Sunday was a big day for Lone Peak standout defensive back Landan Goff. He announced his commitment to play for the BYU football program, and he submitted his papers to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Goff is coming off a fantastic senior season where he tallied 64 tackles, 7 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles, 15 pass breakups, and 2 kickoff return touchdowns. He led Lone Peak to the 6A State Championship game where the Knights came up just short against Corner Canyon 30-27.

Besides growing up just down the road from BYU, Goff has another connection to the BYU athletic department. His older sister Lexi runs the 800 meter for the women’s track team at BYU.

Goff first got in contact with BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill back in 2023. The two kept in touch through Goff’s standout senior season. After months getting to know Goff and his family in a thorough evaluation process, BYU offered him a full-ride scholarship. “Unlike some schools, BYU seems to be very careful with the timing on their offers from my experience,” Goff told BYU On SI. “Nothing is given without a ton of research, film study, and conversations.”

Goff said the BYU coaching staff evaluated everything they could, including his reaction after losing the state championship game. “Coach Sitake, for example, gave me an example of how he watched how I reacted when we lost our game in the state final,” Goff said. “They pay attention to everything, not just your highlight reel. Coach Hill told me that he and his staff watched virtually every minute of every game I played in high school.”

Goff lined up an official visit and announced his commitment to the Cougars after the visit. “Honestly the best part of the visit was getting to know the staff,” Goff said. “Everyone is so authentic, nice, and helpful. From the people that helped with the logistics of the visit, to the facilities staff, to the coaches. Everyone is just so positive and kind. You can tell that Coach Sitake has the culture completely dialed in at BYU.”

Goff got to spend a lot of one-on-one time with Kalani Sitake and Jay Hill during his official visit. “I never expected to spend so much time with Coach Hill and Coach Sitake,” Goff explained. “As busy as I’m sure they are, they spent probably hours of time with just me and my family at meals, games, and other meetings. They made me feel like I was the most important recruit in the world to them. And it really felt sincere. Coach Sitake spent a good amount of time with just me and my family and believe it or not, the meeting was just partly about football. It was mostly about life. He has so much wisdom about how to be a better person, better son, and better man. I really felt that. I’ll probably never forget some of the advice he gave me.”

During the course of his recruitment, Goff grew closest with BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill. “I’d say I’ve known Coach Hill the longest and had the most interactions with him over the last 18 months. I see him as a mentor at this point. Many people know that he is a defensive genius, but I think the key with Coach Hill is the relationships of trust that he builds with his players. I don’t even play for him yet and I’d go into a burning house if he told me to. Coach Gavin Fowler has also been amazing and was incredible on our official visit. He really answered about 100 questions or more that my family and I had.”

On his official visit, Goff got to know BYU defensive backs Mory Bamba, Faletau Satuala, Matthias Leach, and Preston Rex. “They were awesome, although I did kick their butts at go-carts,” he quipped.

Listed at 6’2 and 185 pounds, Goff runs a 10.9 100M. He fits the mold of BYU safeties that have played for Jay Hill in his first two seasons in Provo. The BYU coaching staff likes the size, length, and speed that he will bring to the BYU defensive backfield. His size and speed allows him to be versatile in coverage. He could also impact the game as a kick returner.

BYU’s staff also liked the intangible things he will bring to the locker room. “They liked that I was coachable, a good teammate and a good culture fit at BYU,” Goff said. “They pay attention to every little detail. They are almost as interested in your reaction after you have a bad play than your highlights.”

Goff will suit up for BYU in 2027 after he returns home from his mission. He is one of three players that is expected to sign with BYU next month on national signing day.