We're in the midst of Kalani's Finest Hour
There was bad weather for the splash down, creating a new level of uncertainty for Apollo 13's emergency landing. This was just the latest variable in the middle of a comedy of errors for the NASA space shuttle. Two NASA directors were talking in the background.
"The parachute situation, the heat shield, the angle of trajectory and the typhoon are just some of the variables - " NASA worker Henry Hurt started to explain.
"I know what the problems are, Henry," the NASA Director interrupted. "It could be the worst disaster NASA has ever experienced."
That's when George Kranz, who had been listening to the conversation happening over his shoulder, jumped in with one of the best lines in cinematic history.
"With all due respect, sir, I believe this is going to be our finest hour," he said.
The line was perfect. In the middle of uncertain times and massive stakes, the masses were focused on the problems that faced them and concerned about how bad the fallout might be. But one leader stood in the middle of the room and looked forward with an entirely different perspective.
You really have to appreciate the moment to fully grasp how powerful that line was. There was nothing to be optimistic about in Apollo 13's situation at the time. There was no sign of hope and no reason to believe that anything but bad things were about to transpire. But Kranz looked at the moment as an opportunity to impress the world. His confidence was unshaking and his believe that NASA's finest hour was sincere and true.
Of course, you all know the rest of the story. All the messy variables and problems were worked through and Apollo 13 returned home safely. The movie is sensational. The real life story is nearly unbelievable. Bringing those astronauts safely home truly was NASA's finest hour.
That story and that movie have always been a personal favorite of mine. The 'finest hour' line is something I've quoted many times throughout my life. That's why it struck me so far this week when one of the most prominent BYU figures in the media and I were having a conversation, and he dropped that line.
"We might be seeing BYU morph into a regular contender," he said. "These are certainly Kalani's finest hours."
If we go back in time to just a few years ago, BYU's situation felt uncertain and bleak. Independence was, at best, a flimsy foundation upon which the entire athletic department was built. Kalani Sitake's program struggled through 2017 and limped its way through 2018 and 2019. COVID-19 hit in 2020, and BYU's schedule fell apart. Things were ugly. The Big 12 seemed an impossible destination. Times were bleak.
BYU had parachute problems and trajectory problems. The program's heat shield was broken and there was a looming typhoon ahead. Nobody knew exactly what would happen in the future, but there were plenty who prognosticated about the downfall of BYU athletics.
But in the middle of it all was Kalani Sitake. He firmly believed in the power of the BYU program and its future success. He still maintained that the best of BYU was yet to come. In those uncertain times, he believed BYU was about to pull off its finest hour.
Today, BYU won a hat ceremony with Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Miami, and Utah hats on the table. Four-star tight end Brock Harris had nearly 40 scholarship offers. He had been recruited by all of the who's who in college football. At the end of it all, BYU won.
Harris is the highest-rated recruit to commit to BYU since Ofa Mohetau in the Class of 2003. He's an exceptional tight end with an incredibly bright future. He's one of the most ready-to-play prospects in the entire sport, standing 6-6 and 240 pounds already. He's a dynamic receiver and a violent blocker. Harris can do everything you want in a high-level tight end.
As good as Harris is, and trust me when I say there is no underselling how good he really is, he might not even be the highest-rated player to commit to BYU in the Class of 2026.
Sitake's staff has BYU in a strong position for five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons. Talanoa Ili has taken an unofficial visit to BYU and is scheduled to take an official visit next month. Those two are both rated higher than Harris today.
BYU also have been making a ton of progress with Bott Mulitalo, Malakai Lee, Jaron Pula, Kennan Pula, Kaue Akana, Jax Tanner, and Braxton Lindsey. None of them are currently ranked higher than Harris is, but they're all ranked a four-star prospect by at least one of the major recruiting services.
BYU just flipped four-star Nusi Taumoepeau from Stanford. They were on the winning end of hat ceremonies in back-to-back Army/Navy All-America games when Faletau Satuala and McKay Madsen each committed to BYU in consecutive years. They pulled Keanu Tanuvasa from their biggest rival out of the transfer portal. They kept Austin Pay away from Oregon. Ty Goettsche had offers from big-time schools in the SEC and chose BYU. There have been so many strong recruiting wins that you almost forget about players like PJ Takitaki and Justice Brathwaite turning down P4 offers to come to BYU.
All of this is on top of the fact that BYU just capped off an 11-2 season that nobody - NOBODY - saw coming. The Cougars were thought to be a Big 12 doormat and they found themselves in playoff contention. Going into this upcoming season, BYU is widely regarded as one of the favorites to win the Big 12 this year.
There are so many good things happening for the BYU program right now that it is really easy to make the argument that we are in the midst of Kalani's finest hour. There is a strong case to make that this is BYU's finest hour in the last four decades of Cougar football.
When you take a minute to consider how bleak things were just a few years ago, it's hard not to be impressed with Sitake's work over the last several years.
Hope seemed lost. The future seemed dark.
But Sitake has officially led BYU to one of the brightest places in program history.
Finest hour, indeed.