In this day and age of the transfer portal, a lot of college football players have moved around during their careers.
But few have had the same journey as new BYU offensive lineman Austin Leausa , who is battling with Sonny Makasini to earn the starting right guard spot for the opener on Aug. 31 against Southern Illinois.
"My story is pretty crazy, but pretty cool, too," Leausa said at BYU's Photo Day last week.
As a three-sport star at West Jordan High, Leausa always wanted to play football for BYU — his father's favorite school — or Utah State, where his cousin AJ Pataiali'i played.
But when it was time for the massive offensive lineman, who also played rugby and baseball for the Jaguars, to sign with a college before his church mission to the Philippines, the only scholarship offers he had were from Southern Utah and Utah Tech of the Football Championship Subdivision.
So the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Leausa (pronounced: LAY-uh-oo-suh) went to SUU, played four games for the Thunderbirds in the 2021 spring season (COVID-19 moved the 2020 FCS season to the spring) and seven games for SUU in the 2021 fall season.
During that year, Leausa got married, had baby daughter Nicena with his wife, Ginger Lei, and was so overwhelmed by all his new responsibilities that he decided to quit playing college football.
"I thought it was time to hang up the cleats," he said.
But after talking to a few coaches who were at other schools and had recruited him back in 2017, he put his name in the transfer portal. This time, Utah State jumped at the chance to get him, and Leausa became an Aggie in 2022.
"My career had definitely been resurrected several times, and I think a lot of it was due to my wife," he said. "She was a big help, especially with everything that was going on mentally for me."
Things didn't work out for Leausa and his family in Logan — he never appeared in a game for the Aggies — and once again he pondered retirement from football. But at the prompting of his wife, his family and some friends, he jumped back into the transfer portal again, and ended up at SUU — again.
"It wasn't in our best interest to be at Utah State, so we thought it was best to step away from that program," he said of his time there. "I didn't play the whole 2022 year. I wasn't part of the program, didn't suit up, didn't do anything. Nothing. Then a couple of buddies I had at Southern Utah were still playing and they asked if I wanted to come back, and so I did."
Leausa appeared in all 11 games for the T-birds in 2023, had another baby daughter (Grace) in Cedar City, and was part of the SUU team that gave BYU all it wanted in a 41-16 loss on Sept. 9, 2023 . But the itch to play at the Power Four level was still there, so Leausa went into the portal again last spring, with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
This time, interest was high; Baylor, Houston, Boise State, Fresno State, South Florida and BYU came through with offers, while schools such as Arizona State, Arkansas and Liberty reached out to see if he was interested.
"When BYU offered, that changed everything," he said. "Oh man, I was a big BYU fan growing up, but my dad is probably a bigger BYU fan than I am. He was so excited."
BYU coaches invited Leausa's parents, his wife and children to accompany him on his official visit in early May, and he committed shortly after that.
"It is amazing, how it has all worked out," he said.
New BYU offensive line coach TJ Woods said Leausa is "certainly" in the hunt for the starting right guard spot, saying the SUU transfer adds much-needed depth to the O line.
"There are some real battles, in my mind, for basically for the five, six, seven and eight (spots)," Woods said. "You need eight guys and I think we have a lot of candidates that have potential to fill those roles, including (Leausa). But potential just means you haven't done anything yet. That's why we are out here practicing."
Leausa said taking the field as a starter the last day of August "is definitely something I have dreamt about, but also something I think I have prepared hard for as well."
As for his duel with Makasini, a redshirt sophomore from Timpview High, Leausa said it has been a fun, intense battle against a good friend.
"Coach Woods has done a good job of teaching us what we need to know — the ins and outs of offensive line here," Leausa said. "However it plays out, we are going to be the best we can be. Whoever is out there, whoever comes out on top, I am going to feel confident in that situation at right guard. I guess we will see who wins."
BYU offensive lineman Austin Leausa runs during practice Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. The former two-time SUU Thunderbird and one-time Utah State Aggie could be a member of the Cougars' starting line this fall. | Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo
