Keanu Tanuvasa
| BYU Cougars – No. 57 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive tackle |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 2002 (age 22) |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 300 lb (136 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Utah (2022–2024) BYU (2025–present) |
| High school | Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, California) |
Keanu Tanuvasa (born June 2002) is an American football defensive tackle for the BYU Cougars. He previously played for the Utah Utes.
Early life
[edit]Tanuvasa was born in June 2002 and grew up in Orange County, California.[1] His father, Shawn, played for the Utah Utes, while his grandparents are from Samoa.[1] He attended Mission Viejo High School where he played football as a defensive lineman and also basketball, being a two-time all-league selection in football.[2] As a senior in 2019, he was named first-team all-county after totaling 40 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 sacks.[3] He participated at the Polynesian Bowl at the conclusion of his high school career.[1] He was a three-star prospect and committed to play college football for the Utah Utes, but, before enrolling, served a two-year mission trip for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4]
College career
[edit]As a true freshman for the Utes in 2022, Tanuvasa redshirted and appeared in four games, totaling six tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.[5] He then started all 13 games at defensive tackle, recording 27 tackles, six TFLs, and two sacks while being named a Freshman All-American by College Football Network.[4] He battled injuries during the 2024 season, only appearing in seven games while recording 17 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and a sack.[4][6] He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference for the 2024 season.[7] He transferred to the BYU Cougars for the 2025 season.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Kamrani, Christopher (February 3, 2020). "Built to last: The lessons Keanu Tanuvasa, grandson of a mason, will take with him to Utah". The Athletic – via archive.today.
- ^ Walker, Sean (December 31, 2024). "Keanu Tanuvasa explains decision to transfer to BYU from Utah". KSL.com.
- ^ "Keanu Tanuvasa". Utah Utes.
- ^ a b c Judd, Brandon (December 23, 2024). "Utah defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa enters transfer portal". Deseret News.
- ^ "60 in 60: #38 Utah's Keanu Tanuvasa (Defensive Tackle)". KSLSports.com. July 9, 2024.
- ^ Batacao, Jason; Reynolds, Kevin (April 1, 2025). "BYU lineman Keanu Tanuvasa responds to criticism from Utah fans, opens up about NIL and his transfer choice". The Salt Lake Tribune.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Reynolds, Kevin (December 30, 2024). "BYU flips another Utah player, this time a standout defensive lineman". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^ McCann, Dave (April 5, 2025). "Adding spice to the BYU-Utah rivalry, Keanu Tanuvasa will tackle former friends in October". Deseret News.