:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45613996/ieremia_and_lake_twitter.0.0.jpg)
Monday was a busy day for BYU coaches and recruits. While Gabe Reid did pledge to Stanford, BYU got plenty of good news. First, offensive lineman J.J. Nwigwe committed to the Cougars. Then, a small Texan with a big name, Koy Detmer, Jr., made official his intent to walk on at BYU.
Finally, a pair of highly-rated verbal commits who had recently re-opened their recruitment reaffirmed their decision to sign with BYU: Dayan Lake and Jeremiah Ieremia.
I've decided to commit to BYU #prOVO #2015ChosenOnes pic.twitter.com/hH12wy0kvl
— Dayan Lake (@still_flexin6) February 3, 2015
— Jeremiah Ieremia (@15jeremier) February 3, 2015
Both players are tough, physical, athletic defensive talents who should both do big things in Cougar blue. By 247Sports composite ratings, Lake and Ieremia come in only behind Kieffer Longson and Mika Tafua (who is getting blitzed by big Pac-12 schools). BYU held on to two of its best commits down the stretch.
The cornerback Lake had been committed to BYU since July 2013, and proved to be so talented and physical that he was moved to linebacker. Teams would simply not run plays to his side of the field when he played corner.
"He's great at playing the run. I think that's what separates him at corner more than other kids. Most corners just grab guys, run around, dive around and don't know how to tackle. He'll go toe-to-toe with the biggest, baddest running back in the state and hit him in the mouth. He loves that."
-- Erik Thompson, Lake's high school coach
Lake's official offer sheet included Cal and Utah, but he received some interest from Alabama, Oregon, and Florida State early that waned as he held his BYU commitment. BYU's secondary is in need of big-time athletes, and Lake fits the bill. I hope he can be primed to contribute sooner rather than later.
Ieremia recorded 101 tackles and an interception during his senior year at Hurricane and was a big contributor to the Tigers' run to the Utah 3AA State Championship.
Ieremia is the prototype of the athlete BYU wants playing inside linebacker. He's physical and possesses good size and power. He hits hard and doesn't allow for any unnecessary yards after contact. His power also makes him an effective inside pass rusher. Ieremia has all the skills to be a successful linebacker at the FBS level.
Here are highlights from the player's Hudl profiles:
Signing day is just one day away. Bookmark our Signing Day Central page and prepare to follow all the Signing Day action on Wed., Feb. 4!