for play between the tackles. He will give effort to pursue to the ball on the perimeter, but runs high and displays adequate speed. As a pass rusher he has the tools to bull rush and collapse the pocket. Afo is a kid who could continue to fill out and be a physical and disruptive player. He shows flashes, but needs to work on consistency and if he does he could be a good college defensive tackle.

Give Assist on 'Iona Verbal' to Moevao & His Mom

BEAVER NATION AND recruiting fans by now have undoubtedly read the news from yesterday, broken by Scout.com's Chris Fetters, that OSU added fast chargin' DT Happy Iona to their '10 class. Iona first began flying high on the Beavs after his OSU camp experience. This week, Lyle Moevao's mom had a noteworthy impact on the 6-2, 280 pounder's decision to go black and orange.

Happy Iona and family members arrived in Corvallis on Tuesday of this week. Iona's family has been very involved in his decision making process, and in recruiting, one of the bromides is this -- the influence that moms have over a prospect's decision generally supercedes the opinions of anyone else.

With Iona on Tuesday, there was also an X Factor. Grandma had come with to Corvallis.

IONA'S GRANDMOTHER DOESN'T speak much English -- Iona himself is still learning the language.

And that's where Lyle Moevao 's mom, Shelia Alofaitoli, came up big.

"(Moevao's) mom was down there with her the whole day," said Gavin Kralik, head man at Spanaway's Bethel High. "That made her feel very, very comfortable."

IF YOU'VE GOT mom and grandma on board, it's usually just a matter of time in recruiting.

Happy and his family traveled home from OSU later that same day, slept on it, and on Wednesday Iona made his verbal commitment.

"His trip down there was top notch...The way Oregon State handled it was great, from (the OSU coaches) to Moevao's mom, it was a team effort," said Kralik.

BEAVER COACHES Mike Riley, Danny Langsdorf and d-line coach Joe Seumalo, the latter being one whom Iona formed a very tight bond with during the Beavs' camp, said Kralik, were all closely involved with his recruitment. And that included this week when the Iona clan came to Oregon State.

"The way they handled the whole thing, not pressing with his family, was outstanding," said Kralik. "From talking to Happy's family, I think Oregon State did an outstanding job of recruiting him."

IONA, SAYS FETTERS, has as high a ceiling from the '10 Evergreen State class as anyone.

"The Beavers are getting a heck of a prospect that carries with him as much upside as any player coming out of the state of Washington this year," said Fetters. "Iona is definitely one of the top players in the state of Washington, and if it wasn't for some struggles with school, I believe he would have a ton more offers at this point. His motor is always going, and even at 280 pounds he can play either inside or outside -- he is that athletic."

ON THE SUBJECT of academics and qualification, Kralik says he's very optimistic, though still cautiously so, that Iona will be on the field in Corvallis for fall camp about a year from now.

"He has a good shot at doing that, but he does still have a bit of work to do. He's got to have a great year, like he did finishing up last year," said Kralik.

Iona hadn't begun to really work on his English until just this past year and that hurt him in the classroom. But as Iona has continued to become more comfortable with the English language, his grades have skyrocketed, says Kralik, noting that he's started to get some A's.

A subject that Moevao's mom, and Iona's grandmother, no doubt discussed this past week in Corvallis.

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BYU Cougars Snare Defensive End Alani Fua

6-foot-5, 210-pound defensive end / tight end Alani Fua of Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) has accepted a scholarship offer from Brigham Young.

Ohio State, Oregon State, Arizona, Arizona State, Hawaii, Washington State, Washington and New Mexico have also offered.

"He was ready to decide on BYU at junior day back in June but decided to wait and made his announcement today," his father, George Fua, told the Deseret News. "It seems like everyone wants to be part of this great BYU recruiting Class of 2010, and he's no different. He's excited to play for BYU and Bronco Mendenhall."

His older brother, Sione Fua, plays defensive tackle for Stanford.

Molesi Commits to Oregon State

Defensive tackle Thomas Molesi became the fifth member of the 2009 Oceanside High football team to commit to a four-year college after giving an oral commitment to Oregon State on Tuesday.

The 6-foot, 240-pound Molesi joins wide receiver/defensive back Jerry Whittaker, who is headed to Arizona, and linebacker Jake Fely, defensive back Rene Siluano and receiver King Holder, who all committed to San Diego State.

Oceanside coach John Carroll said the Pirates may have as many as three other future NCAA Division I players ---- receiver Devon Taverna, defensive tackle Kenny Galea'i and defensive end Markus Tokoi.

"This is great for our school," Molesi said. "The five guys who have committed, we all grew up together."

Oregon State, coached by former Chargers coach Mike Riley, was 9-4 last season and beat Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl.

The Beavers play a 3-4 defense, something different from Oceanside's 4-4, Molesi said.

"So I'm not sure if I'll be a defensive end or a linebacker," he said. "I'll do whatever it takes to be a Beaver. The Pac-10 is a great conference, one of the best in the country, and Oregon State was one of my dream schools. I've watched them on TV and I like their discipline, the chemistry."

