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PROVO — Over the past 24 hours, Keanu Tanuvasa made the biggest decision of his life.

He also happened to sign with BYU, the latest addition of the Cougars' 2024 transfer class from the University of Utah.

But perhaps more importantly, the 6-foot-4, 301-pound defensive tackle from Mission Viejo, California, took his girlfriend Zerin to a local park he had scouted the night before after dinner, then took a knee, and ask the most fear-loaded question any man will ever ask: to go from girlfriend to fiancée.

"That was my main decision to have in the last 24 hours," Tanuvasa told BYUtv less than 24 hours after signing with the Cougars.

The redshirt sophomore played in 24 games at the University of Utah, including 19 starts. The former CFN Freshman All-American totaled 17 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack and four pass breakups in seven games in the Utes' inaugural Big 12 campaign in 2024.

That included tying for a season-high four tackles in Utah's 22-21 loss to BYU in November, after which he embraced BYU head coach Kalani Sitake — a long-time family friend — in an on-field reunion.

At the time, BYU football wasn't much of an option for Tanuvasa, he told the network. He had signed with the Utes out of high school in 2019, a former two-time all-league selection and basketball player who spurned the Cougars for their rival before serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"They love and learn, which means they love the process and they love their opponent. That's huge," Tanuvasa said of Sitake's culture. "They really do love the process, and they're willing to learn from every moment — regardless of the win or loss, the bad days and good days. That's something I try to learn in my life: I want to love and learn in everything I do."

BYU remained one of his "top priorities" out of high school during his recruitment, he added, before ultimately pledging to then-Utah defensive line coach Sione Po'uha and the Utes over their in-state rivals, Oregon State, Boise State and UCLA, among others.

"I already had a value of BYU and their values and their culture over here," Tanuvasa said. "But ultimately within the last month or so, it was nice to connect with the people who reached out once I put my name in the transfer portal. It's been a long-coming decision, something that pulled my heart strings and was difficult to finalize if I even wanted to do. Even entering the portal, there was no predestination; there was just an idea of following what I believed to be right.

"I got calls from across the country, and one of them came from 40 minutes down south. It was nice to be desired and sought by a program like BYU."

Tanuvasa talked with his now-fiancée, his parents, Lisa and Shawn — who played football at Utah in the 1990s, and in prayer. But ultimately, BYU was what Tanuvasa wanted for his next destination — enough to leave "a place that I absolutely valued and loved" at Utah.

BYU transfer tracker

"I wanted a place that I could really be unapologetically me, a place that made me feel like I could joke the way that I joke, smile the way that I smile, talk about what I feel passionate about," he said. "And I felt like BYU reflected me in a lot of ways, in the sense of God and family being huge, of becoming your best self — and more than just as an athlete.

"I think I'm a decent football player, but I try to be an even better man. I think they value that here, and that's what I love."

Tanuvasa is the sixth member of BYU's transfer class, the second from Utah (with tight end Carsen Ryan), and the third defensive lineman of the group — a position that defensive coordinator Jay Hill mentioned was one of need for the Cougars after an 11-2 season wrapped up with a 36-14 win over No. 23 Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.

"I just want to add value any way that I can," Tanuvasa said. "I want to come in and be the best version of myself. ... I just want to be a new man when I come into this facility, this place, and this team."