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BYU edge defender Nusi Taumoepeau came in with a lot of expectations after signing as a 4-star prospect with Stanford before opting to transfer

Courtesy of BYU Photo

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BYU freshman Nusi Taumoepeau has seen increasing playing time throughout the season and received first-team reps in a win over Utah

Courtesy of BYU Photo

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Nusi Taumoepeau's progress was beset by injury prior to establishing himself as a top contributor to BYU's defensive front as a freshman this season

Courtesy of BYU Photo

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Nusi Taumoepeau was allotted first reps at the outside edge position when BYU lined up versus Utah this past weekend, and if he continues his progress, Cougar fans can expect to see a lot more of him moving forward.

Taumoepeau is a 6-foot-3, 245 pound freshman who prepped at Westlake High School before opting to sign with Stanford out of high school. Much much like both Tiger and Bear Bachmeier, the former 4-star linebacker prospect opted to transfer out of the Cardinal program following the somewhat surprising firing of then Stanford Coach Troy Taylor in late March.

The result was Taumoepeau entering the transfer portal, committing to BYU and then, just short of seven months later, finding himself starting along the Cougar’s defensive front versus Utah.

“My blood was rushing fast, and my heart was beating fast, too. It was a crazy feeling, for sure,” Taumoepeau said of the experience. “But I was prepared. We were so focused going into that week and all the credit goes to the coaches and everything else involved with Cougar nation that helped prepare me for that moment. It was a great moment, for me, and it’s been great since I decided to transfer here to BYU.”

Turns out Taumeopeau was close to signing with BYU the first time around. As a 4-star prospect, the Westlake product received a lot of recruiting attention out of high school and did have the Cougars in his top five options before opting to sign with the Cardinal due to the program’s academic offerings, among other factors.

But when things didn’t work out at Stanford, Taumoepeau knew he had a great option to pursue both football and academics in Provo.

“The spirit led me to BYU to pursue my football and academic goals,” Taumoepeau explained. “BYU recruited me very early in high school, so there was already a lot of trust there. They did a great job recruiting me, and it was tough to decide not to commit to them out of high school. But everything worked out for a reason, and I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity I now have at BYU.”

Due to the establishment already built during the recruiting process, Taumoepeau felt comfortable from the get-go upon arriving at BYU in late March. Unfortunately his body didn’t cooperate in experiencing what he’s describes as ‘shoulder bugs’ when he arrived on top of a partially torn achilles injury incurred during the final week of fall practices.

The achilles injury prevented Taumoepeau from contributed on the field through the first five games of the season, with his first action coming during BYU’s thrilling overtime win over Arizona.

“To me, it was a blessing looking back at having to sit and wait my turn,” Taumoepeau said. “You obviously always want to play and not get hurt, but it taught me a lot about the process and how much I truly loved the game having to sit out those first few weeks. I’m fully healthy now, and I feel I’m even more grateful for the opportunity I have now to be able to help out wherever I can.”

For Cougar coaches, their eyes typically light up when asked regarding Taumoepeau, along with other former big-time defensive end recruits who ended up transferring to BYU, namely Hunter Clegg, who transferred from Utah, and Tausili Akana, who transferred from Texas.

“He’s going to be a phenomenal player,” said BYU Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill regarding Taumoepeau, specifically. “He just keeps getting better and better. He’s got great athleticism. He’s got great physicality, and he’s going to be a person that the fans love and adore for the next couple of years.”

As for Taumoepeau, he’s relishing his opportunity to play alongside the exciting young talent BYU has accumulated at the defensive end position, along with veterans such as senior defensive end Logan Lutui.

“We all learn from each other, and we’ve all become really close,” Taumoepeau said. “I feel like our (position group) has great energy. There’s a great bond that we’ve built already with all the young guys, but also some of the great seniors, like Logan. It’s really a great group to be a part of and we’re constantly working to make each other better.”

Also working to make Taumoepeau better as both a student and a person is BYU’s environment off the field, which he speaks glowingly about.

“I love all of it. I love everything about being here at BYU,” Taumoepeau said. “I was so surprised at the spiritual aspect in the classroom here and by every professor. I truly love that. You really have a chance to grow here if you apply yourself in the correct ways. If you do it the right way, both on and off the football field, then you’re going to have a great experience here, and I’ve definitely already benefitted greatly from it.”