If a player is eligible to play at Utah they are eligible to play at BYU. The difference is in keeping them eligible. This is one of the issues that BYU coaches have to address. The students at BYU are extremely talented (smart) and this is the population you have to compete against in the classroom. Some of you will remember Of Mohetau who was ranked at the top HS lineman in the nation. He started at BYU as a freshman but could not compete in the classroom. He redshirted the next season and eventually transferred to a less rigorous academic environment and to my knowledge did not stay eligible at Texas Tech.

This is not a rap on Utah. It is a state school and so the average freshman will not have the same GPA and scores as a BYU freshman. By the time they get to their junior year Utah has gotten rid of the chaff and the students are top notch. But athletes have had time to adapt in those two years and with tutors they can be kept eligible and moving towards graduation. Other schools around the country have the same issues and they have to recruit accordingly.