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Provo • Although he famously said last spring that his decision to attend college football power USC out of high school was "an immature choice," Uona Kaveinga adds he doesn't regret suiting up for the Trojans for two years, even if he seldom played, except on special teams.

He doesn't regret transferring to BYU, either, despite having to sit out the 2010 season due to NCAA rules.

"No regrets at all," said the 5-foot-11, 236-pound linebacker, who is expected to get the start in the middle when the Cougars take on Ole Miss on Sept. 3. "I am happy to be here at BYU. I love it. ... I believe everything happens for a reason. I was supposed to be at USC for those two years, and now I am supposed to be here."

To a man, BYU coaches and players rave about Kaveinga, saying he has a chance to be one of the finest middle linebackers in school history. And he has yet to play a down. In spring camp and through the first week of 2011 preseason camp, he has continued to impress after partially showing what he could do as a member of the scout team last fall.

"Uona is a really good football player," coach Bronco Mendenhall said Wednesday, gushing about a linebacking corps that could include the USC transfer, along with returning starters Brandon Ogletree and Jordan Pendleton and fast-rising sophomore Kyle Van Noy. "It is a formidable group."

Kaveinga's history with BYU is well-known to hardcore Cougar fans. The product of Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, Calif., committed to Mendenhall a few weeks before signing day in 2008, but he stunned many, including his own family members, when he donned a USC cap on signing day.

Mendenhall has referred to it as one of the biggest recruiting disappointments of his coaching career, noting that only a few players have committed to him, then changed their minds.

But Kaveinga "came back," as he puts it, telling Mendenhall after two seasons with the Trojans that he has always felt bad about not living up to that original commitment.

"I just needed a change. Football was great at USC, but I felt like I needed to be somewhere else. BYU was the place where I needed to be. I mean, I came here and got answers. Not all my questions have been answered, but I love it here," he said. "Best of luck to [USC]. I still have a couple friends over there — guys I keep in contact with. ... But I am not looking back."

Not when thousands of fans at LaVell Edwards Stadium will be eager to see No. 4 finally play after agonizing over BYU's subpar linebacker play last season and wondering what might have been. Inside linebackers coach Paul Tidwell, after outlining Kaveinga's strengths, offers these words of caution:

"In scrimmages and stuff, he has proven to be reliable. He is certainly not perfect. I don't want all the fans to think this guy is going to come out and be perfect. We have high expectations for him, and I think he does for himself. But he's not going to come out and make every play. He's going to get blocked sometimes. But we have high expectations and we feel like he is going to be a great asset to our defense."

Last spring, Mendenhall said Kaveinga had become a scout-team legend.

"Last fall, the offensive staff, almost every week, told me, 'Wait until you see Uona and you get him on your side,' " Mendenhall said. "Then on special teams, on kickoffs, I don't think anybody beat him down the field the entire year. Once he gets to come out here, it is like his playground. And it is fun to coach guys like that."

At Leuzinger High, Kaveinga was on most top-100 national prospect lists despite the fact that he didn't play organized football until he was in middle school.

"From playing video games and watching a lot of football, I grew to love it," he said. "I hate watching TV — I would rather listen to music or study. But when football is on, I love watching football."

Having been around BYU's players the past 18 months, Kaveinga said the talent level is similar to what he saw at USC.

"We match up [with USC] all across the board," he said. "We have some great athletes here now. ... We have a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball. And on the defense, too."

Especially now that No. 4 finally gets his chance to play.

Kaveinga's career stats

Season GP Tack Sac FR*

2007, Prep** 12 111 9 5

2008, USC 8 3 1 1

2009, USC 8 2 0 0

*Fumble recoveries

**Played at Leuzinger High (Calif.)