“Hey, you need to hire this guy in your department because he’s friends with Mr. X.”

Counterpoint : "hey this guy can really add value to our entity as a whole, he raises the overall chances of success, he's a talent that we rarely have the ability to attract. His coming increases our national footprint, potentially opens more doors for better talent in the future AND he wants to come here. As a matter of fact it very well could benefit us financially. How do we find a way to make it happen?"

What you seem to be suggesting is doing a favor for somebody. What I'm suggesting is that finding a way to be accommodating to somebody who wants to be at BYU and apparently is willing to live the honor code and is good enough in the classroom to have earned a degree is a net positive for BYU.