BYU linebacker Uona Kaveinga had already decided to come back and play for the Cougars instead of serving an LDS mission before the NCAA sanctions came down against his former team, USC.

BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall - at the Mountain West Conference media days in Las Vegas - said on Tuesday that Kaveinga was going to serve a mission after spring football ended but changed his mind after talking it over with his parents. Then the NCAA put USC on probation, allowing juniors and seniors to transfer without penalty. Kaveinga has applied for waiver to be able to play immediately in Provo.

Mendenhall said many of the reasons Kaveinga gave him for transfering from USC were similar to the sanctions applied to the school, and that he thought the Cougars would get an answer back from the NCAA before fall camp starts on Aug. 7.

If Kaveinga is eligible to play he would be a strong contender to start on inside linebacker. BYU is replacing three of its four starting linebackers.