True Freshman Kennan Pula is Making a Good First Impression at BYU Spring Camp

Back in December, BYU signed its best signing class since recruiting rankings became popular in the early 2000's. A large chunk of that 2026 signing class enrolled back in January to participate in Spring Camp. A growing number of those true freshmen are making a strong first impression this spring, including true freshman safety Kennan Pula.

When talking about the safety room on Friday, BYU defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga said the staff has been "really pleased" with Pula so far.

"Kennan Pula is another guy that's come along that we've been really pleased with," Poppinga said.

As camp has progressed, Pula has been taking more and more reps with the second-team defense. Earlier in camp, Pula jumped in front of a Treyson Bourguet pass and made a leaping interception.

True freshman Kennan Pula intercepts Treyson Bourguet.

Pula went viral last fall for an acrobatic interception in the state playoffs. His twin brother Jaron Pula is a wide receiver for BYU. pic.twitter.com/F6JzdZUU0K
— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) March 11, 2026

Pula has a way of making acrobatic interceptions. He went viral in the Utah high school playoffs last year for making one of the best interceptions you will see at any level of football.

Newest BYU athlete Kennan Pula could play safety or wide receiver at BYU. Odds are he could succeed at both spots ⬇️
pic.twitter.com/dVu1Ie0DUA
— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) December 5, 2025

Pula, who flipped his commitment from Utah to BYU on signing day, picked the Cougars with his twin brother Jaron. Kennan and Jaron picked BYU over competing offers from Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Oregon, Washington, Miami, Texas Tech, ASU, and Michigan State among others.

Kennan's potential has never been in question, but it can be an uphill battle for even the most talented true freshmen to see the field in their first season, especially at safety. Kennan is on track to compete for the reserve reps behind starters Raider Damuni and Faletau Satuala.

Where Kennan Fits in the Depth Chart at Safety

The depth chart at safety is starting to come into the picture as Spring Camp progresses. While it can still change over the next few months, this would be our projection if the season started today. We would project Kennan to be one of the backup safeties along with Jarinn Kalama.

Faletau Satuala
Kennan Pula OR Jarinn Kalama

Raider Damuni
Tommy Passas

On Tommy Prassas, Kelly Poppinga said, "Tommy looks great. Yeah, he looks as good as I've seen him, and that competition between Raider and Faletau and him is awesome, and there'll be times where maybe all three of them are on the field at one time. But yeah, I feel great with the safety room...Jarinn Kalama. I think that safety room is competitive."

Prassas missed most of the 2025 seeason due to an injury he suffered in the Colorado game. He used his redshirt, meaning he is a redshirt sophomore in 2026.