Latest news with #Y'sGuys'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Golf phenom Kihei Akina shares why he chose BYU (and it wasn't just for golf)
Lone Peak's Kihei Akina competes in 6A boys golf state championship at Riverbend Golf Course in Riverton on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. Akina won medalist honors and has signed to play his college golf at BYU. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Standing on the first tee of the Black Desert Championship last October in Ivins, Utah, Kihei Akina caught a glimpse of his future. With a large crowd gathered around him, BYU's prized five-star golf recruit took out his driver and readied himself to make his PGA Tour debut. 'I was fine and felt normal,' Akina told the 'Y's Guys' podcast this week. 'But I put the tee in the ground and as I stood over the ball, my legs went to jelly. I couldn't feel my hands. I couldn't feel anything. I thought, 'Oh crap! Just make contact!' Somehow, I hit it down the fairway.' Advertisement By the third hole, Akina was back to being his confident self and over the course of two days he went toe-to-toe with the professionals and made eight birdies and finished just outside the cut line at 4 under par. 'It was definitely different from junior golf and high school golf,' said the three-time state champion at Lone Peak High. 'I just tried to learn as much as I could from those guys.' Akina hails from an athletic family. His older sister, Kiani, played rugby at Harvard, and older brothers Keanu golfed at BYU and Kawika played basketball at NYU in Manhattan. Now it's his time to shine. When it came time to decide on a college, Akina received offers and NIL pitches from 50 programs, including BYU, which presented a competitive proposal — and an environment that has less to do with golf and more to do with the golfer. Advertisement 'I wanted to surround myself with likeminded people. People in the church who have the same beliefs as me,' Akina said. 'I think it will help build me and help build my testimony of the Savior and help me be a better person and get to where I want to be in life.' Akina also wants to win. Bruce Brockbank's current Cougars are competing this weekend at the NCAA championships in Carlsbad, California, where BYU is chasing its first national title since 1981. 'I also wanted to come in and build the program up and I want to compete for a national championship,' Akina said. 'At BYU you represent so much. You represent the church and this great state of Utah. It's really cool to be able to do that. Hopefully we can make a run next year.' Akina is a big piece of an unprecedented wave of prized prep recruits bringing their talents to Provo, including No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa (basketball), No. 1-ranked Jane Hedengren (women's cross-country), No. 1-ranked Daniel Simmons (men's cross-country) and the No. 5-ranked tight end Brock Harris (football). Advertisement 'BYU is on the rise for sure. It's really cool to see. Everything is building up with every sport,' Akina said. 'I'm excited to be a part of it. I've been itching to get to campus for the last year and a half.' Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts 'Y's Guys' at and is the author of the children's book 'C is for Cougar,' available at
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Brock Harris found at BYU that no other school had
It's not every day that a 14-year-old boy gets a glimpse into his future, but that's what happened to Brock Harris. The high school freshman was finishing up a seven-on-seven drill at Pine View High in St. George when his coach, Jamar Howard, called him over to the side. 'Miami is going to offer you (a scholarship) next week!' the coach said. Advertisement Harris responded with a big 'Whoa' — and that's the moment when the little-known receiver knew he was about to become a very big deal, at tight end. Over the next two seasons, as Harris matured into his current 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame, just about every school came calling — and offering. Among his six finalists included former national champions Michigan (2023), Georgia (2022), Miami (2001), BYU (1984), Oregon and Utah. Throughout the exhaustive, jet-setting process, Harris fought hard to stay grounded. 'You can't just focus on all the offers and attention. It won't stay if you aren't performing on the field,' Harris told the 'Y's Guys' podcast this week. 'You have to work hard and keep getting better. There are always new guys popping up who are great players.' Advertisement In three seasons at Pine View, Harris caught 118 passes for 1,678 yards and 21 touchdowns. The success sent his stock skyrocketing. ESPN ranked him the 33rd-best player in the 2026 class and No. 1 in Utah. 'I'm not just good at one side of things, I can do both — blocking and catching the ball,' said Harris when explaining his technique at tight end. 