BYU football: Scouting new commit Christian Folau

In late June, Christian Folau flipped his commitment from Oregon State to BYU football. What will the talented LB bring to the Cougars?

Linebacker Christian Folau is one of many recruits to flip to BYU football to be with Kalani Sitake. Sitake hinted at an addition to the roster at a golf event in late June, and the official announcement was made shortly thereafter.

Impressive, considering BYU wasn’t even on his radar before his mission. It just goes to show the bond that Folau, Sitake and defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki must have.

Folau will be joining a talented linebacking group in the fall when he arrives on campus following his LDS mission in California.

But, he’s got plenty of talent and should fit right in with what BYU football is trying to do offensively.

It’s hard to not compare Folau and current BYU linebacker Butch Pau’u. Not so much in stature, but in play style.

Here’s a brief look at some highlights in a video package OSU made on Signing Day. His Hudl page can be seen here.

Folau – like Pau’u – rarely finds himself out of position. He’s explosive to the hole, loves engaging in contact, and has the strength to take down ball carriers.

He’s extremely fluid, especially for a 6-foot-1, 240-pounder. Rated a four-star recruit by Scout, Folau had a bevvy of offers coming out of East High School (UT) in 2015.

Utah, Oklahoma State, Washington, Oregon, Stanford, USC, Wisconsin and others all came knocking.

It really isn’t hard to see why. His tape shows him to be a tenacious and hard-nosed player. While he might not see the field much (if at all) this season, but he’ll have an opportunity to learn from some of the best LB’s in the country – Pau’u, Fred Warner and Francis Bernard.

Whenever he does take the field for BYU football, expect to see a play-making linebacker with great speed and even better instincts. I would expect him to be a middle linebacker, but don’t be surprised if he’s used as an outside backer or occasionally at the defensive end/edge rusher spot.