The transfer portal can be scary, and BYU is feeling it firsthand. Just before the 2025 season, Kalani Sitake and the Cougars parted ways with key running back Pokaiaua Haunga in August. The Orem native cited personal reasons, landed at Snow College, and played for the Badgers, who finished the season 6–5.

With the portal wide open again, Haunga is making another move. According to Pete Nakos, he has officially entered the transfer portal. Haunga was actually the first commit in BYU’s 2023 recruiting class, coming out of Timpview High School. He did a little bit of everything with the Thunderbirds, finishing with 89 catches for 1,621 yards and 18 receiving touchdowns.

He even added 36 carries for 335 yards and two scores on the ground. As a three-star recruit and the sixth-ranked prospect in Utah, he came in with plenty of buzz.

He saw the field early at BYU, appearing in five games during the 2024 season as a true freshman when injuries started piling up. In that limited role, Haunga logged 18 rushes for 81 yards and added five catches for 43 yards. Still, during the 2025 offseason, he stepped away from the program due to personal reasons.

“The only thing I can say about that is he’s got some personal issues, and he’s not going to be with us this year,” BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said at the time.

Coming out of high school, Haunga held offers from several Mountain West programs. And those schools could resurface now that he’s back in the portal. His experience at the FBS level, combined with his season at Snow College, makes him an appealing, low-risk option for larger programs seeking depth or a specific skill set.

It may be at running back or in the slot. Programs like Washington State, which offered him during his initial recruitment, could very well circle back now that Haunga is a more polished and proven player.

A look at the Cougars’ 2026 recruiting class

With Pokaiaua Haunga no longer in the picture, all eyes are now on how Kalani Sitake and BYU are handling the market. And so far, the Cougars are doing just fine.

BYU has already secured at least seven commitments for the 2026 cycle, placing a clear emphasis on impact defenders and offensive line help.

Here’s how the class is shaping up:

• Cade Uluave (LB, Cal): Ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 linebacker in the 2026 transfer portal. Uluave picked BYU over powerhouses like Michigan and Texas.

• Walker Lyons (TE, USC): A former blue-chip recruit, Lyons joins his cousin, four-star QB commit Ryder Lyons, in Provo.

• Offensive line help: BYU beefed up the trenches in a big way. They added Paki Finau (Washington), Zak Yamauchi (Stanford), and Jr. Sia (Utah State). And guess what? All of them were added in one day.

• Jake Clifton (LB, Kansas State): A veteran presence who adds experience and depth to the linebacker room.

On top of that, BYU has managed to keep its core intact heading into 2026:

• LJ Martin (RB): The star back confirmed he’s coming back despite draft and portal pull.

• Bear Bachmeier (QB): The starting quarterback is officially returning.

• Defensive leaders: Safety Faletau Satuala, corner Evan Johnson, and linebackers Isaiah Glasker and Siale Esera are all back, even after being linked to bigger programs.