The 2009 football season may be over, but the BYU-Utah rivalry remains intense, even in the offseason.
It isn’t uncommon for BYU and University of Utah to go after the same high school football recruits. At last week’s signing day press conferences, both head coaches touted the exceptional talent that can be found in the state of Utah. But by many accounts, BYU dominated the recruiting battle this year: nine of the players from BYU’s 2010 signing class were reportedly recruited by Utah.
So why did they choose BYU over Utah?
Both teams have been successful over the past few years. BYU (11-2) finished the 2009 season ranked No. 12, and finished in the top 25 in each of the last four seasons with more than 10 wins. The Cougars have also had a successful bowl record over the last few years, winning three of their last four. In December, Utah (10-3) defeated California in the Poinsettia Bowl, and the season before the Utes beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to win their second BCS bowl in five years.
Tayo Fabuluje, a defensive end out of Arlington, Texas, was heavily recruited by BYU and Utah. He said his experience with Utah left a lot to be desired.
“[Utah] just had a bad vibe about it,” Fabuluje said. “It didn’t seem like I could spend my next four years there.”
According to Fabuluje, he was turned off by the attitudes of those he came in contact with at Utah.
“Their players were cocky and their coaches were cocky,” Fabuluje said. “Confidence is good, but being cocky is another thing, and they cross the line.”
Unlike the constructive, positive approach he said BYU took in recruiting him, Utah did and said just about anything to convince him that BYU wasn’t the school for him.
“The whole time I was there they spoke smack about BYU,” Fabuluje said. “I didn’t know if they were trying to recruit me to Utah or just make sure I didn’t go to BYU. It got old.”
Eventually, Fabuluje decided the camaraderie he felt at BYU made the difference.
“When I went there it felt like the right place,” Fabuluje said. “Everyone was a big family, and no one else had that family atmosphere, and obviously they’re good at football.”
Toloa’i Ho Ching, a linebacker from Sandy, also chose BYU over Utah because of the Y’s environment. Both of his parents attended BYU, and he said he is excited to begin his football career after he serves an LDS mission.
“I know without a doubt that I made the best choice,” Ho Ching said. “If you surround yourself with greatness then you’re going to be great.”
So what kept Ho-Ching from choosing Utah?
“It didn’t feel like the right place for me,” he said simply.
Despite varying levels of interest from Utah, the decision for many of the recruits didn’t require a visit to Utah.
A.J. Moore, a running back from Murrieta, Calif., said he knew he wanted to go to BYU and didn’t need to speak to Utah to confirm that decision. After he made the decision to attend BYU, he told his coaches that he didn’t want to speak to any other schools.
“I didn’t speak to Utah because I had already committed to BYU back in May,” Moore said. “My family has always liked BYU.”
Drew Phillips, a running back from Boaz, Ala., received letters from Utah, but he had already decided that BYU was the school for him.
“The coaching staff is tremendous,” Phillips said. “I’ll come out of BYU a better person, and none of the other schools can offer me that. I know I’ll receive a great education, and play great football.”
Manu Mulitalo, an offensive lineman from West Valley City, made up his mind when he was young. In addition to growing up a BYU fan, Mulitalo also has a cousin currently playing for BYU in offensive lineman Ryan Mulitalo.
“[BYU] was my favorite college growing up,” Mulitalo said. “My visit was great. [The recruits] really bonded with the players.
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I truly hope the spelling in some of the players comments were editorial misprints. If not those boys need remedial English...how did they get into ANY college?
The article itself is a complete waist of time. It contained no objectivity. Terrible reporting. But I will give the author a pass because this is, after all, a BYU newspaper.
You go to a Southern Baptist Convention, you hear SBC rhetoric. It’s slanted, sure. But it’s there gig.
You go to the BYU newspaper. You’re going to hear a BYU slant. Was the story objective? No way.
For those interested in objectivity...
That is what, two recruits? And they are recruits that chose BYU. What are they going to say? The truth is Whit didn't give us solid scholarship opportunities? I've been a BYU fan since I was a little boy so there was no way I would have gone to Utah? Those kind of statements would be honest, but they fail to make the authors point.
This story isn’t objective until you actually start asking the same questions of players that chose Utah over BYU.
I can see the quotes from Utah recruites:
Joe Krueger (Orem, UT)—Ya, my family has never felt good about BYU. They are self-righteous hypocrites who seem to speak out of both sides of their mouths.
Sefa Tanoai (Pleasant Grove, UT)—I thought about BYU. But they don’t seem to put enough of an emphasis on winning. After all, football is what, tenth on their list of priorities?
Ofa Latu—(Provo, UT)—I chose Utah over BYU because the players and coaches are so confident in their and my ability. And I really want to have a shot at a BCS game.
You can have all the untalented players you want. I'm glad they chose BYU. We like players who can keep their mouths shut and leave it all the field. "Surround yourself with greatness (from 1984)." If you want a football program from this century the U is the place to go.
Its hard to compete with "the peoples champions" year in and year out. we were lucky to be the peoples champs of the mtn west this year...
Curious how this story was written when Fabuluje didn't even visit the University of Utah campus??
Wow, he just signs, and he's already feeling the burn of the rivalry. Tayo has been surrounded with BYU fans for a few years now, and it sounds like some things have rubbed off. It's amazing how fast this rivalry turns some people into haters. Ho Ching's simple "not the place for me," on the other hand, is the standard, classy way to deal with this type of baited question. Maybe he should give a much needed media response class to the rest of the team.
...I'm just wondering if he really said those things. And if he did, why would he when he didn't visit the U?? I see what you're saying about the rivalry. Can get pretty crazy.
Considering that Utah doesn't recruit Alabama, it is highly unlikely that Utah would have shown any interest in a 2-star RB from Boaz. The only Western schools reported by the media as having any interest in Drew Phillips were BYU and Wyoming. I wonder why Drew would make that up about having received any interest from Utah. Did any classless Ute fans throw beer on his family?
Amazing how they feel the need to put down their rival to recruits. I guess going to two BCS bowls isn't good enough for them.
I wonder why they havent shown their faces? probably because the guilty take the truth to be hard.