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Intent letters signed at West Jordan

Mar 29, 2017 11:26AM ● By Greg James

Jaguars enjoyed National Letter of Intent Day by signing to play college football, Dallin Jamison, Alden Tofa and Austin Leausa made it official and signed with their choice of schools. (Shelley Oliverson/WJ football booster)

By Greg James |  [email protected]           

West Jordan senior Alden Tofa made the choice of his lifetime. He selected where he will continue his football career after high school. He had kept his choice a secret from everyone, including his mom, until his big reveal day Feb. 1.

Surrounded by his friends, family, teammates, coaches and several media members. Tofa reached to the table and picked up one of the four hats carefully placed in front of him. His choice: Brigham Young University.

“The recruiting process was amazing,” Tofa said. “It was one of the best experiences to go through. My coaches were big help through the entire thing.”

He finally made a decision the night before the party; he knew where he felt he needed to go, despite the multitude of offers he was given. He said his faith and prayers made the choice much easier.

Tofa had been the second-highest-rated defensive lineman in the state by scout.com. The 6-foot-5 248-pound lineman ran the 40 in 5.07 seconds and had a 30.3 inch vertical jump.

“I have learned to work hard,” Tofa said. “Playing here (at West Jordan) made me learn to handle adversity and work with what I have been given. I am excited to join BYU.”

He plans on serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before enrolling at BYU.

“I think he is a quiet giant,” Tofa’s family friend and fellow West Jordan football parent Shelley Oliverson said. “He is certainly an everyday teenager in many ways, but he wants nothing more than to improve the state of his family. He certainly hopes that football will be an avenue to help him get there.”

The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and Universities in the United States. NLIs are signed and typically faxed to the recruiting institution on signing day. Recruits who have signed a NLI must attend the school they have signed with to receive financial aid and scholarships. The NCAA rules also prohibit coaches from recruiting them further.

The Jaguars had two other star football players sign.

Dallin Jamison will enter Weber State University after graduation. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound tight end caught 29 passes and six touchdowns his senior season. He was selected Academic All-Region 3. His parents are Koby and Brandy Jamison.

Offensive lineman Austin Leausa signed at Southern Utah University. He deadlifted 400 pounds and ran a 5.0 second 40 yard dash.

SUU landed 12 offensive lineman, a position they were short on depth last season. According to the Cedar City newspaper, The Spectrum, the  dozen recruits will be expected to contribute right away.

“We were short on offensive lineman this year,” T-birds head coach Demario Warren told ‘The Spectrum’ on signing day. “We hoped we would be able to sign O-lineman to start and for depth.”

College football coaches often build relationships with their high school counterparts. Jaguars head coach Mike Meifu has experience at the college level. He has demonstrated his ability to help student athletes play at the next level. Last season four Jaguars committed to play collegefootball.