How Former BYU Football Transfers Performed During 2023 Season
Nov 28, 2023, 9:00 PM | Updated: 11:24 pm
Former BYU football player Jacob Conover completed his first season with the Arizona State program. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – The list of ex-BYU football players playing at other programs grew significantly this season. That’s just the nature of life in the Transfer Portal. Schools will have a lot of attrition these days, with the portal always as an option.
Twenty-seven former BYU football players competed on college rosters during the 2023-24 academic year.
Former BYU football players performed at their new Transfer Portal spots
Here’s a look at how those former BYU football players performed this season.
Luc Andrada | WR | Colorado (Track & Field)
Former BYU wide receiver is in his senior season with the Colorado Buffaloes track & field program.
Ethan Atagi | OL | Weber State
Started in all 11 games at left guard for the Wildcats.
Campbell Barrington | OL | Baylor
Barrington started in all 13 games along the offensive line for Baylor. He began the year at left tackle, then played right tackle. After that, Barrington kicked inside at right guard.
Clark Barrington | OL | Baylor
Closed out his collegiate career with 12 starts for the Bears. He began the year at center, then switched to left guard, where he was an All-American at BYU. Barrington finished with a slightly lower grade in 2023 (76.8) than at BYU in 2022 (76.9).
Game 1⃣2⃣ Captains
🟩 @Josh_Cameron34
🟩 @ClarkBarrington
🟩 @Tf24Tj
🟩 @Brysonj17 #SicEm | #PersonOverPlayer pic.twitter.com/qiKktMjgDz— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) November 25, 2023
Jacob Conover | QB | Arizona State
Former four-star signee Jacob Conover transferred out of the BYU football program before last year’s bowl game. He signed with the hometown Arizona State Sun Devils under the direction of first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham. Despite entering the year as the third-string quarterback, Conover appeared in three games.
ASU SPRING GAME! TUNE IN!! #TeamMaroon pic.twitter.com/54PViV38H5
— Jacob Conover (@JacobConover17) April 15, 2023
His final stats on the year were 11-of-38 for 130 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions. Conover finished with a quarterback rating of 41.89.
Theo Dawson | LB | MIT
Former walk-on Theo Dawson was holding play call boards at BYU last year while graduating Magna Cum Laude. He used his final year of college eligibility to play at Division III MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Dawson played on both sides of the ball, finishing with 101 rushing yards on offense, and 49 tackles on defense.
Zoom Esplin | OL | Weber State
He appeared in one game for the Wildcats during his redshirt freshman season.
Logan Fano | DE | Utah
Fano started in three games for the Utes before suffering a season-ending ACL injury during a sack against Oregon State.
Sione Finau | RB | Utah State
BYU’s former leading rusher in 2019 didn’t record any stats for the Aggies in 2023.
Nathaniel Gillis | CB | Northern Colorado
Gillis followed Ed Lamb to Northern Colorado. During his redshirt freshman season, he appeared in eight games for the Bears and recorded eight tackles and eight pass deflections.
Korbyn Green | CB | Hutchinson Community College
Green was only at BYU for one season before he left and ended up at Hutchinson C.C. This season, Green had eight tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Bentley Hanshaw | TE | Liberty
Hanshaw has hauled in five touchdowns for the undefeated Flames. Liberty hosts New Mexico State this Friday for the Conference-USA championship.
Dallin Holker | TE | Colorado State
Holker is number one in the nation among tight ends for receptions. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound pass-catcher has 64 receptions this season for the Rams. He is one of three players who is a John Mackey Award finalist.
How He Found Out
→ @D_HOLKER🗣️ @CoachJayNorvell
🗣️ @CoachFin_ pic.twitter.com/UD3RWzQxom— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) November 28, 2023
The Mackey Award is given to the nation’s top tight end.
Holker still has one more year of eligibility remaining in his collegiate career.
Jake Jensen | QB | USC
The former Pleasant Grove High and BYU walk-on is the fourth string QB at USC. He didn’t record any stats in 2023.
Gabe Jeudy-Lally | CB | Tennessee
Jeudy-Lally started in 10 games at cornerback for a Tennessee team that ended the regular season ranked in the College Football Playoff Top 25. He grabbed one interception and recorded 36 tackles for the Vols defense.
Every journey is different. Thankful for this place. #VFL🍊 pic.twitter.com/0TNyksRSdM
— Gabe Jeudy (@GabeJeudy) November 27, 2023
Dean Jones | DB | Southern Utah
Jones didn’t record any stats for the Thunderbirds in 2023.
Hirkley Latu | DB | Montana Western
It’s been a long road for former three-star Kahuku standout Hirkley Latu, from BYU to UCF and then Montana Western. Latu finished his college career with 20 tackles in 2023.
Brooks Maile | DL | Northern Colorado
Maile appeared in eight games for the Bears and had nine tackles along the defensive line.
Isaiah Perez | DT | Eastern Washington
The nephew to former BYU great Eddie Keele, Perez transferred closer to home in the Pacific Northwest and enrolled at Eastern Washington University. In his first season at EWU, Perez recorded 19 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
Cash Peterman | K | Arizona
Peterman, a former walk-on kicker at BYU didn’t record any stats for the Wildcats this season.
Keenan Pili | LB | Tennessee
Pili only appeared in one game for Tennessee this season. Despite exhausting his eligibility, there’s a chance he could apply to the NCAA for a medical redshirt year to return to Knoxville in 2024.
HOME 🍊 COMMITTED pic.twitter.com/XVDCHUUhAZ
— Keenan Pili (@KeenanPili7) December 21, 2022
Logan Pili | LB | Utah State
The younger brother to Keenan, Logan competed in his first season at Utah State. He had 26 tackles and one sack with the Aggies.
Tate Romney | LB | Arizona State
Romney finished tied for fourth in tackles at Arizona State this year. He had 52 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. BYU will face Arizona State next year in Tempe in Big 12 action.
Vae Soifua | OL | Weber State
The former Orem High product appeared in three games along the offensive line for Weber State.
Viliami Tausinga | DE | Southern Utah
Tausinga appeared in four games for the Thunderbirds and had two tackles.
Talin Togiai | OL | Idaho State
Togiai was BYU’s first commitment after being invited into the Big 12 Conference in 2021. He transferred out of BYU after one season. This year at Idaho State, he only appeared in two games for the Bengals.
George Udo | DB | Cincinnati
Udo appeared in three games on the special teams unit for Cincinnati. This season is going to count as a redshirt year for Udo, who now has one year of eligibility remaining. He announced that he is entering the Transfer Portal again.
ONCE A COUGAR FOREVER OUR BROTHER!!!
Our boys met up with former byu db @GeorgeUdo18 after the game last night. It was like old times, all his brothers cracking jokes at George and he’d just be quiet and smile.WE MISS YOU GEORGE LOVE YOU FOREVER 🤟🏾
GO COUGS!!! pic.twitter.com/HfR9vc82Jf
— #IamJackDamuni 🇫🇯 (@JackDamuni) September 30, 2023
After BYU’s win over Cincinnati in September, Udo and his former BYU teammates took a picture together on the field at LES.
Players that signed with BYU but never enrolled but played at other schools in 2023: Elia Migao (Utah State), Enoka Migao (Utah State), Chinonoso Opara (Long Island University) Ricky Wolfgramm (Utah Tech).
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 in the Big 12 Conference on X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.
