BYU football: Corbin Kaufusi will stop playing basketball, focus on gridiron

Corbin Kaufusi is stepping away from the BYU basketball team to focus his efforts on BYU football. What does that mean for both squads?

Corbin Kaufusi is now a full-time BYU football player, according to ESPN 960’s Ben Criddle.

On Friday evening, the report surfaced on Twitter that the 6-foot-9 center and defensive end had “no intentions” of stepping back on the hardwood.

That came as a surprise to many Cougar fans, especially with it looking more and more likely that Eric Mika goes to the NBA Draft.

So what does it mean for BYU basketball? 

Honestly, probably not much. Hype swelled around Kaufusi after Dave Rose compared him to Hakeem Olajuwon in October 2014, but nothing really came from it.

Kaufusi played in 86 games in his career, starting in 36 of them. He averaged 14.2 minutes per game (just 5.4 in 16 games last season).

But let’s start with the good.

Kaufusi never shot worse than 40 percent from the field in a season. He averaged 3.6 rebounds per game in his career (dragged down by his 0.9 average last season). And, last but not least, made some huge plays in BYU basketball’s upset of No. 1 Gonzaga.

Now for the not-so-good.

Kaufusi was a big body. He just wasn’t a very effective one. He averaged nearly a foul (.95 fouls) for every five minutes he was on the floor. His inability to stay out of foul trouble hurt him and the Cougars from time to time.

One has to think head coach Dave Rose will starting looking at the junior college transfer route for a traditional center.

So what does it mean for BYU football?

Good things.

Kaufusi stepped away from football after being a standout in high school. He thought his height would keep him from being an effective player.

In 2016, Kaufusi joined the football team. Most expected him to be a project player, but he made an impact immediately.

Next: What went wrong for BYU hoops

Kaufusi racked up four tackles and a sack in BYU’s season-opening win against Arizona. He finished the year with 31 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and two blocked kicks.

Staying in football shape year round means the Cougars have added depth along the defensive line. While Kaufusi may not start at defensive end, he’ll be in a rotation.

This seems like the right move for him. Everything about his game looks better on the football field. Surely, Kalani Sitake and Co. are happy.