'Some guys can be a receiving tight end like (Travis) Kelce (Chiefs), but I want to be like (George) Kittle (49ers) who can do it all.' In between games and practices, Harris made the rounds and listened to the pitches and promises that were tossed at him like footballs from a JUGS machine. No head coach balked at his mission plans, and everybody was eager to accommodate. Something different Amid the noise that comes with all the recruiting hype, Harris noticed something different about BYU. Advertisement 'The spirit is at BYU man, for sure,' he said. 'That's the biggest thing. Every time I was there it was like, 'Wow! There is something special here.' I've talked to other big recruits that are thinking about BYU, and they say the same thing and they are also members (of the church) — it's the spirit. I felt the spirit so much.' With his mind made up, Harris and his parents, Todd and Andrea, asked to meet with Kalani Sitake. They drove from St. George to Provo and walked into his office. 'We didn't tell them we were going to commit,' Harris said. 'We were just coming up.' In the room with Sitake was Aaron Roderick (offensive coordinator), Fesi Sitake (receivers coach) and Kevin Gilbride (tight ends coach). Nearing the end of the discussion, which ranged from everything but the real reason they were there, Todd Harris prodded his son. Advertisement 'Do you have anything to tell them?' he asked. 'No,' said Brock, not realizing this was his cue. 'Yes, you do,' said his dad. 'Oh yeah,' said Brock as he regrouped. 'I'm committed!' Sitake responded with a fist pump and a loud 'Let's Go!' The following Monday, April 7, on 247Sports Ultimate College Football Show, Harris, surrounded by his family, announced he would be attending BYU. The moment he declared, Harris became the highest-rated commit for the Cougars since 2006. 'I think it was the comfortability I had there. I know I will be happy there,' he said. 'I've been going to their camps forever. I know everybody, and they are great people. I'm a member of the church — there were just a ton of factors.' What's next? Harris will take his official visit to BYU this summer and will play his final season at Pine View in the fall. He plans to graduate in December and leave on a church mission in January, which will allow him to report at BYU in early 2028. Advertisement 'I prayed about (serving a mission) and put a ton of thought into it,' Harris said. 'I picked the brains of athletes who have done missions. There are definitely some worries about it (like) coming back and being rusty (but) it's something I want to do, and I need to do. I think it will help me a lot for the future.' When he does suit up for the Cougars, Harris expects to get the ball — a lot. 'A-Rod tells me they are going to throw the ball to me a ton, and they better,' he said with a smile. 'I definitely want to catch the ball. I love blocking too, but running routes is what I love the most. He has a great plan. He has a unique mind and has a lot of ways to get the ball to the tight end.' Recruiting Ryder Lyons Harris and signee McKay Madsen make up two of what they hope will become a trio of top-rated Latter-day Saint recruits coming to BYU. Five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons has yet to announce his intentions, and both Harris and Madsen are working hard to win him over. Advertisement 'That's the goal. He's one of those guys that if he gets on board, everybody else will,' Harris said. 'Skill position-wise, who doesn't want a quarterback that can get you the ball? He definitely loves it here at BYU, but the ball is in his court. He can do what he wants, but I think we have a big shot (at) getting him here.' Madsen, a four-star signee from Clovis, California, is optimistic too. 'He knows we want him. He knows the love is genuine at BYU,' Madsen told the 'Y's Guys' podcast. 'I can totally see him picking BYU and us working as a triple threat with him handing me the ball, or not, me going to block and he puts it over the top to Brock and we all run down and celebrate together. That would be great.' Time will tell with Lyons, but as for Harris and Madsen, they are already part of a rising tide in Sitake's recruiting. Advertisement 'I think my commitment and McKay's commitment definitely shifted the momentum for sure,' Harris said. 'Committing has been the best part. I'm locked in with who I want to be with. It's like having a weight lifted off my shoulders.' Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts 'Y's Guys' at and is the author of the children's book 'C is for Cougar,' available at
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Prized recruit McKay Madsen shares why he knew BYU was the place for him
