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Expected to be the primary running back for the Cerritos College football team this fall, Hinckley Ropati has decided to move up his 2021 commitment to Brigham Young University to make himself available for the upcoming season, which is slated for this spring. Originally, Ropati was going to play for the Falcons in 2020 and then have two seasons remaining for the Cougars. But, with Ropati leaving in the summer, he will have three seasons of eligibility for BYU.

As a freshman, Ropati was part of a tandem backfield and accounted for 647 yards on the ground on 109 carries (5.9 average) and scored a team-leading 10 touchdowns. The versatile back also pulled in 19 passes for 269 yards (14.2 average). He didn't carry the ball more than 17 times in a game, as he rotated with Carl Odom, who signed with Angelo State University. Ropati amassed a season-high 95 yards on 11 carries and scored three touchdowns in the Falcons 46-39 Beach Bowl win over Ventura College, while he also pulled in four passes for 88 yards. He reached the end zone a season-high four times in a win over Fullerton College, while he caught passes in 10 of the team's 11 games in 2019.

Coming out of Downey High, Ropati (pictured, left) went on his Mormon mission and then committed to play at Dixie State University. He decided to de-commit and then joined the Falcons.

"I just felt like, after coming home from a mission, my second chance was to go the JUCO route" Ropati told the Fifth Quarter. "I just felt while I was on my mission that I needed to go the JUCO route and push for something that's better. I think what made a difference was the (BYU) coaching staff's confidence in me to come and make a difference right away. Not only that, it was just bigger than football. They just assured me that I would be taken care of and that I would have a great relationship with the coaches and my teammates. From when I started talking to the coaches in the fall, I just felt like I could trust them and they could trust me."

The bruising back with exceptional speed will be joining a BYU backfield and includes junior Lopini Katoa, sophomore Tyler Allgeier, sophomore Sione Finau (currently out with an ACL injury) and redshirt freshman Jackson McChesney, and will be looked upon to add another dimension to their offensive attack. Another back, who was expected to return, Devonta'e Henry-Cole, transferred to Utah State University, which opened the immediate spot for Ropati.

Said Ropati on his Twitter feed, "Thank you to Coach (Dean) Grosfeld, the entire coaching staff, my counselors and by brothers from Cerritos for their influence, guidance and help in developing me into the student-athlete I am today. Thank you to all the coaches who have reached out and believed that I could be a great contribution to their program."

Ropati is the 11th Cerritos College football player to transfer to BYU in the program's history.