BYU Football RB Pokaiaua Haunga Leaves Team For Personal Reasons
Aug 1, 2025, 3:29 PM
BYU running back Pokaiaua Haunga (23) high-fives fans after the Brigham Young University Cougars defeated the University of Utah Utes 22-21 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City early on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
BYU football running back Pokaiaua Haunga is no longer with the Cougars due to personal reasons, confirmed by offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick on Friday.
Roderick noted that in post-practice availability and didn’t provide any further context.
“The only thing I can say about that is he’s got some personal issues and he’s not going to be with us this year,” Roderick said.
Haunga joined the BYU football program last offseason out of Timpview High School. With the Thunderbirds, he posted 89 receptions for 1,621 yards and 18 receiving touchdowns. He added 36 rushes for 335 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
He was ranked as a three-star recruit and the sixth-best prospect in the state of Utah.
BYU Football Running Backs: Last Year And Now
BYU dealt with its fair share of halfback injury problems in 2024. As they moved down the ladder, Haunga eventually had his name called.
As a true freshman, Haunga played in five games and recorded 18 rushes for 81 yards as well as five receptions for 43 yards.
BYU RB Pokaiaua Haunga has left the team due to personal reasons.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) August 1, 2025
In other running back news, Roderick also said that senior Hinckley Ropati could return this season. The Cougars have appealed with the NCAA to get another year of eligibility for Ropati considering his injury history.
“I hope so. We’re waiting. We’ve appealed with the NCAA for another year,” Roderick said. “I believe he should get another year from what I know about the case. But I don’t know if that will happen or not. We would love to have him back.”
Ropati joined BYU back in 2020 and since then has missed one full season and failed to play double-digit games in any of the years he was active.
In eight games played in 2024, Ropati had 436 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
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