Five Things We Learned From BYU’s Early Signing Day
Dec 4, 2024, 10:56 PM | Updated: 10:57 pm
PROVO, Utah – BYU football signed 18 prospects during the first day of the Early Signing Period for the class of 2025.
The early signing period runs through Friday before another window to sign begins in February.
Here are five things we learned during BYU’s Signing Day festivities.
Business approach for BYU football in a fast-paced recruiting environment
For those who don’t follow recruiting closely, the decades-old “Letter of Intent” program is a thing of the past. On Wednesday, played signed scholarship agreements that center around athletics aid. The recruits then have the chance to agree to the terms.
Wednesday was the first day prospects in the 2025 class could sign those scholarship agreements.
Of the 18 players who signed with BYU on the first day of the Early Signing Period, 16 committed before BYU’s 10-2 season started. Everything in the recruiting calendar is moving up and shifting towards a faster pace.
That left BYU with another Signing Day that lacked surprise or intrigue.
“Most of our guys were committed before the season started, and we did a lot of recruiting back in June where we could bring them on official visits so that we could spend time with them,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said to KSL Sports. “A lot of these guys we knew two or three years ago, we saw in camps and things like that.”
The bump BYU could see from their on-field success this season, look for that to occur in the 2026 class and beyond.
Eight signees will serve Latter-day Saint missions before enrolling
An important question regarding any BYU football recruiting class is which players are serving a mission before enrolling at BYU? Eight of the 18 signees are playing to serve Latter-day Saint missions before competing in the BYU football program.
- Blake Bryce, TE
- Jackson Doman, TE
- Sale Fano, EDGE
- Kingston Keanaaina, RB
- Nolan Keeney, QB/ATH
- Taani Makasini, LB
- Austin Pay, OL
- Will Walker, K/P
BYU plans to announce the official list of returned missionaries in February. Some of the expected returnees include Pierson Watson (LB), Cannon DeVries (S), and Ethan Thomason (OL).
Alai Kalaniuvalu has not signed yet
BYU’s top commit in the 2025 class, Alai Kalaniuvalu from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, did not sign on Wednesday.
Kalaniuvalu flipped from Oregon to BYU last month and is the lone four-star prospect in BYU’s 2025 class.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman who can play any five spots along the offensive line still has until Friday.
BYU lists Nolan Keeney as an “Athlete”
BYU football’s quarterback signing for the 2025 class was Nolan Keeney out of Tualatin, Oregon.
However, when Keeney’s signing became official, BYU listed him as an “Athlete” in their release. BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick also referred to him as “quarterback/athlete” during one of his first answers in the signing day press conference.
Signed ✍️#BYU officially adds QB @NolanKeeney5 from Tualatin, Oregon.#BYUFootball #NSD25 @kslsports pic.twitter.com/or8u4e2WVL
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 4, 2024
Roderick was later asked to expound on what he sees in Keeney moving forward.
“Nolan’s a good quarterback, first of all. I’ll just say that. He’s a good quarterback. He’s a good passer. He’s a big, athletic guy that can run and make plays. I just mentioned what a good athlete he is though, because he is the type of guy that could play a lot of different positions,” Roderick said.
“He could be a quarterback, he could be a tight end, he could be an outside linebacker. He can do a lot of different things. He’s a very, very good basketball player, super athlete. We’re really excited. He’s a great fit for our program. We can’t wait to get him here. He will leave on a mission in a few months after his basketball season. But he’s a very dynamic athlete.”
WR LaMason Waller has the potential to provide an impact in 2025
There could be a youth movement at wide receiver for BYU football in 2025. Darius Lassiter is graduating, and Chase Roberts has publicly remarked that he is considering moving to the NFL after the 2024 season. Roberts participated in Senior Day last week.
Signed ✍️#BYU officially adds WR @LamasonW. #BYUFootball #NSD25 @kslsports pic.twitter.com/yS9N075ZkM
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 4, 2024
That creates opportunities for playing time.
BYU signee LaMason Waller III could be in the mix for those opportunities.
The Cougars have no talent shortage vying for receiver snaps with Jojo Phillips, Cody Hagen, and Tei Nacua in the pipeline. But Waller is a surehanded receiver who garnered dozens of offers during his recruitment from Arizona State, Alabama, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and others.
Waller is a playmaker who is expected to arrive in January and compete in spring practices in March.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
