12 and 25

Within the last week, BYU has added some great talent to their 2008 class. And it just grew a little more.

BYU reached a dozen commitments for the 2008 recruiting class. In reality, the newest isn't quite a JC or a high school senior. He is somewhere in between.

Masi Tuitama, 6'2 205, was a non-qualifier out of high school and did not sign a letter of intent. He was told that if he worked hard he could come to BYU, which he did. Tuitama will spend the coming months working out or attending a JC until next winter when he can join the team for winter and spring conditioning, making him a viable option to make an impact next fall.

Tuitama rushed for 867 yards and 11 TDs on offense and had 84 tackles (6 of which were sacks) on defense.

In other news, and more relevant to the 2007 season, BYU just announced they will be entering the 2007 season ranked #25. This will be the first time BYU enters a season ranked since 1997.

Read the full press release here.

A high pre-season ranking, when playing in the MWC that has no BCS bowl tie-ins, is the only way to bust the BCS. Slated at 25, BYU has the best chance in years to make a major splash. The Arizona game will likely bump them up a spot (most teams schedule an easy game, so noone above them is likely to slip out) and will have a chance to really make headlines if they beat UCLA the following week.

My 3 Cents: With linebacker being the most important position on defense in the 3-4, I am glad BYU is adding some for the 2008 class as we will be losing Kehl, Staffieri and Poppinga. The 2nd string that will step in is really good, but will need fresh bodies to keep up their dominance.

As for the ranking, it is a major step forward towards the goal of a National Championship. Most BYU fans agree that unless Hall comes out of the gate swinging, we aren't likely to go undefeated this season. If, however, BYU can have a double digit win season, they will again be poised the following season to make a run, this time under a seasoned QB.