The BYU Cougars will kick off the 2026 season in 93 days against Utah Tech. As we count down the days until kickoff, today we will profile the player who wears No. 93 - redshirt freshman defensive tackle Kelepi Latu-Finau.
Kelepi Latu-Finau's background
At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, Latu-Finau was a standout high school player in California, graduating with the class of 2025. He was a three-star prospect at 247 Sports with a solid 85 rating. He was the No. 136 prospect in the state of California last year so he wasn't a superstar, but his offer list reveals just how much talent college coaches saw in him.
In addition to BYU, Kelepi received offers from Power Four schools such as Baylor, Arizona, Arizona State, Stanford, and Cal. More than a few Big 12 and other Power Four programs wanted to land the California product, and he chose to leave the Golden State for the Beehive State.
And he didn't go alone.
Accompanying Kelepi to Provo last year was his twin brother Siosiua, an offensive lineman who played three games at tackle last year while redshirting. It was a package deal for BYU to land both of the Latu-Finau brothers, both of whom has tremendous upside as they continue to bulk up and get acclimated to the college game.
Latu-Finau's past and present at BYU
Last year Kelepi Latu-Finau redshirted for the Cougars without playing in any games. That makes him something of a mystery as we look forward to 2026.
One of the reasons he may not have played last year is the need to bulk up a bit. At "just" 285 pounds, he's a bit light for an interior defensive lineman. A full year in BYU's strength and conditioning program during his redshirt season should help address that. His twin brother is also listed at 6-foot-5 but tips the scales at 310 pounds as an offensive tackle. While Kelepi doesn't need to add that much bulk, it would be helpful for him to come into the season closer to 300 pounds.
Every year there are at least a few redshirt freshmen who were largely invisible while redshirting but come on to at least crack the rotation in their second year in the program. Kelepi Latu-Finau could do the same this year. He's trying to earn snaps at a position where the Cougars have more talent and depth this year than in previous seasons, so if he wants to see the field in 2026, he's going to have to earn it.
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