This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

News earlier this week that New Zealand rugby star Manase Tu'ungafasi would not be joining the BYU football team for fall camp was softened a bit Thursday with the school's announcement that it has signed offensive lineman LeRoy Tanoai.

Tanoai is a 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman who recently returned from an LDS Church mission to Suva, Fiji. Tanoai is the half brother of former BYU defensive lineman T.J. Sitake and current Oregon State defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake (the former University of Utah defensive coordinator).

Tanoai graduated from high school in Sherman Oaks, Calif., in 2013 prior to serving his mission and was regarded as a three-star recruit by ESPN.

"LeRoy … is an outstanding football player and we look forward to having him contribute to the team," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said in a school news release.

Tanoai committed to Utah in April of 2012, but was not listed on Utah's official signee list in February of 2013.

He played his freshman year of high school football at Pleasant Grove before moving to California.

At Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, Tanoai helped his team go 8-4 and make it to the second round of the CIF Southern Section playoffs his senior year.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Tu'ungafasi will enroll at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. The 6-foot-7, 322-pound Tu'ungafasi is a native of Auckland, N.Z. and has never played a full season of football.

He signed a letter of intent with BYU in May and was ticketed to join the Cougars in time for fall camp. Obviously, those plans have been derailed.

The Cougars report for camp on Aug. 7 (a week from today) and will hold their first practice on Aug. 8 in preparation for the season opener Sept. 5 at Nebraska.