Molesi said San Diego State, which offered the chance to play with his friends, was his second choice.

"I've been in California my whole life," he said. "I really want to experience something different. I'm so thankful for this opportunity. It shows that I stood out in high school and was good in the classroom."

"None of us, though, will rest. The Pirates are good because we work harder than other teams. We know the past doesn't mean a thing. How hard you work, the time an effort you put in, determines who wins championships."

Oceanside has won the last four CIF San Diego Section Division II football championships and five of the last six. The Pirates are 24-1-1 over the last two seasons.

"I'm so happy for these kids," Carroll said. "I'm glad we have some guys staying local, and I'm excited for the others."

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2010 Prospect Utupo Picks Notre Dame

Lakewood (Calif.) defensive lineman Justin Utupo has ended the recruiting process and is headed to South Bend.

"I just committed to Notre Dame," Utupo said. "I've never been there before I've always wanted to go to Notre Dame. That has kind of been my dream school so once they offered, it was really only a matter of time.

"When I was younger, I watched that move Rudy and ever since then, I wanted to go there, even if I couldn't play football there, I just wanted to go to school there. Now to have this opportunity to go and be a part of the program, I'm just really excited about all this."

Utupo said he got the offer from the Irish about two months ago and has been doing research on the school with his parents ever since.

"My dad was especially in to Notre Dame," Utupo said. "He liked them a lot and the more research we did, the better it looked. I know it might be cold but it will be worth it to be at the school and get a great education. I knew they picked up a couple of other defensive ends as well so I didn't want to risk losing my spot there so I thought now was the best time to commit."

"UCLA was right there too and I also liked Washington, Oregon State and Nebraska. Those were the main schools I looked at but Notre Dame just had too many pluses. I called up Coach Polian this morning to commit and he was really excited and that made me feel good. I won't be taking any other visits except to Notre Dame, my commitment is strong and this is a great day for me."

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Highly-Coveted Washington Commit Sione Potoa'e Still Looking Around

ESPNU 150 Watch List defensive tackle Sione Potoa'e gave affiliate Web site WeAreSC.com an update on the status of his pledge to the Huskies.

"My verbal to Washington is a soft verbal, a soft commitment, but I'm still keeping my options open to other schools."

USC, California and Oregon are Washington's three competitors for Potoa'e who would like to make official visits to all four schools.

Potoa'e also shared what he's looking for, "Honestly the academics are the most important part because academics will take me farther than football will. And a school with great academics will carry into the future with success."

"And I'm also looking at the athletics and the environment. I don't want to go to a school that I'm uncomfortable with because I'm going there for four years, and I don't want to go through four years with uneasiness. Personally, I would like to travel from home, but I also care about my parent's point of view, their outlook, and I'll take that into consideration when I make my decision."

Pela on the Fast Track

Joape Pela is a 6-foot-2-inch, 300-pound defensive tackle prospect from Foothill Junior College. While growing up Pela was the self-described “Big Man on Campus” and admittedly got a big head, not focusing on what was important throughout his high school years at Mountain View High School in California.

“I wasn’t that smart in high school, I just messed around, partied too much and I paid for it," explained Pela. “I thought I was all that and I could do whatever I wanted and I’d be fine, so I graduated late and I wasn’t able to qualify for Division I football, although I was certainly good enough to play wherever I wanted out of high school.”

Pela got the usual letters, phone calls and visits from coaches early on during the recruiting process. Schools such as BYU, UCLA, Oregon and Boise State were among those showing interest, but everyone soon backed off of him when it was learned that he’d have no chance to qualify.

“That was a tough thing for me and definitely opened my eyes," said Pela. “All I had to do was graduate and get decent grades and I could have gone wherever I wanted out of high school, but I just screwed around and it didn’t happen.”

Like most top-flight non-qualifiers, Pela looked to start up at junior college and hopefully play Division I football afterwards. But unlike most junior college athletes, Pela wasn’t content to spend the normal two years getting his degree and subsequently using up at least two years of his eligibility.

Pela hit the books hard from day one at Foothill Junior College and has not let up. He is now eligible to transfer to a Division I program after just one year of junior college play.

“I’ve taken at least 18 credit hours since I first got here," said Pela. “I had two semesters where I took 20 hours because even though I love Foothill, this isn’t where I want to be. I’m a Division I player and I wanted to get to Division I football as fast as I possibly could.”

Mission accomplished, as Pela is set to graduate early and have four years to play three at whatever Division I program he chooses to transfer to. For Pela it’s been a busy year, but one that he’s reaping the benefits from now that he has many offers to choose from upon his graduation.

“It struck me out of high school that this is for real," said Pela. “Screwing around was over. I needed to get going and I wanted to get going as fast as I possibly could. Now I have some good offers and things are going to work out. It’s hectic, but I’m very glad that I’ve made the decisions to put me where I’m at now and make up for all that lost time in high school.”