When his plane touched down on Jan. 6 at San Antonio International Airport, McKay Madsen was carrying more than his luggage. The prized high school recruit from Clovis, California, had a heavy decision to make and a self-imposed deadline that was closing in fast. 'I was still undecided, and I knew I had to commit (to a school) that Saturday on national television,' Madsen told the 'Y's Guys' podcast this week. 'I set that date so I would have a commitment ready by then. I thought I would (have a decision), but I didn't.' Advertisement Madsen had no shortage of college suitors. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound running back/linebacker averaged 8.8 yards per carry during his senior season at Clovis North. He finished with 1,238 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball at linebacker, Madsen amassed 131 tackles and had eight interceptions. The swollen numbers landed him a well-earned invitation to the Navy All-American Bowl in the Alamodome — the same venue where BYU routed Colorado 36-14 just nine days earlier in the Alamo Bowl. 'I had a great recruiting process. I dove deep into my top schools,' Madsen said of his finalists: Oregon, UCLA and BYU. 'I did my due diligence and went to two home games at each place.' Recruiting experts tagged Oregon as the favorite to win gold in the competition for Madsen. BYU was on the podium, but the Cougars appeared to be stuck somewhere between the silver and bronze. Advertisement 'It probably wasn't going to be BYU on that Monday,' he said. 'But every day throughout the week, and this is such a cool spiritual experience for me, every day it grew stronger and stronger. It was like a nagging from the spirit that I need to go to BYU.' Madsen practiced with the all-stars during the day in preparation for the game, but at night, when the real stars came out, his sleep took him into a galaxy of blue. Dream team 'I'd have these dreams of playing football and I'd wake up the next day and realize I was in LaVell Edwards Stadium. It wasn't any other stadium,' Madsen said. 'I'd be like dozing off or on my phone and I'd envision myself scoring a touchdown and I would be in a Cougar blue jersey. Just small things like that, repetitive and nagging throughout the whole week. I couldn't deny it.' Advertisement Josh and Tiffany Madsen, McKay's parents, arrived in San Antonio on Thursday night. Josh played football at Stanford. Tiffany was a Cougarette at BYU. Both were eager to learn of McKay's decision. 'I said, 'I need to go to BYU,'' said McKay. 'That's all it is. I can't argue with what I felt this week.' The next day, Madsen broke the news to Oregon, UCLA and to BYU. He called running backs coach Harvey Unga first. 'I played with him a little bit,' Madsen said. 'I said, 'I just want you to know I'm committing tomorrow, and I appreciate all the love, and this process has been fun.' I kinda made it seem like I was telling him (no), but 'thank you for everything — and that I'll be committing to … BYU.'' Advertisement A conversation with Kalani Sitake was next. 'He said, 'Hey, how are you doing?'' Madsen recalled. 'We talked about how I got the No. 5 jersey to wear in the all-star game because that was my childhood number (and the number worn by his idol Christian McCaffrey). We didn't have it in high school, so I wore No. 3.' Then, Madsen dropped the news. 'I said, 'I'm wearing No. 5, but I kinda wish I had No. 3 though — so start sewing it up because I'm coming in two years!' he said. '(Kalani) just got ecstatic.' During the NBC broadcast on Saturday, with Oregon, UCLA and BYU baseball caps sitting on the table, Madsen picked up the Cougars hat and announced that following his church mission, the four-star prospect would be attending BYU. Advertisement With the life-changing week over, Madsen flew back to Fresno on Sunday with the same luggage, but with a much lighter load. Mission plans Madsen will report to BYU in the fall of 2027 after serving for two years in the Argentina Mendoza Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 'First of all, it's because I love my Savior and that's what he's asked us to do. Second, it's a priesthood responsibility,' Madsen said of his mission plans. 'It's kind of dwindling a little bit with young men these days and they are kind of being pickier and more choosey on it, when that's not what it is. It's our responsibility to serve.' Advertisement Madsen begins his mission on July 21. 'I have always been set on serving a mission,' he said. 'I have no problem putting aside my career for two years when I'll get blessings for the rest of my life. Really, it's kind of cheating. When I get back, I'll be 21 years old and running the ball as a freshman.' Trash talk Madsen was recruited by both Unga (running backs coach) and Justin Ena (linebackers coach) and he said both helped shape his decision. Madsen hasn't ruled out playing on both sides of the ball, just not in the same game as Colorado's Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter did last season. However, running is what he prefers. Advertisement 'I love the ball in my hands,' Madsen said. 'I know what I can do and that's help my team score. I'm happy to do whatever. Throw me in a swing route, wildcat quarterback or just run up the gut. I'm down to do whatever.' Madsen runs with a confident and punishing style like Luke Staley, BYU's 2001 Doak Walker Award winner. Like Staley, he lets his performance do the talking. 'I won't talk trash, but I might run down the sideline, turn and look at them and start laughing,' he said. 