Fehoko sticks with Stanford, while Brighton's Kaufusi, Jensen sign with BYU


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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — There was a moment when Brighton wide receiver Simi Fehoko grabbed teammate Jackson Kaufusi's BYU hat and jokingly put it on his own head.

Kaufusi quickly grabbed the hat back, and the record-breaking, Stanford-bound receiver posed for a few more pictures in Brighton High's atrium.

He was more than content with his own decision.

National Signing Day came and went around the Salt Lake Valley, and Fehoko — the Utah high school football record holder for most career receiving yards — stuck by his commitment to Stanford. While new BYU football coach Kalani Sitake and longtime mentor and running backs coach Reno Mahe came calling late, Fehoko said Stanford's academic reputation was the reason he stayed with the Cardinal.

"It's a struggle, with all these guys going to BYU and Reno and the great coaching staff. I've had a huge bond with all of them," said Fehoko, who will join his college teammates after serving a two-year mission for the LDS Church. "I've always been a fan of BYU, and I'll always be a fan of BYU.

"I think that I'll be the biggest BYU fan on Stanford's team. But I think Stanford is the place."

His teammates on either side of him felt the same way. Four Bengals signed National Letters of Intent to Division I programs Wednesday morning, the first day of the NCAA's football signing period.

In addition to Kaufusi, quarterback Drew Jensensigned as a safety with BYU and teammate Doug Taumoealu signed with Oregon State.

Fehoko sticks with Stanford, while Brighton's Kaufusi, Jensen sign with BYU

For Jensen, Wednesday was less of stress relief and more of a chance to put pen-to-paper on a decision he made long ago. The former Bengal quarterback committed to BYU long ago, and he'll join the Cougars in 2018 following a mission in Argentina that begins in March.

"It's fun going through the recruiting process, but at the same time it's a nice relief to have it over," Jensen said. "I knew where I was going for a long time, and I'm excited about my decision. I'm 100 percent sure about it."

Kaufusi's path to BYU was a little more perilous. The senior whose father and five uncles played at Utah had a scholarship offer pulled by former BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall. But when Mendenhall took most of his staff to Virginia, Kaufusi re-opened his recruitment — and hoped Sitake would be open to re-opening BYU's recruitment into the Bengals' two-way starter who finished the season with 100 tackles, a sack and an interception.

"I realized that BYU was the place for me, and that is where I wanted to go. They offered everything I wanted," Kaufusi said. "It was a struggle. It took a lot of praying, and a lot of hard work. But they offered, I talked with Kalani and felt a huge relief. It means a lot that they would come back and look at me after what the other staff did. I'm grateful again for the opportunity."

In the end, Kaufusi obviously feels BYU got its guy. But more importantly for him, the linebacker got his dream school.

"I'm pumped for it all; it came towards the end, but it all works out," Kaufusi said. "I'm just really grateful for the opportunity."

Committing to the same school as a high school teammate makes the experience even better, Jensen added.

"Jackson is such a great guy, and he's an even better player," Jensen said. "I'm excited to play with him again and get another four years after the mission."

National Signing Day 2016

A high-motor athlete who starred at quarterback in high school, Jensen said he's committed to making BYU's secondary better.

"I'll give it 100 percent every time," he said. "I'll never take a play off, take a day off, or anything; I'm going to be there 100 percent."

Now that recruitment is over, Kaufusi — and the rest of Brighton's Division I football players — looked to the future.

"I'm excited for it," he said. "It's going to be a blast. I already know people down there, and I'm really close with Drew — I think it makes it even more sense. It already sets up the good team camaraderie.

"I'm excited for the future; it's going to be a good time."

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Sean Walker

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