Pili decides to stay home
Three-star outside linebacker Keenan Pili recently decided he wanted to stay in state for college and also realized he wanted to make a decision before the start of his senior season.
With those two factors front and center, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect from Provo (Utah) Timpview settled on BYU and announced his commitment to the Cougars over the weekend.
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"BYU is just a good fit for me," Pili said. "They had a lot to offer with their academics, but it's also a great football program. I built a great relationship with coach (Kelly) Poppinga and I can't wait to play for him.
"I wanted to commit before settling down and focusing on my team. We want that four-peat this year."
Pili, the No. 6-rated prospect in Utah for the 2016 class according to Rivals.com, had two Pac-12 programs in the thick of the race.
"California and Utah were right there," Pili said. "I spoke a lot with them and I also loved their coaches, but I made the decision this last week that BYU is the best fit. With Cal, I had talked a lot with coach (Garret) Chachere. I had a great unofficial visit there and got to know a lot about the academics.
"They were great, but BYU was closest to home and that was a big part of the reason why I'm committed there. My family can come watch me every week."
The Utes, aided by their proximity, also made a run for Pili. Assistant coach Morgan Scalley led the charge and Pili currently plays for Cary Whittingham -- the younger brother of Utah's Kyle Whittingham -- at Timpview, but that connection was not enough to sway the versatile defender.
"Utah was after me pretty hard, but my commitment is 100 percent," Pili said. "Now that I committed, I don't expect anything to change."
Pili had 63 total tackles, two interceptions, six pass deflections and two fumble recoveries in helping Timpview to a 14-0 record last year.