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Coveted DL Prospect Moa Havili Commits to BYU

Havili committed to the Cougars over a growing list of P4 suitors
Casey Lundquist|
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake against TCU
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake against TCU | BYU Photo

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BYU Cougars

The BYU football program is building a strong foundation for the 2027 recruiting class. On Wednesday evening, defensive tackle prospect Moa Havili committed to BYU. Havili was one of the fastest-rising prospects of the spring evaluation period. After a few standout showings at camps, Havili picked up competing offers from Alabama, Michigan, North Carolina, Cal, Arizona, Utah, and Boise State in the month of May. He was also being pursued by Oregon. He picked up an offer from BYU after meeting in person with Kalani Sitake and Sione Po'uha.

Instead of waiting out his recruitment and listening to other programs, Havili shut things down and committed to his dream school - BYU. In an earlier interview, Havili told BYU On SI that BYU was the only college football team he followed growing up.

Havili's practice clips from recent camps highlight why he burst onto the recruiting scene. He is listed at 6'3 and he is a relatively lean 300 pounds. He has the size and strength to overwhelm opposing offensive linemen, and he is quick enough that they have to respect his speed as well.

Havili is the second defensive tackle prospect to commit to BYU in the 2027 class. He joins four-star prospect and BYU commit Jeremiah Williams. Havili and Williams are one of the better defensive tackle duos that BYU will have signed in the same recruiting class.

To win consistently at the Power Four level, you have to dominate in the trenches. Despite winning so many games over the last two years, there was still room for BYU to improve along the defensive line. Recruiting high-level talent across the defensive line has been a top priority ever since the Cougars hired Jay Hill as defensive coordinator in 2022.

Over the last few years, BYU has brought in a lot of blue-chip defensive ends. In fact, Kelly Poppinga said that no position has had more success on the recruiting trail than defensive end. The Cougars hadn't been able to consistently land the same caliber of prospect at defensive tackle. That has changed with the 2027 recruiting class. Havili and Williams are two of the headline prospects in the 2027 recruiting class.

Havili and Williams will be part of a talented, young defensive tackle room at BYU. After the 2026 season, the Cougars will lose their top three defensive tackles to graduation: Keanu Tanuvasa, Justin Kirkland, and Anisi Purcell.

Once those three graduate, BYU will turn to some less experienced defensive tackles like Ulavai Fetuli and Nehemiah Kolone. Fetuli has been a standout in camp settings over the last year, and Kolone got some run with the second-team defense as a true freshman in Spring Camp. Williams and Havili will have the opportunity to contribute early in their BYU careers.

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Casey Lundquist
CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of BYU On SI. He has covered BYU athletics since 2020. During that time, he has published over 3,500 stories that have reached millions of readers.

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