The BYU Cougars kick off the 2025 season in 51 days against Portland State. As we continue counting down the days until kickoff, today we will profile the player who wears No. 51 - redshirt junior guard Sonny Makasini - by providing three interesting, fun facts:
Fun fact No. 1 - He is a local Timpview guy
Sonny Makasini prepped right in BYU's backyard at Timpview High School. He was a low three-star prospect (81 overall) per 247 Sports in the class of 2019. Sonny was the No. 33 overall prospect in the state of Utah that year. The only offers reported by 247 Sports were from Utah State and BYU. He originally committed to play for the Aggies but then decommitted after serving a Church mission and instead chose the Cougars.
Fun fact No. 2 - He's a returned missionary
As noted above, Makasini served a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Between 2019 and 2021 he served in both California and Tonga. Per his player profile at BYU's website he is also an Eagle Scout and continues to actively serve in a Church church calling as assistant stake clerk. If nothing else, he sounds pretty trustworthy.
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β BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) October 15, 2024
Fun fact No. 3 - He's in a major battle to start in 2025
Last year Sonny appeared in 10 games with six starts at guard. He dealt with some injuries but obviously earned the trust of offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick and offensive line coach TJ Woods. Weylin Lapuaho is almost certainly going to start left guard and the right guard spot will likely come down to a battle between Makasini and Southern Utah transfer Kyle Sfarcioc.
If Michigan transfer Andrew Gentry is healthy and earns the starting right tackle spot, then Austin Leausa could also be thrown into the competition at right guard, too.
What Sonny Makasini has going for him is the benefit of being the starter from last year. He knows TJ Woods' system. He has proven what he can do in game situations. Simply put, Makasini is a really good player who could very well once again nail down a starting spot. While Kyle Sfarcioc has by many reports been impressive, the transition from Southern Utah to the Big 12 is a massive step up in competition.
No matter what the starting interior offensive line looks like come Portland State, BYU has both depth and experience. It's a good position to be in as a team, but it's going to mean a lot of competition for playing time for very good players like Sonny Makasini.