Oregon 5-Star OT Kingsley Suamataia is Transferring; Is BYU The Favorite?

Oregon freshman offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia entered the transfer portal Tuesday halfway through his first season in Eugene. Suamataia will have his pick of schools, but BYU is a strong contender to land the talented offensive lineman.

Kingsley Suamtaia prepped at nearby Orem High School and was a member of the 2021 recruiting class. He was one of the best prep offensive linemen in the country and rated a 5-Star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports own ratings. BYU was in Kingsley’s final seven before he chose Oregon and he had offers from just about everyone in the country — Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida, Notre Dame, Michigan and a host of other schools.

Kingsley was teammates at Orem High School with current BYU players Puka Nacua, Jakob Robinson, and Hunter Hill — all guys who started their career elsewhere and transferred to BYU. Puka Nacua is especially someone that can relate to him a highly ranked recruit that started his career in the Pacific Northwest.

Kingsley has close ties with BYU’s staff and already is generating buzz that he will come to BYU. My friends Jeff Hansen and Garrett McClintock over at Cougar Sports Insider — two guys who cover BYU football recruiting as close as anyone — already put in 247 Crystal balls for Kingsley to BYU. Kingsley has also sent cryptic tweets recently that may suggest he wants to be close to home.

Suamataia would be a massive addition for BYU. Recruiting analysts projected him as a potential NFL first round pick out of high school, and he would be an immediate contributor on the offensive line. Blake Freeland, Harris LaChance and Campbell Barrignton have all started games this season at offensive tackle, and Kingsley would give BYU great talent at OT and would be a strong contender to start opposite of Freeland.

Oregon lists him at 6-foot-6, 317 pounds and he can move very well for his size. He’s played in only one game this season for the Ducks, meaning he is eligible to redshirt and be a redshirt freshman at his next school and have 4 years of eligibility remaining.

Kingsley would also give BYU additional credibility on the recruiting trail, showing that BYU is a destination for highly touted players, particulary LDS, Polynesian players. No timeline has been given on a decision, but we could hear something on Kingsley’s decision in the next week.