Pela’s would-be suitors include BYU, Utah, Arizona State, Oregon, Louisville and Houston. He visited BYU this past week and puts BYU on top of his list along with Utah, Oregon and Arizona State.

Pela enjoyed his visit and could definitely see himself transferring to BYU by the end of the month.

“I felt comfortable there," noted Pela about BYU. “I spent a lot of time with their defensive line coach [Steve] Kaufusi and I really liked him. He’s a very down-to-earth type of guy and someone I’d love to learn from. He’d make me a better player, I know that. I could definitely see myself at BYU.”

Pela is LDS and notes that he is certainly drawn to BYU because of that.

“I’m not into partying anymore. That’s done, in the past," said Pela. “BYU certainly is a place where I could continue to concentrate on what is important, which is not only growing as a football player, but as a person and getting a good education.”

Pela plans on pursuing a degree in kinesiology, and if his class work at Foothill is any indication, Pela should be earning that degree sooner rather than later.

Pela also was made aware of the openings BYU has at the nose tackle position this coming season, and that was certainly something he liked when learning more about BYU.

“I want to play," said Pela. “Just like anyone else, I want to play. I don’t want to use my redshirt year. It was explained to me that I’d have a chance to compete and start right away at BYU, and that’s what you want.”

Pela certainly can play and compete with the best around, which is why so many schools are scrambling for his services at this relatively inopportune time for most schools to allocate a scholarship. So what type of player is Pela?

“I just love to hit, I really love to hit guys and dominate them," explained Pela. “I don’t know what else to say. That’s what I love about football and that is what I’m good at.”

A quick view of Pela’s junior college film shows a player that is lightning quick off the line and that can penetrate an offensive line and demand a double-team, which is an essential attribute for any Division I nose guard or defensive tackle.

Pela also made a visit to the Houston Cougars and liked what they had to offer and will certainly factor them into his final decision. For right now, Pela is just trying to make some last-minute visits to the schools that are pursuing him.

“Louisville wants me to visit this weekend and I might go there, but Oregon and Arizona State are trying to work something out, so we’ll just see what happens," explained Pela. “I understand that it’s hard fitting me in so fast and I know that if I would have waited a year that I could pretty much play wherever I wanted, but I like my options right now. It’s enough for me and playing right away after a year is more important than having more options.

“It’s been a hectic and trying time for me here of late. My father passed away a couple of weeks ago and that was a very tough thing for me. It’s tough and sometimes I wish I could have a little more time, but I know that I’m on the right track and all this is really going to pay off if I just keep on going. I’m very happy with where I’m at right now.”

Pela noted that he could be making his final decision as early as this weekend, but that it won’t be any later than the end of the month. TBS will certainly keep in touch with Pela and report on any developments as they break.

Update: Kyle Whittingham and staff received a pleasant surprise last week with the late commitment of 2009 recruit Joape Pela. Pela, a 6-foot-2 inch, 300 pound defensive tackle from Foothill College (Los Altos, Calif.) adds to what was already a strong class of defensive linemen for the Utes.

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BYU Snares Lone Peak Linebacker

Sae Tautu, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound outside linebacker from Lone Peak (Highland, Utah), has agreed to sign with the Cougars' recruiting Class of 2010.

He also has an offer from Wyoming.

Corey Lau on Board With Hawaii's Class of 2010

The Warriors have gained a Class of 2010 commitment from Kailua, Hawaii wide receiver Corey Lau.

Kahuku's Hauoli Jamora Set For BYU

Hauoli Jamora, a defensive end from Kahuku, Hawaii, has become the 17th commitment for BYU in the Class of 2010.
Wyoming had also offered the 6-foot-2, 230-pound prospect.

Warriors Gain Fifth 2010 Pledge

Hawaii has received a Class of 2010 commitment from receiver Christian Poueu-Luna of Great Oak (Temecula, Calif.).

Poueu-Luna (6-foot, 175 pounds) played quarterback, receiver and safety for the Wildcats, but expects to compete at slotback when he joins the Warriors.

"I really liked the staff, and when you play for Hawaii it's like you're playing for the whole state," said Poueu-Luna, who has relatives in Hawaii.

Poueu-Luna attended UH's Skills Camp last week and trains with Troy Lau (a Nanakuli product) of Prodigy Athletes.

The Warriors now have five pledges.

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Solid as a Rock

There has been talk that Under Armour All-America defensive lineman and BYU commit Bronson Kaufusi may give a hard look to Stanford. He says that the flirtation is over and he's solid to the Cougars.

"I am very solid to BYU right now," he said. "I looked around at Stanford a little bit, but right now I am solid to BYU."

The Cougars have gotten some big-time commitments of late: quarterback Jake Heaps (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline) and receiver Ross Apo (Arlington, Texas/The Oakridge School).

Kaufusi is the son of BYU defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi, who played for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles from 1989 to 1990.

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