BYU Football: DT Khyiris Tonga announces he will return for senior year

Days after TE Matt Bushman he was returning to BYU for his senior year, DT Khyiris Tonga followed suit and announced he will return for his senior year as well.

Tonga is BYU’s best defensive NFL draft prospect and has yet to miss a game in three seasons. His return is more surprising than Bushman since Tonga has talked openly about leaving BYU after this season. Tonga told the Deseret News earlier this season about his plan to leave BYU after his junior season:

“Yeah, that is still my mentality, just to leave after this year,” he said. “But I am going to take it game by game and continue to just do my best, whether it is me taking 40-plus plays, or taking 20-plus plays. I will do whatever it takes. I will continue to work on my craft and see how it turns out.”

Tonga showed his dominance versus USC earlier this season, when he had his way with USC’s offensive line and was consistently wreaking havoc in the Trojans backfield. Tonga is a NFL talent, but the next step for him during his senior year will be to improve his consistency and and be that dominant force more often.

Great news for BYU as we enter the New Year!