BYU landed a notable transfer Thursday, when former UCLA linebacker Choe Bryant-Strother announced his commitment to the Cougars on Instagram.
Brother of former BYU men's basketball standout Elijah Bryant , Bryant-Strother was pursued by BYU coming out of Greater Atlanta Christian School in 2020, when he was rated a three-star prospect by 247 Sports .
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound backer landed at UCLA, though, choosing the Bruins over some notable programs including Michigan, Tennessee, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M and others.
He went on to see action during his four seasons at UCLA, playing sparingly overall while recording 38 career tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack.
Over the last two seasons, Bryant-Strother appeared in 24 games for the Bruins, his most productive years, racking up 29 tackles, two forced fumbles, a sack and a fumble recovery.
Having started his collegiate career in the pandemic-marred 2020 season, followed by a redshirt season in 2021, Bryant-Strother has two years of eligibility remaining.
The addition of Bryant-Strother adds depth to BYU's linebacking corps, which is headlined by Ben Bywater, Jack Kelly, Ace Kaufusi and Harrison Taggart, with Maika Kaufusi and Isaiah Glasker standing as potential contributors as well.
Bryant-Strother could also be used as an edge rusher. BYU has struggled to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks for years now, rating among the worst at the Power Five level. Last season, BYU ranked No. 129 in sacks, tallying only 11, an average of less than one per game.