'Or I might blow somebody up and while helping them up I'll say something like, 'You are good bro, just break down earlier next time.' I'll just give them some tips and get in their head. They hate that. I won't start the trash talk, but I'll try to finish it in a polite way.' Title defense Madsen is spending the rest of April and May preparing to defend his California state high school titles in the discus and shot put (May 30-31) — something he hopes to continue with BYU's outdoor track and field team after his mission. Advertisement 'It's nice and refreshing. Having track in the spring and still be able to compete every week, it helps me to not get burned out from football,' he said. 'I love doing two sports. You get the best of both worlds, and it makes you more well-rounded. This might be a hot take, but I think throwers are the most athletic people in track and field. Throwing is so complex. I love doing both.' Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts 'Y's Guys' at and is the author of the children's book 'C is for Cougar,' available at
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why this recruiting guru sees BYU very much in the race for prized 5-star QB
If this were a horse race, the television announcer would be getting ready to shout, 'Down the stretch they come' as the furious effort to sign five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons nears the finish line — and BYU is running strong as a contender. 'I think there are three schools that all think they have got him. If I am Ryder Lyons, that is exactly where you want to be,' Jeff Hansen of and told the 'Y's Guys' podcast this week. 'Oregon, USC and BYU all feel like they are No. 1. I think BYU is in it as much as anybody.' Advertisement Lyons is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds from Folsom, California. BYU senior quarterback Jake Retzlaff is 6-1 and 205 pounds from Corona, California, and the comparisons don't end there. 'I think the way (Jake) Retzlaff developed this last season has spoken loudly to Lyons. A year ago, BYU was an afterthought.' college football recruiting guru Jeff Hansen 'They aren't too different. I think Lyons has an extremely high upside, but the way they see the game, the way they evade pressure and use their legs to extend plays, there are a lot of similarities there,' Hansen said. 'I think Ryder has seen Jake and thought, 'OK, plug me into that system and I can be really, really good.' I think that has played a role.' Retzlaff took a team that was picked to finish 13th in the Big 12 and went 11-2, won the Alamo Bowl and finished ranked No. 13 in the final AP Top 25. Along the way, he threw for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also ran for 417 yards and six touchdowns. 'I think the way Retzlaff developed this last season has spoken loudly to Lyons,' Hansen said. 'A year ago, BYU was an afterthought.' Advertisement Lyons is expected to start his official campus visits in the coming weeks with BYU booked in mid-June. A final decision on where he will play after his church mission could come in July. 'I don't know if BYU is No. 1. I think if anybody says they have this done is probably premature,' Hansen said. 'But they are not No. 2 to anybody. They are neck-and-neck with Oregon and USC.' Signing Terrance Saryon BYU head coach Kalani Sitake picked up another receiver this week when Terrance Saryon flipped his commitment from Washington to BYU. The 5-10, 160-pound multipurpose athlete further bolsters the 2026 recruiting class. Advertisement 'When we look at the 2026 class, we always knew this was a big opportunity for BYU. The instate class is probably the best it has ever been. There are 30 to 40 Division I guys in Utah and there is plenty of Latter-day Saint talent,' Hansen said. 'But this is a big deal for outside of that. 'Saryon (is) from out of state. He is not a member of the church. He was committed to Washington and BYU comes in and flips him. That's kind of a message to the recruiting world that BYU has grown up a little bit. They can get outside of their backyard and go and get guys to come play.' Independence challenges Gone are the days when, as a football independent, BYU struggled to recruit against power conference programs. Recent wins show the Cougars are holding their own as a member of the Big 12. Hansen believes beating the likes of Georgia, Miami and Michigan for Pine View's four-star tight end Brock Harris and edging Oregon for Clovis, California four-star running back McKay Madsen are signs of changing times. Advertisement 'I think if you gave Kalani and the coaches truth serum, they would tell you that recruiting got really tough and it was really hard to invest and go all-in on some of these big dawgs when you knew there were bigger-named schools that were going to come in late,' Hansen said. 'To me, it feels like they are reinvigorated, and they are competing with anybody. 'They don't care who else is chasing these guys. They feel confident in their abilities to establish a relationship. They feel confident in BYU's ability to support from a financial, football and education component. I think they are having fun. These are coaches that are now able to recruit with a full deck of cards and that feels really good for them.' Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts 'Y's Guys' at and is the author of the children's book 'C is for Cougar,' available at
