13-07-2025
Orem playmaker Kaue Akana commits to BYU
Orem wide receiver Kaue Akana (13) stretches to cross the ball into the end zone for a touchdown while defended by Maple Mountain linebacker Maddox Sabey (1) during a game held at Orem High School in Orem on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Another highly-touted local prospect is headed to BYU.
Orem High's three-position standout Kaue Akana has committed to the Cougars, he announced Tuesday morning via social media.
Akana is rated as a high three-star recruit with an overall player grade of 89 from 247 Sports, ranking as the No. 7 prospect out of Utah from the class of 2026. He chose BYU over nearly 20 other Power Four offers from the likes of USC, UCLA, Texas A&M, Tennessee and more.
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Though the standout soccer player didn't compete in football until his freshman year of high school, Akana wasted no time making a name for himself on the gridiron. He caught 76 passes for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior this past season, while also playing defensive back and serving as Orem's starting kicker.
On defense, Akana recorded 58 total tackles — six for loss — with two interceptions and a sack.
'Akana is one of the most versatile players out West with the ability to play on either side of the ball in college,' wrote 247 Sports analyst Greg Biggins of Akana. '... We love his long-term potential and upside.'
As a freshman in 2022, Akana's game-winning field goal over Alta sent Orem to the Utah 5A state semifinals.
Orem's Kaue Akana is cheered by teammates after making what turned out to be the winning field goal over Alta in quarterfinal action at Orem on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. Orem won. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
What BYU's 2026 recruiting class currently looks like
