Cougs Daily

BYU Football Brings in Large 2023 PWO Class

The Cougars have added 20 preferred walk-ons from the high school ranks and transfer portal

Casey Lundquist

BYU made a concerted effort to improve its roster through not only scholarship players in the 2023 class, but preferred walk-ons as well. In fact, head coach Kalani Sitake mentioned the strength of the PWO class in his signing day press conference. Multiple players turned down scholarship opportunities to walk on at BYU in this class. In total, BYU brought in 20 preferred walk-ons in this class. Below is a recap of the 2023 PWO class.

BYU's 2023 High School PWO Class

Jared Esplin - WR

Jared Esplin is a wide receiver from Timpview High School. As a senior, Esplin tallied 900 receiving yards and a touchdown. For those that follow Utah high school football, Esplin will be remembered as the wide receiver that made this clutch touchdown catch in the 5A state championship game:

Ian Sanches - K

Lone Peak standout kicker Ian Sanches committed to BYU. Sanches went 14/18 this season and 4/4 from 50+ yards. He was also perfect on PATs. He will join the program after serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Prince Zombo - WR

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As a senior, Arizona native Prince Zombo racked up 42 catches for 834 yards and 10 touchdowns. After the season, he was named to the Arizona 6A first-team all state alongside highly-touted wide receiver prospects Ja'kobi Lane and Tre Spivey. He picked BYU over a PWO offer from Arizona State.

Prince has good size at 6'1 and he also has good speed. Last year he ran track where he ran a 11.1 100M as a junior. He has reliable hands and he is dangerous after the catch. You can check out his senior highlights below.

Jake Hill - WR/DB

Hill chose to walk on at BYU over scholarship offers from Utah State and SUU. Hill is a 6'3 wide receiver prospect that was named to the 4A first-team all state in by the Deseret News. He is also a track star. Last year, he clocked a 10.95 100 M dash. Hill's size, speed, and ability to high-point the football make him an intriguing addition to BYU's roster, especially as a preferred walk-on.

Drew Cowart - QB

Arizona native Drew Cowart committed to play quarterback at BYU as a preferred walk-on. Cowart has various ties to the BYU football program. His dad is former BYU defensive lineman Jeff Cowart. Jeff played at BYU from 2000-2001. He also attends American Leadership Academy in Arizona which is coached by former BYU greats Ty Detmer and Max Hall.

BYU wasn't the only program vying for Cowart's services. He received a competing PWO offer from Utah and the Utes traveled to the Cowart household for an in-home visit. As a senior, Cowart threw for just under 2,500 yards and 35 touchdowns to only 5 interceptions.

Strantz Mangisi - OL

Strantz Mangisi is a massive lineman out of Provo High School. BYU offered Mangisi as a PWO and he has various options to choose from. He picked BYU over PWO offers from Utah and Utah State. He also held scholarship offers from New Mexico State, Weber State, Missouri State, Idaho State, and SUU among others.

Gage Tanner - LB

Gage Tanner is a linebacker out of Meridian, Idaho. Tanner picked BYU over a PWO offer Boise State. According to Gage's mom, committing to BYU was the fulfillment of a life-long dream.

Sonasi Po'uha - OL

Bingham High School standout Sonasi Po'uha is the son of BYU defensive line coach Sione Po'uha. Sonasi committed to BYU over a competing PWO offer from Utah. Po'uha was named to the 6A All-State First Team in 2022.

Kevin Doe - ATH

Kevin Doe Headshot

Kevin Doe. Doe preps at East High School in Salt Lake City where he is a multi-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. Kevin Doe is new to the game of football. Up until the last year year, Doe was focused on basketball and track. He averaged over 15 points per game on the hardwood as a junior and he was the Utah 5A state champion in both the 100M dash and the 200M dash last Spring. He won the state title with times of 10.91 (100M) and 21.74 (200M). He told Cougs Daily that he didn't start playing football until the end of his junior year of high school. His size and speed at 6'4 and his athleticism on the basketball court made him an intriguing prospect when he transitioned to football.

Maverick McManus - DL

Maverick McManus preps at Westlake High School. He has a big 6'6 frame and he plays both football and basketball. He will likely end up as a defensive end at BYU. He committed to the Cougars over a scholarship offer from Utah Tech.

Naseri Danielson - DB/WR

Danielson was rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports and he racked up competing offers from from Army, Navy, and Nevada among others early in the process. Danielson has been recruited by various PAC-12 schools throughout his recruitment, but BYU was the first Power Five school to pull the trigger and extend a PWO offer. The Cougars were able to swoop in at the final hour and land Danielson's services.

As a wide receiver, Danielson excels at high-pointing the football to make contested catches and he is naturally gifted at creating separation off the line of scrimmage. He racked up over 1,000 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns on 65 catches as a senior. On defense, Danielson could be described as a ball-hawking safety and excellent tackler. He finished with three interceptions in 2022. You can check out his senior highlights below.

Jackson Nelson - OL

Jackson Nelson is the younger brother of starting BYU defensive end John Nelson. John was a bright spot on the BYU defense in 2022. Jackson is massive - he is listed at 6'7 with a 6'10 wingspan and he played quarterback in high school. For those that follow recruiting, that description will sound very similar to the description of Blake Freeland coming out of high school. Jackson will come to BYU without a position, but his frame has offensive tackle written all over it.

Bridger Davies - TE

Corner Canyon tight end/wide receiver Bridger Davies turned down a scholarship opportunity at Black Hills State to walk on at BYU. Davies has a big frame at 6'4.

BYU's 2023 JUCO PWO Class

John Taumoepeau - DL

John Taumpoepau is, you guessed it, another defensive lineman from Snow College. Taumoepau received a BYU offer on the same day as his two Snow College teammates. He also held offers from SUU and Portland State.

Stone Mulitalo - DL

Stone Mulitalo is a Snow College defensive lineman that received an offer from BYU last month. Mulitalo was on BYU's radar as a high school prospect a few years ago as a standout at Skyridge High School. Mulitalo earned a couple Group of Five offers while at Skyridge before opting to go to Snow College.

BYU's 2023 Transfer PWO Class

Dylan Flowers - DB

Dylan Flowers, who is the cousin of BYU wide receiver Kody Epps, has three years of eligibility remaining. As a high school prospect out of California, Flowers received an early offer from BYU. He also received competing offers from the likes of Tennessee, Hawaii, Central Michigan, and Southern Utah. Flowers graduated as part of a 2021 class, meaning his senior season in 2020 was wiped out by COVID-19. Like many other California prospects in his class, his recruitment stalled towards the end and he ended up at Southern Utah.

With his move north from Cedar City to Provo, Flowers will be given an opportunity to compete and establish himself under a new coaching staff. The Cougars have lost various veteran cornerbacks to either graduation or the transfer portal, so adding another player like Flowers to the mix will help the depth of that room in 2023 and beyond.

Wyatt Dawe - DL

Wyatt Dawe is the brother of former BYU players Zac Dawe and Parker Dawe. Wyatt was a PWO target coming out of Pleasant Grove High School in the 2021 recruiting class. He ended up at Southern Utah and following the 2022 season, he entered his name in the transfer portal and committed to BYU. 

Crew Wakley - S

Utah State transfer Crew Wakley came to BYU after entering the transfer portal. Wakley was a safety for the Aggies.

Nuu Sellesin - DL

BYU added more defensive line help through Weber State transfer Nuu Sellesin

Will Ferrin - K

BYU is looking to replace kicker Jake Oldroyd next season. Boise State transfer Will Ferrin will be in the mix and competing for the starting spot.

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Casey Lundquist
CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.

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