And the remarkable thing is that all indications are that he is indeed ready to go with a full bill of heath and heavy usage anticipated despite the major health setback he incurred last season.

It’s been well reported that the Timpview product’s health took a major blow last season when he incurred acute compartment syndrome in his right leg. His season was cut short following the third game of the season versus East Carolina up until he made a brief appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game versus Texas Tech almost a full three months later.

But Moa resurfaced again during spring practices and has completed BYU’s fall camp session without any apparent setbacks.

“I feel great, honestly,” Moa said. “Yeah, it’s been a long road to recovery, but I think we have the best training room, the best sports science people in the nation, and so I’ve been able to get back from my injury basically 100% now. So I’m ready to go.”

And the fact that he does feel great should boost BYU’s offensive prospects perhaps considerably.

Sure, Moa is well-poised to give starting running back LJ Martin the necessary breathers he wasn’t able to enjoy last season, but his role should be expanded even beyond that. Through interviews conducted with coaches, along with what’s apparent during most any observations of open practice sessions, Moa has been featured prominently alongside Martin the backfield, giving the Cougar offense a new look from last season.

“Sione, like LJ, is a good runner. He’s also a good blocker and he is a very good receiver. Sione is a super athlete — one of the best athletes on our team,” said BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick. ” … He was one of our best players last year until he got hurt and the year before.”

The goal for any offense is to present your best 11 players on the field at the same time, and it’s become clear that Moa has risen to be considered one of those 11 best, which should present more two-back sets than BYU fans have become accustomed to in recent years.

Regardless of what type of sets are presented, and how much he’s employed in those sets, Moa is bullish on the offense’s overall potential.

“I love it. I think the offense has definitely improved from last year,” he said. “I have my mentor at running back, LJ, right next to me. He’s like my best friend in the backfield, like SpongeBob and Patrick, you know? It’s like we’re one and two. So it’s exciting to see not only him, but the whole O-line, the receivers, (and) Bear (Bachmeier), getting to know the playbook even more. It’s been awesome to see all of us improve all together.”

To warrant playing time it’s important to be solid in all aspects of your play, a fact that isn’t lost on Moa as he strives to show more than just someone who can run the ball hard between the tackles.

“Probably the thing that I want to work on most is my pass-(blocking), hoping to be that sixth lineman,” Moa said. “Like you’ve heard in many interviews, Bear, the quarterback, they make the most money. We got to protect him … So that’s my number one goal coming into Utah Tech — to show coaches that I’m able to do all three: run the ball, pass the ball, and block for the QB.”

Overall Moa, who will be entering his redshirt sophomore season, just hopes to contribute as much as possible while accomplishing something that has alluded him since entering the Cougar program. But not just for him, personally, but for the entire BYU team that came just one game short of a College Football Playoff berth in each of the last two seasons.

“Finish the job. That’s, I think, (where) we’ve come up short my freshman year, (and) my sophomore year, so I’m excited to see how we all bounce back from these past few years and just get things done this time,” he concluded. “I think that’s obviously everyone’s goal, but I hope–and I see it every single day in the locker room, in the weight room–that we’re determined, and that fire under us is continuing to burn. And so I’m excited to get that chance to finish what we started.”