Transfers, returning missionaries join BYU football program for winter semester

PROVO, Utah — Four transfers and seven previously signed returning missionaries will join the BYU football program winter semester and participate in spring practices.

The transfers include three players from FBS schools—running back Squally Canada and cornerback Kamel Greene from Washington State and tight end Jackson Kaka from New Mexico State—while one who has arrived from Snow College in Ephraim, Utah—safety Eric Takenaka.

Takenaka is 5-foot-10, 205-pound versatile athlete who will be a junior for the Cougars in 2015. This past season at Snow College he was named to the All-Western States Football League Defensive First Team and All-WSFL Special Teams Second Team while helping the Badgers achieve an 8-2 record and No. 8 national ranking. Named the NJCAA National Defensive Player of the Week in Week 3, Takenaka finished second nationally with eight interceptions while leading the nation in kickoff return average at 44.1 yards per return. He also returned his interceptions for an average of 30 yards each, including a 100-yard return for touchdown, and was used offensively on special plays where he carried the ball four times for 21 yards and pulled in six passes for 56 yards. He finished second on the Snow squad with 55 tackles.

A 5-foot-10, 192-pound freshman, Canada is a talented ball carrier who redshirted due to injury at Washington State. He will sit out the 2015 season due to transfer rules before having three seasons on the field at BYU. The Milpitas, California, native averaged 8.8 yards per carry to total 1,916 yards and 24 touchdowns while leading Milpitas High School to the CIF Central Coast Section Title with an 11-2 record as a senior. He was All-San Jose Mercury News First Team and All-Metro League (San Francisco Bay Area) Second Team as the Offensive MVP of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League DeAnza Division. ESPN.com rated him a four-star recruit and the No. 32 running back in the nation after totaling 3,367 yards and 37 touchdowns during his high school career.

A teammate of Canada’s at Washington State, Greene comes to BYU as a 5-foot-11, 178-pound cornerback with 4.48 40-yard speed.  The redshirt sophomore is eligible to play right away for the Cougars. Greene hails from Mountain View, California, where he prepped at St. Francis High School. As a senior he totaled 77 tackles, including 47 solo takedowns, along with two fumble recoveries and six pass breakups.

Kaka comes to BYU from New Mexico State, where he played as a freshman in 2011 prior to serving a mission in New Zealand for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The 6-4, 210-pound tight end started 11 games in 12 appearances for the Aggies while totaling 15 receptions for 122 yards, including one catch for eight yards in a start against BYU in LaVell Edwards Stadium. A native of Aotearoa, New Zealand, Kaka later lived on the Australian Gold Coast before moving to Hawaii where he attended Kahuku High School. He played both defensive line and tight end at Kahuku. He is eligible to play right away as a sophomore for the Cougars in 2015.

In addition to the two offensive and two defensive transfers, seven previously signed Cougars—five defenders and two offensive players—are returning from missions to enroll during winter semester.

Sophomore defensive backs Matt Hadley (6-0, 191, S) and Micah Hannemann (6-1, 190, CB/S) return after playing in seven and eight games, respectively, for the Cougars in 2012 prior to serving missions.  Redshirt freshmen Sawyer Powell (6-1, 203, S), Rhett Sandlin (6-2, 220, MLB) and Moses Kaumatule (6-1, 254, DE) also return on defense. On offense, redshirt freshman Austin Hoyt (6-7, 268, OL) and true freshman Josh Weeks (6-4, 200, WR) are both back to participate in team workouts and spring practices.

Roster information is included below.

New Transfers

Name                                 Pos.     Ht.      Wt.      Cl.      Hometown/Former school

Bryant “Squally” Canada     RB     5-10     192     RFr.     Milpitas, California/Washington State/Milpitas HS

Kamel Greene                     DB     5-11      178     So.      Mountain View, California/Washington State/St. Francis HS

Jackson Kaka                      TE      6-4       210    So.      Kahuku, Hawaii/New Mexico State/Kahuku HS

Eric Takenaka                      DB     5-10     205     Jr.       Salt Lake City, Utah/Snow College/West HS

Returning Missionaries (Winter Semester)

Name                                 Pos.     Ht.     Wt.      Cl.      Hometown/Former school

Matt Hadley                        DB     6-0     191     So.       Connell, Washington/Connell HS

Micah Hannemann             DB     6-1     190     So.       Alpine, Utah/Lone Peak HS

Austin Hoyt                         OL     6-7     268     RFr.      Ione, California/Argonaut HS

Moses Kaumatule              DL     6-1     254     RFr.       South Jordan, Utah/Bingham HS

Sawyer Powell                   DB     6-1     203     RFr.       West Richland, Washington/Richland HS

Rhett Sandlin                     LB     6-2     220     RFr.       Sandy, Utah/Alta HS

Josh Weeks                      WR     6-4     200     Fr.         Show Low, Arizona/Show Low HS