The BYU football team announced Monday that running back Manase Tonga has been deemed academically ineligible and will miss the entire 2008 football season after being suspended from the university.

While the running back will use his red shirt season in 2008, he will be eligible to re-apply to BYU in October and play for the Cougars in 2009.

BYU Assistant to the President Carri Jenkins said Tonga "will be treated as any other applicant who has been suspended for academic reasons."

"He will fill out the same application form as any other student who has spent time away from the university," Jenkins said.

Tonga, a 6-foot, 238-pound California native, was one of the hallmarks of the BYU offense during the 2007 campaign, credited with 88 carries for 305 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. The Californian running back helped carry the team as they stormed through the Mountain West Conference before narrowly defeating Pac-10 rival UCLA, 17-16, in the Las Vegas Bowl in December.

"Not having Manase with us this coming season is disappointing and hurts our program; however, our program is designed so that the next player in line will step in and contribute at a high level," head coach Bronco Mendenhall said in a news release. "I'm confident Manase will take the necessary steps to restore his eligibility and be able to return to the team next season."

BYU will now face the impressive task of re-organizing the team's offense, putting more pressure on the shoulders of veteran backs Fui Vakapuna and Harvey Unga, while also adding extra stress to freshman J.J. Di Luigi and junior Wayne Latu. Di Luigi and Latu are the next two considerations to replace Tonga, behind Vakapuna and Unga, according to BYU assistant coach Lance Reynolds, who coaches the running backs.

"We need somebody to carry the physical roll of a fullback," Reynolds said before adding, "We're going to miss him [Tonga]."

Reynolds noted Tonga's "position expertise" and ability as an "experienced good runner" as specific skills that will be missed by the Cougars next fall.

"He's good at all the part of the offense that he's involved in," Reynolds said.

Fans will remember Tonga for his performance against New Mexico, when the junior running back touched the ball for a season-high 13 carries with 54 yards and two touchdowns.

BYU Athletic Communications contributed to this report