BYU Defensive End Aisea Moa to Change Positions and Play Linebacker in 2024

Casey Lundquist | Jul 20, 2024

Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY

Kalani Sitake and the BYU football program will kickoff Fall camp at the end of this month. Once camp is underway, BYU will have five weeks to prepare for the season opener against Southern Illinois. A few returning players will try out new positions in 2024, headlined by wide receiver turned tight end Keanu Hill and defensive end turned linebacker Aisea Moa.

Aisea Moa

Moa, a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, has been developing as a defensive end during his first two years in the program. Moa played a variety of positions when he was a standout prospect at Weber High School, including defensive end, defensive tackle, and linebacker. When he was being recruited in high school, his frame projected as a defensive lineman at the next level. After all, his Dad grew into a 260-pound tight end at the University of Utah.

He hasn't added as much weight as perhaps was anticipated when he signed - he has hovered right around 240 pounds throughout his BYU career. So instead of adding more weight than his body is ready to put on, he will shed a few pounds and play linebacker at 235 pounds in 2024. Perhaps the move to linebacker will allow him to see the field earlier.

He won't be the only Moa in the linebacker room. His brother, Sione Moa, is a linebacker at BYU who transferred to Provo from Utah State.

Keanu Hill

On signing day, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick announced that veteran wide receiver Keanu Hill will move from wide receiver to tight end for the 2024 season. Roderick noted that Hill has had a hard time keeping down his weight. Instead of fighting his body's natural weight, Roderick explained, BYU's offensive staff told him to put on weight and play a new position.

That's exactly what Keanu has done during the offseason. Hill was listed at 6'4 and 215 pounds in 2023. He is up 25 pounds to 240 pounds in prepartion for Fall camp. That gives Hill the requisite weight to play tight end. Last year, for context, BYU's tight ends averaged 243 pounds.

Hill has been a wide receiver since 2019. In his career, he has 73 catches for over 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hill, who Roderick calls one of the best blockers on the whole team, could add a new wrinkle as a receiving tight end. If he can get up to speed at tight end, he could have a breakout season in 2024. Hill has always been a good route runner. Moving to tight end will allow him to run routes against safeties and linebackers instead of cornerbacks. That will create some matchups problems for opposing defenses.

BYU Football Position Changes

Here are all the position changes on the 2024 BYU football roster.

1. Keanu Hill - Tight End (Listed at Wide Receiver in 2023)
2. Koa Eldredge - Safety (Listed at Wide Receiver in 2023)
3. Kevin Doe - Cornerback (Listed at Wide Receiver in 2023)
4. Landon Rehkow - Punter (Listed at Punter/Kicker in 2023)
5. Aisea Moa - Linebacker (Listed at Defensive End in 2023)
6. Tyler Little - Defensive Tackle (Listed at Offensive Line in 2023)
7. Bruce Mitchell - Offensive Line (Listed at Defensive Tackle in 2023)