Every Player To Switch Sides In The Utah/BYU Football Rivalry
Oct 15, 2025, 1:56 PM | Updated: 2:49 pm
Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake talks with Utah Utes defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa (57) after the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. BYU won 22-21. (Photo courtesy of Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah and BYU football are approaching 100 matchups over 100 years of history in the programs.
Naturally, as in-state opponents, there is a considerable laundry list of players who have switched sides within the rivalry. Let’s go through the names.
Coaching Ties
Although this list is just for players, it would feel wrong not to mention the affiliation of the head coaches.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has bled blue since the mid-1990s, when he played fullback for the Cougars. In 2002, he returned to the program as a graduate assistant for the defense.
However, from 2005 to 2014, Sitake was on the Utah Utes coaching staff. He was a linebackers coach, defensive coordinator, and assistant head coach during this time.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham had a similar path. He played linebacker at BYU from 1978 to 1981. He returned to the program in 1985 as a graduate assistant. In 1994, he joined the Utes as a defensive line coach, and the rest is history.
🧵🔴: #Utes HC Kyle Whittingham was an all-conference LB for #BYU from 1978-81. He was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 1981 and was a grad asst. for the great Lavell Edwards in 1983. Whit was hired by Utah in ’94, promoted to DC in ’95, named HC in ’05.@KSLSports pic.twitter.com/YOnksmGKCr
— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_TV) November 7, 2024
Players To Switch Sides In Utah-BYU Football Rivalry
From Ute To Cougar
Keanu Tanuvasa
A defensive tackle out of Mission Viejo, California, Tanuvasa played three seasons in Salt Lake City before transferring to BYU before the 2025 season.
Across 24 games with the Utes, he posted 50 total tackles (18 solo), 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
When asked about the move and the response to it, Tanuvasa said this:
“I knew that it was going to cause earthquakes. (It hasn’t) been quiet for six months. I go to Salt Lake, and I still get people booing me.”
had to slow this one down because @keanu_tanuvasa‘s too quick 😏 pic.twitter.com/ZNoH4moMbW
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 12, 2025
Carsen Ryan
A tight end out of Orem, Utah, Ryan is an interesting example in this list. He went to UCLA out of high school and played in 17 games over two seasons with the Bruins.
He returned home in 2024 and played one season with the Utes. In 12 games, Ryan grabbed 10 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown.
The move ended up being a great one, as through six games, he has 14 catches for 211 yards and two TDs.
Paul Maile
Maile is one of the more brutal stories of a player switching sides in the rivalry.
An offensive lineman from Salt Lake City, he played five seasons for the Utes from 2018 to 2022. He ended up transferring to BYU for his final collegiate season.
Maile was born in Salt Lake City, attended East High School about a mile from the Utah campus, his step-father played for Utah football in the 1990s, and he spent five years with Utah before making the move to Provo.
Simi Moala
An offensive lineman out of Inglewood, California, Moala spent four seasons in SLC before ending his career with BYU in 2023.
In 21 career games with the Utes, he started in 18 games and was a Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention in 2019.
Samson Nacua
The Nacua family stayed true to their side of the rivalry, for the most part.
Samson Nacua walked on with Utah in 2016 and redshirted. From there, he played in four seasons with the Utes before ending his college career with BYU.
Considering Kai, Puka, Isaiah, and Tei all played for the Cougars, this one makes sense.
#BYU WR Samson Nacua presented the Cougars #LLTJ flag to the @Utah_Football team. 💙 ♥️ #UTAHvsBYU #GoCougs #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/WSkyj8dD4H
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 12, 2021
From Cougar To Ute
John Henry Daley
A defensive end out of Alpine, Utah, Henry Daley ended up being a bitter loss for BYU.
He debuted for the Cougars in 2023, playing in just three games and posting three tackles (two solo). He transferred to Utah before the 2024-2025 season and quickly found his stride with the Utes.
Henry Daley currently leads the Big 12 in sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (8.5).
Logan Fano
Fano enrolled at BYU in 2022, but never ended up dressing for the Cougars.
From his first look with Utah in 2023, Fano has been a difference maker. In 22 games played, He has 65 total tackles (32 solo), 14.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
The Fano family has a long history in the state. Spencer Fano is currently an offensive lineman at Utah. Their uncle, Teni Palepoi, is also a former Ute. Two other uncles, Gabe Reid and Spencer Reid, both played for BYU.
Francis Bernard
A linebacker out of Herriman, Utah, Bernard was recruited by Utah, BYU, and Utah State.
He ultimately chose to start his college career with the Cougars, and he would spend three seasons in Provo before transferring to Utah for his final two seasons.
In 2016, with BYU, he was named to the Phil Steele All-Independent Team second team. He went on to make the First-team All-Pac-12 in 2019 with Utah.
Devin Kaufusi
Kaufusi serves as another example that family affiliations don’t always mean much in the rivalry.
He started his career with BYU and stayed for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He transferred to Utah in 2020, where he would play three more seasons.
Kaufusi’s two brothers, Bronson and Corbin, both played for BYU and stayed true to the program before eventually moving on to the NFL.
Skyler Southam
A kicker out of Heber City, Utah, Southam played two seasons for BYU before transferring up north before the 2020 season.
He played in 26 games for the Cougars and just one for the Utes in 2020.
Other Names
- Quarterback Nick Billoups started with the Utes and eventually transferred to BYU.
- Offensive lineman Mo Unutoa played in a few games for Utah and transferred to BYU but never saw action with the Cougars.
- Running back Devonta’e Henry-Cole originally committed to BYU but never played in a game, he spent four seasons with the Utes and went on to join the Utah State football program.
