Fall 15: Most pivotal players for BYU football in Fall Camp 2026: Nusi Taumoepeau
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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
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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
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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
BYU football’s fall practice session is set to get underway during the first week of August and with it will come a lot of reporting on the preparations for the coming 2026 football season. Several players will receive focus throughout the month of August with more than several of them likely to prove pivotal for the Cougar’s overall success this season.
In the lead-up to the fall football practice session we’ll be previewing 15 such players whose contribution and progress throughout August will very likely play big in determining how successful of a team BYU proves to be in 2026.
Nusi Taumoepeau
6-3 240 So. LB/DE
Saratoga Springs, UT.
There’s perhaps no player on BYU football’s roster who leaves a bigger void than Jack Kelly, who was drafted by the New York Giants after completing one of the more impressive two-year stints in Cougar history. Kelly did it all, from run-stuffing to applying consistent and ferocious pressure on opposing quarterbacks, with all of it compiling into 106 total tackles, 15 sacks and four forced fumbles after transferring to BYU from Weber State just prior to the 2024 season.
The good news for Cougar fans is that Kelly’s direct replacement may have already validated himself to a large degree during BYU’s bowl win over Georgia Tech this past December.
Kelly sat out the game due to injury and in order to be fully healthy come the NFL draft. His replacement? That was Nusi Taumoepeau, who had been employed primarily at defensive end throughout the 2025 season prior to proving to be the direct replacement for Kelly at linebacker during the Pop-tarts Bowl. He responded well, totaling six tackles and forcing a fumble in providing ample relief of Kelly in the bowl game.
Taumoepeau’s performance in the Pop-tarts Bowl shouldn’t have come as a surprise, however.
The former Westlake High standout was tabbed as a 4-star recruit during the high school recruiting process before he ultimately decided to sign with Stanford. He eventually opted to transfer to BYU and proved himself well enough throughout practice sessions to earn himself spot duty, primarily during 3rd-down situations and seemed to make a habit of forcing action when allotted the opportunity.
“He’s going to be a phenomenal player,” said former BYU Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill when asked of Taumoepeau last season. “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.”
This coming season Taumoepeau should be given a lot of playing time as the prime candidate to fill Kelly’s outside starting weakside linebacker position. Yes, BYU’s linebacking corps is still deep, but given his potential and what he’s already proven on the gridiron, Taumoepeau should prove to become one of the more pivotal performers on this year’s Cougar football team.
