Tialavea liked time at BYU

Oceanside, Calif., offensive guard Russell Tialavea took in an official visit this weekend to BYU to watch the Cougars battle No. 1 ranked USC. While BYU didn’t come out on top in the game, the Cougars did make a solid move after showing Tialavea to a good time in Provo.

“He’s going to be in pretty late tonight because of travel,” his father Richard Tialavea said. “But we’ve talked to him today, and he said he thoroughly enjoyed the trip. He went up there with a few guys from Carlsbad ([db]Vic So'to[/db]), and he said they all were liking it quite a bit. He was really excited about BYU before the visit, and I think he definitely came away with an even better impression.”

Tialavea, who is 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, has already also visited Nebraska. Up next is supposed to be a visit to Kansas State.

“He’s going to go out there next, but he’s not sure what day yet,” Tialavea said.

Tialavea said before the visit he knew what he was looking for in the perfect school.

“I want to find a good football program,” he said.

“I also want to see how the players get along and treat people, you know, if they are like a family. I also want to find out if they will let me go on my mission and how they will treat you if that happens. I also will look at the location of the school.

"That is a factor more for my mother than for me and my dad. She wants me close, but it isn’t something that will determine my choice that much.”