BYU Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill Greets Raider Damuni at Airport

On Wednesday, former four-star recruit Raider Damuni returned home from his mission. When Raider arrived at the airport, his family and friends were there to greet him. He was also greeted by new BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill. Raider's father Jack Damuni, who is on BYU's staff, posted a picture with him, Raider, and Hill at the airport. The BYU-themed sign read, "Your new work is about to begin. Go Cougs!" Jack also thanked Hill for taking the time to welcome Raider home.

Welcome Home Elder @raiderdamuni I am very proud of you but now it’s time to get back to work.
Thank you @CoachJayHill for taking time to come welcome my son home.
GO COUGS!!!🤟🏾 pic.twitter.com/8FUS2QkX84
— #IamJackDamuni 🇫🇯 (@JackDamuni) December 14, 2022

When Damuni signed with BYU, he was one of the crown jewels of BYU's recruiting class. After signing with BYU and graduating from high school, Damuni left to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Damuni signed with the Cougars when Ilaiasa Tuiaki was BYU's defensive coordinator. After the 2022 season, BYU and Tuiaki went their separate ways and BYU hired Jay Hill from Weber State. Hill, who is known for his recruiting prowess, waisted no time in getting to know Raider.

Since being introduced as BYU's defensive coordinator, Hill has emphasized the importance of recruiting. If Hill's appearance at the airport is any indication, it's clear that Hill views Damuni as a critical part of BYU's defense in the future. Hill is focused on keeping Damuni in the fold at BYU.

Logan Fano, a teammate and close friend of Raider, recently transferred from BYU to Utah. Some have speculated that Raider could follow Fano to Utah. Amidst the rumors and speculation, there is one thing we know for sure: Hill will do everything in his power to prevent that.

Anything can happen in the current era of college football, but it's important to note that Raider and Logan were not a package deal in high school. Did they want to play together? Of course, but they were willing to go their separate ways if different schools met their needs.

Transfer rumors have always been a part of college football, even before the transfer portal. Rumors will only increase now that players have the opportunity to transfer without penalty. Sometimes those rumors turn out to be true, other times they are unfounded. After all, remember Britain Covey? He never ended up in Provo.

Damuni was locked in with BYU when he signed two years ago, and it's more to safe to assume that he ends up at BYU than not.

Assuming Damuni can shake his mission legs and get in football shape, he has the potential to contribute as early as next season for BYU. He also has the potential to be a cornerstone in BYU's defense for years to come as it moves to the Big 12.

Stay tuned for more recruiting and transfer portal updates in the coming days.

Facebook - @CougsDaily

Twitter - @Cougs_Daily and Casey Lundquist at @casey_lundquist

Instagram - @cougs_daily

Add us as a preferred source on Google