The BYU Cougars kick off the 2025 season in 13 days against Portland State. As we continue counting down the days until kickoff, today we will profile the player who wears No. 13 - redshirt sophomore defensive end Tausili Akana - by providing three interesting, fun facts:
Fun fact No. 1- He was the No. 52-ranked national recruit in high school
Coming out of Skyridge High School in Lehi, Utah, Tausili Akana was a big-time national recruit. In the class of 2023 he was given a four-star rating with an eye-popping 96 grade from 247 Sports. He was the No. 2 prospect in the state of Utah and the No. 52 prospect nationally. He had offers from just about every major program, and he signed with Texas out of high school.
Fun fact No. 2 - He has gained a lot of weight
Despite being one of the top recruits in the nation, Tausili wasn't able to crack the regular rotation with the Longhorns. After two years at the University of Texas, including a redshirt season, he played a total of nine games with one tackle before transferring after last season. One of the main reasons given for his lack of playing time was his weight. Listed at 209 pounds on Texas's 2023 roster, he didn't have the bulk to excel in Power Four football.
Cougar Nation I’m Home! pic.twitter.com/IZklqYPUCV
— Tausilinu’u Akana (@AkanaTausili) December 23, 2024
After transferring to BYU this year, Akana is listed at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds on the team's website. That's still on the lighter side to be coming off the edge in the Big 12, but if he can retain is immense athleticism while putting on extra muscle, he has a bright future ahead of him.
Fun fact No. 3 - Coach Kalani Sitake is really high on him
Kalani Sitake is a positive, optimistic person by nature, but BYU's head coach doesn't use hyperbole when talking about his players. With this in mind, it caught my attention when Coach Sitake was quoted as saying, "(Tausili Akana is) probably one of the best pass rushers I’ve seen." Kalani then noted that Texas was playing him out of position as inside linebacker, and he could become a "premier pass rusher" coming off the edge for the Cougars.
Entering his redshirt sophomore season, Tausili Akana is one of the biggest question marks with one of the highest ceilings on BYU's defense. 2025 may be the season he puts everything together.