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PROVO — BYU football received more help to its offensive line in a big way late Friday night, signing New Zealand rugby player Manase Tu'ungafasi to a National Letter of Intent.
The 6-foot-7, 322-pound Tu'ungafasi is the sixth offensive line recruit in BYU's 21-player 2015 recruiting class. The native of Auckland, New Zealand, will join his teammates in time for fall camp.
“We are excited to welcome Manase as the newest member of the BYU football program,” head coach Bronco Mendenhall said in a statement. “He is an excellent athlete with exceptional size coming from a rugby background out of New Zealand. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Manase, and we look forward to helping him develop as a football player here at BYU.”
Welcome Manase Tu’ungafasi to the #BYUFOOTBALL family!! pic.twitter.com/gOB8XkHMBC — BYU Football (@BYUfootball) May 23, 2015
Tu'ungafasi's background in rugby led to his call-up to the 2014 Samoa Under-20 team for the Junior World Championships, one of seven Auckland-based players to receive the honor. Tu'ungafasi, who is Tongan, was also recruited by Utah and Oregon State before signing with BYU on Saturday afternoon in New Zealand — which led to the late Friday letter reception on the other side of the International Date Line.
Tu'ungafasi is the second player in his BYU recruiting class from the South Pacific. Big lineman Motekiai Langi is from Liahona, Tonga. The 6-foot-7, 410-pound Langi will finish his LDS Church mission in Arizona before joining the Cougars in 2017.
