BYU Football Adds JUCO Tight End Ray Paulo
May 24, 2023, 10:26 AM | Updated: 12:44 pm
PROVO, Utah – BYU football continues to add personnel to its first roster as a Big 12 team.
The latest addition comes from the junior college ranks. Ray Paulo, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound tight end from Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, has signed with BYU.
#BYU announces the signing of Ray Paulo. A JUCO transfer TE from Allan Hancock College.#BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/sodgPEqazQ
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) May 24, 2023
“I chose BYU for a number of reasons, but one of the deciding factors was their affiliation with my religion,” Paulo stated to AHC. “They play several top-tier programs and I believe this will help prepare me to play at the next level. I am very grateful for the opportunity to join the Cougars next season.”
Paulo signed with the Allan Hancock football program in 2018 as a safety. After his freshman season in 2018, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Alabama. Paulo returned to Allan Hancock in 2021, where he redshirted.
Then in 2022, after gaining more than 30 pounds, he became a tight end and defensive end. Last season, Paulo played both sides of the ball in 11 games. He totaled 26 receptions for 379 yards and four touchdowns.
Ray Paulo joins BYU football
Paulo has two years of eligibility remaining in his collegiate career.
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On the defensive side, he finished with nine tackles. During his freshman season as a safety, he had 46 tackles in 2018.
Paulo joins a tight end unit at BYU that needed at least one other pass catcher. The leader of BYU’s tight end room is Isaac Rex, who is entering his fifth year in the program. BYU also returns senior Masen Wake as an H-back/fullback. Then the Cougars also bring back Ethan Erickson, who had a touchdown grab last season.
Paulo won’t be the only newcomer at tight end. The other is heralded four-star signee, Jackson Bowers. Bowers picked BYU over Washington, Auburn, Alabama, Arizona, and others.
Multi-sport athlete from American Samoa
In high school, Paulo was a multi-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and soccer at Leone High School in American Samoa.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU moving to the Big 12 Conference on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
