The speculation has officially come to fruition.
Monday, Utah announced that BYU transfer linebacker Francis Bernard has joined the Pac-12 program and began the NCAA-mandated five-day acclimatization period. That means Bernard, who practiced for the first time with his new teammates yesterday, won’t be permitted to don full pads until those five days are up.
Including this season, Bernard will have two years of eligibility he can use with the Utes.
Bernard lands in Salt Lake City, though, with some off-field baggage in tow.
In mid-August of last year, it was announced that Bernard, a 12-game starter at linebacker for BYU in 2016, would miss the entire 2017 season because of unspecified “personal reasons,” which later turned into unspecified violations of the Mormon school’s strict Honor Code. In October of that same year, Bernard was arrested on multiple charges following a traffic stop, including driving under the influence of alcohol.
One day after news of Bernard being sidelined for all of 2017 surfaced, it was reported that he would be looking into a transfer to Utah.
Bernard’s 80 tackles in 2016 were third on the Cougars. He began his BYU career as a running back, with his 334 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015 good for second on the team. He moved to linebacker between the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
It’s assumed he will remain at linebacker with the Utes.