Kaveinga Reverses Course

Uona Kaveinga, the highly sought after linebacker from Lawndale (Calif.) Leuzinger, ended all speculuation this weekend by committing to play football for BYU...

Uona Kaveinga has been one of the most sought after recruits on the west coast the last few months.

Kaveinga, a four-star linebacker for Lawndale (Calif.) Leuzinger, committed to play for UCLA back in March, but recently re-opened his recruitment and was looking at UCLA, USC and BYU.

The 6-1, 225-pound linebacker ended all speculation this weekend when he committed to play football for BYU.

“I committed to Bronco Mendenhall to play for BYU. USC and UCLA are real great football programs but I feel that BYU has a deeper meaning to play for them, since I am an LDS member," explained Kaveinga. "One of the reasons I chose them is because BYU brings out the best person that you can be or the best man you can become, and on top of that you can have fun playing football."

Kaveinga’s recruitment really heated up after he had a spectacular performance at the Under Armour All-American game in Orlando this past weekend.

Most observers felt that the battle for his commitment would go all the way down to Signing Day but Kaveinga felt it was time to make his choice known.

"I was just tired of fighting the feeling that I knew BYU was the place for me,” Kaveinga said. “So I just expressed myself to coach Bronco Mendenhall, and I committed to him, and called all the other coaches and informed them that I was coming to BYU."

The four-star linebacker said he expects USC and UCLA to continue to recruit him but he will stay committed to BYU. "They still are going to recruit me but I am going to stay strong to my commitment to BYU because they are the only school that is going to allow me to go on my mission,” said Kaveinga.

When asked what his goals are for his freshman year Kaveinga replied, “I am just trying to contribute anyway I can as a freshman and then go on my mission. I'm leaving after my first semester of my freshman year for my mission.