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tackling history was no ordinary task for future BYU professor
Marshall Faulk carries the ball during game against UCLA on Nov. 26, 1992, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press The students in his classes wouldn't know it, but back when BYU English professor Frank Christiansen was finding his own way, as a wide-eyed, college kid in Provo, he ran right into history, or at least a football player destined to make some — and paid a painful price. 'Him coming through the line, and the line parting like the Red Sea with me sitting there eight yards deep,' is what Christiansen told the 'Y's Guys' podcast about his encounter with San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk. 'Given how quick he was, the thing you would expect was that he would have tried to side-step me, but I hit him head on.' Frank Christiansen from his playing days as a student at BYU | BYU Photo Faulk was just 5-foot-10 and 211 pounds and he ran with the electric charge of a lightning bolt and for a moment, Christiansen, a 6-2, 205-pound weakside safety at BYU, wasn't quite sure what hit him. Advertisement 'It was the first and only stinger I ever had — just fire down my whole left side and it kind of stunned me,' he said. 'I never saw anybody with that kind of speed, in-pads speed. 'All they needed to do was give him a little bit of momentum. If they could give him four yards, he was already at full speed. Once he had any kind of open field, it was incredibly difficult to track him down.' The future NFL Hall of Famer blistered BYU's defense on that night in 1992 for a LaVell Edwards Stadium record 299 yards rushing on 35 carries. Faulk also scored three touchdowns in the Aztecs' 45-38 victory. The following year in San Diego, he picked up where he left off and ran for 252 yards and three touchdowns against Christiansen and the Cougars, but in a 45-44 defeat. 'For what a running back can do, like as a lethal weapon, he's the one who had the best tools,' Christiansen said. 'He was amazing.' Advertisement Faulk finished his college career with 4,589 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns. As a pro with the Colts and Rams, he ran for 12,279 yards and 100 touchdowns. But, as fate would have it, Faulk wasn't the only future Hall of Famer to collide with Christiansen. When the Cougars rolled into South Bend in 1992, Notre Dame's star runner Jerome Bettis, ran at the BYU defense like a human battering ram. 'I almost made a singular contribution to the outcome of that game,' Christiansen said. 'He tried to run through the line, and I hit him as he was being slowed up and kind of kinked his neck. He had to come out of the game, and I thought, 'I had put Jerome Bettis out!' The bad news for BYU was that Bettis returned. Advertisement 'He came back with a vengeance,' Christiansen said. 'He was making up for lost time (in the second half).' Bettis finished the game with 113 yards rushing and scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to turn a tight 21-16 Notre Dame lead into a 42-16 victory. Notre Dame running back Jerome Bettis rushes for a touchdown against Northwestern in Chicago, Sept. 5, 1992. Others are unidentified. | Barry Jarvinen, Associated Press Christiansen grew up watching his father, James, teach at BYU and after earning his under-graduate and master's degrees in Provo and a doctorate at Brown, he decided to do the same. Christiansen has been teaching American Literature since 2002 and from his seat in the English Department, has watched the football program transition to the Big 12. Advertisement 'It's hard to imagine,' he said. 'We are talking the WAC (when) I was playing. It was a far cry (from today). This is top tier. It's inspiring to see how the program has evolved.' Last season's 11-2 record impressed Christiansen and has made him cautiously optimistic for more success this fall. 'There is reason to (believe) they can repeat and do well. So many of those games could have gone the other way last year. It's hard to know,' he said, before returning to his roots. 'I'm excited for the defense.' For a kid who was schooled by a pair of legends, Faulk and Bettis, Christiansen is proof you can take a player out of the defense and turn him into a professor, but you can't take the defensive mindset out of either of them. Advertisement 'Every defensive back will tell you, if you have a defensive line that can penetrate and contain it makes all the difference in the world,' he said. 'It's everything.' Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts 'Y's Guys' at and is the author of the children's book 'C is for Cougar,' available at
