Every time he walked onto the Zions Bank Practice Field behind the Student Athlete Building at BYU the past five weeks, or into the Indoor Practice Facility, Keanu Tanuvasa paused a moment to reflect on how much his life has changed the last couple of years.
"There's been an extreme sense of gratitude," the defensive tackle said on April 3, "and an overwhelming sense of urgency."
At this time of year next year, Tanuvasa expects to be preparing to hear his name called in the NFL draft. That means he has to make the most of every practice, every weightlifting session, every workout, and every game this coming season.
"I feel great about this team and about my own individual pursuits, all according to God's plan," he said. "I feel like this team is on the verge of something really special."
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Tanuvasa, a redshirt senior from Mission Viejo, California, became a lightning rod in the BYU-Utah rivalry last year when he entered the transfer portal and eventually made the 50-mile move South after playing for the Utes for three years.
He was hailed as BYU's biggest offseason acquisition last spring, and for the most part he delivered after a bit of a slow start. He became a team captain, started all 14 games for the 12-2 Cougars, and made 25 tackles, two sacks and three pass breakups.
He also blocked a kick in the Pop-Tarts Bowl , knocked down passes in the wins over Utah and Iowa State and loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game, and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.
Some questioned whether he made the right move, whether he was worth the money BYU doled out through revenue sharing and BYU boosters doled out through NIL payments, but the ever-positive and upbeat Tanuvasa never doubted, he told the Deseret News before the annual alumni game.
"No regrets at all. None whatsoever," he said. "I don't think I have ever looked back once. I've actually just consistently found reasons why it was the (right decision). Now in my second year here, I'm even more grateful and (convinced) that it was meant to be."
Shortly after helping BYU beat Georgia Tech 25-21 in Orlando , Tanuvasa had another big decision to make. Enter the transfer portal, return to BYU, or declare for the NFL draft?
Obviously, he decided to return to BYU after getting some feedback from NFL scouts, praying a lot, and taking about two weeks to make sure he was making the right decision.
He said that head coach Kalani Sitake's decision to return to BYU after being wooed heavily by Penn State was a "key factor" in his decision. Also, Tanuvasa said there is some "unfinished business" to attend to — a Big 12 championship run.
"I feel great about this team and about my own individual pursuits, all according to God's plan. I feel like this team is on the verge of something really special."
"We recognize how we fell short of getting on that pedestal that we were put on," he said. "We have gotten close twice, but now we need to finish. We didn't finish it either time. I was only part of one of those teams, but I can speak on what it looks like this year going forward.
"The attitude is a whole lot of hunger," he continued. "That comes from guys that have been starved of it from the last two years, but is also added from younger guys that have the eagerness and the potential to just get after it. So I would say that 'hungry' is a good way to describe the identity of this defense."
As for his own goals, Tanuvasa said if the team continues to win, the personal accolades will follow.
"I want to remain who I am. I have always been categorized as a disruptor, someone that wrecks opposing offenses, that throws them off their mojo in the middle of the line," he said. "That's where everything happens. The goal is just to disrupt, and the stats will come from that."
Tanuvasa said he will participate in BYU's graduation ceremonies next week, as he is close to getting his degree in psychology. He still has a couple courses left to take next fall, but will walk on April 23 along with several of his teammates.
If football doesn't work out, the well-spoken giant would love to be a public speaker, and encourage others to chase their dreams and have confidence in themselves.
"I love studying the human mind and high performance," he said. "I would love to be able to teach people about proper habits of development and consistency. I am about anything that can bless someone else's life. Football ties into that, but I think it can happen everywhere."
He would also like to continue to help family members through his NIL and revenue earnings.
"They are all doing well and they're all on their own journey of developing and providing for their own families, but just the ability to take them out, to provide an easy of feeling in certain areas of life has been one of the blessings of NIL," he said. "Maybe it is buying diapers, or a dinner, or whatever.
"And then for me and my wife, I get to support her passions, such as getting an education and not having to stress over what college life is (normally) like," he continued. "It is definitely something that I've had to work through, but it is a blessing."
In that regard, one piece of advice that Tanuvasa would like to pass on to his younger teammates is to not get an agent to negotiate NIL and revenue payments. He doesn't have an NIL agent, but does have an NFL agent in mind when it comes time to sign with one.
"Agents get a cut of your NIL. It is another person to pay," he said. "Find a teammate or coach who has gone through it and ask them for help, as opposed to paying someone else money that's guaranteed to you."
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier (4) gets a pass off just ahead of BYU defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa (57) as they play at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
