The BYU Cougars will kick off the 2026 season in 41 days against Utah Tech. As we count down the days until kickoff, today we will profile the player who wears No. 41 - true freshman defensive tackle Nehemiah Kolone.
Nehemiah Kolone's background
At 6-foot-4 and 268 pounds, true freshman Nehemiah Kolone could make a big impact in his debut season in Provo. He hails from Stillwater, Oklahoma and as a three-star prospect with an 86 rating, he was the No. 29 prospect in the state last year and a Top 150 interior defensive lineman nationally. He had 11 sacks last year which ranked fourth in the state.
Playing in Oklahoma -- right in the heart of Big 12 territory -- he reeled in offers from Big 12 programs. Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Arizona, Baylor, Kansas, and Kansas State all came calling, as did a random offer from the Big Ten's Michigan State.
He's going to need to put on more weight if he's going to hold up playing on the interior defensive line at the Power Four level, but that's where BYU's esteemed strength and nutrition programs come into play.
Welcome to the Family, @MiahKolone 🤙 pic.twitter.com/hI0WRyMoMr
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 3, 2025
Kolone's present and future at BYU
While his future is incredibly bright, his present situation is a little more murky.
As a versatile defensive lineman who has experience as an edge rusher, he's going to need to find his fit in Brady Poppinga's scheme. More than likely his freshman experience will be spent watching and learning behind seniors Keanu Tanuvasa and Justin Kirkland. The Cougars have some depth behind Tanuvasa and Kirkland with experienced guys like Anisi Purcell, Viliami Po'uha
But look for Kolone to get some defensive snaps in BYU's nonconference games and any blowouts the Cougars might have this year. Most BYU fans know how hard it has been for the team to develop dominant interior defensive players for the past decade. When Kalani Sitake's program signs a high-potential young guy like Nehemiah Kolone with long-term starter potential, they're going to do everything possible to accelerate his development.
Nehemia Kolone could have played just about anywhere in the Big 12.
He chose Provo.
If all goes according to plan, he'll cut his teeth this year, add some bulk, and flash his potential as a long-term starter.
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