Of all the items on BYU football’s substantial offseason to-do list, none are of greater importance than recruiting.
Following a disappointing 5-7 inaugural campaign in the Big 12, Kalani Sitake and his staff will look to bolster the Cougars program to better compete within the conference going forward. Such an effort will require talent brought in both from the ever-chaotic transfer portal and the high school recruiting pool, with national signing day taking place this Wednesday.
Here’s a look at BYU’s 2024 recruiting class as it stands now, sorted by the recruits’ 247Sports’ composite rating.
High school commitments
Ryner Swanson, TE
★★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-4, 240 pounds.
Laguna Beach High School (Laguna Beach, California).
- Ranked as the No. 30 player from the state of California by 247Sports, Swanson chose BYU over more than 20 other offers from Oregon, Texas, Florida and other programs.
- Ranked as the No. 22 tight end nationally by 247Sports.
- Caught 50 passes for 717 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
- Will enroll at BYU in January, play a season with the Cougars and then leave for two years to serve a church mission.
- “Basically BYU has always been my dream school, and when they reached out I was just so excited,” Swanson told the Deseret News in June. “I didn’t expect anything like this to happen. When other schools got into the picture, I had to make a really, really hard decision. They are great schools, in great places. But in the end BYU is where I feel I can be the most happy.”
Danny Saili, DL
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-2, 355 pounds.
Hutchinson Community College (Hutchinson, Kansas).
- A late flip to BYU from Texas Tech.
- Recorded 21 total tackles with four sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble at Hutchinson in 2023.
- One of the most-coveted junior college recruits in the current cycle.
Therrian Alexander III, CB
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-2, 160 pounds.
Southwest DeKalb High School (Decatur, Georgia).
- Chose BYU over offers from Georgia Tech, Houston and West Virginia, among others.
- Ranked as the No. 86 player from Georgia by 247Sports and the No. 59 cornerback nationally.
- Runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and can do a 400-meter dash in 46.84.
- “BYU is the place for me to go carry out my legacy,” Alexander told Cougar Sports Insider’s Jeff Hansen. “The communication with the coaches is something that is second to none. The vibe and the step up into the Big 12 all (was enough) to pull a kid like me from the Peach State all the way to Provo.”
Devoux Tuataga, Edge
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-4, 240 pounds.
Cedar Valley High School (Eagle Mountain, Utah).
- Ranked as the No. 9 overall player in Utah by 247Sports and the state’s second-best edge defender.
- Chose BYU over offers from Nebraska, Oregon, USC and others.
- Credited with 32 total tackles, 11 sacks and 11 hurries as a junior in 2022.
- Will serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prior to enrolling.
- “The feeling I experienced when I was there was that I knew this place was something special,” Tuataga said of BYU to Cougar Sports Insider. “Like my love and passion for the game and for my religion all in one place. There were three major factors in my decision.”
Adney Reid, LB
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-5, 215 pounds.
Spanish Fork High School (Spanish Fork, Utah).
- Ranked as the No. 13 player in Utah and No. 98 linebacker nationally by 247Sports.
- Committed to BYU over Utah after receiving offers from both.
- Son of former BYU tight end Gabe Reid.
- Prepped at Spanish Fork as a freshman before relocating to Sydney, Australia, along with his parents, who serve as mission presidents for The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints.
- “(The coaches) know what they’re talking about and always treat their players great,” Reid told BYU Insider. “It’s also a plus that I can joke with them and get a laugh in every now and then. The atmosphere at BYU is unreal — it feels like one big family! And coming from a family that heavily supports BYU, this opportunity feels surreal.”
Ikinasio Tupou, OT
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-6, 290 pounds.
Palo Alto High School (Palo Alto, California).
- Ranked as the No. 86 tackle recruit nationally by 247Sports.
- Chose BYU over offers from Utah, Cal and Washington, among others.
- Nephew of BYU defensive tackles coach Sione Po’uha.
Noah Lugo, QB
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-1, 180 pounds.
Eaton High School (Haslet, Texas).
- Originally committed to UTSA before choosing BYU.
- Ranked as the No. 76 quarterback nationally by 247Sports.
- Threw for 1,598 yards and ran for another 862 with 22 total touchdowns across 10 games in 2023.
- “I wasn’t really thinking about any other schools, but when you get a Big 12 opportunity, you want to check it out, and especially one with the quarterback pedigree that BYU has,” Lugo told ESPN 960’s Ben Criddle.
Matthias Leach, S
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-3, 175 pounds.
Chisholm Trail High School (Fort Worth, Texas).
- Chose BYU over offers from Utah State, Louisiana and Miami (OH).
- The No. 210-ranked recruit out of Texas by 247Sports.
- Earned reps at receiver, defensive back and punter in high school.
Enoch Watson, QB
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-3, 200 pounds.
American Leadership Academy (Queen Creek, Arizona).
- Ranked as the No. 25 recruit in Arizona by 247Sports.
- Passed for 2,581 yards with 29 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2023, adding another 356 yards and eight scores on the ground.
- Played for former BYU quarterbacks Ty Detmer and Max Hall at American Leadership Academy.
- “BYU is the spot man! There’s no better place to be coached,” Watson told Vanquish the Foe. “Coach Kalani and coach Roderick have only been positive and very encouraging! Coach Roderick is one of the main reasons I committed. He has a rhyme and reason to everything! The offense is so organized and balanced. It picks defenses apart, but also has a lot of big plays down the field!”
Blake Lowe, Athlete
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-3, 195 pounds.
Chaparral High School (Temecula, California).
- Ranked as the No. 116 prospect in California by 247Sports.
- Chose BYU over offers from Washington State, Arizona and Boise State, among others.
- Recorded 100 tackles with three interceptions and two blocked field goals as a safety and linebacker in 2023.
Siosefa Brown, Edge
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-5, 205 pounds.
Highland High School (Salt Lake City, Utah).
- Chose BYU over offers from Utah, Cal, Vanderbilt and others.
- The No. 15-ranked recruit in Utah by 247Sports.
- Made 23 total tackles with 3.5 sacks and four pass deflections in 2023.
- Also played receiver in high school, catching 25 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns over his career.
Carson Su’esu’e, QB
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-5, 200 pounds.
Granger High School (Salt Lake City, Utah).
- Ranked as the No. 22 player in Utah by 247Sports, choosing BYU over Arizona State, Utah State and others.
- Passed for 3,275 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2023, adding another 703 yards and nine scores on the ground.
- Spent final high school season at Granger after transferring from California powerhouse De La Salle.
- Will graduate early and serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Orlando prior to enrolling at BYU.
Jonathan Kabeya, Athlete
★★★ (247Sports composite).
5-foot-10, 170 pounds.
Byron Nelson High School (Trophy Club, Texas).
- Chose BYU over offers from Texas Tech, Arizona State, Indiana and others.
- Did not give up a single touchdown in coverage as a senior in 2023, grabbing four interceptions, scoring on a pick-six and recording both a kick and punt return touchdown.
Thomas Prassas, S
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-2, 190 pounds.
Basha High School (Chandler, Arizona).
- Ranked as the No. 31 recruit in Arizona by 247Sports.
- Chose BYU over offers from Air Force, New Mexico State and others.
- Recorded 205 total tackles and six interceptions across three varsity seasons.
Jett Nelson, TE
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-5, 210 pounds.
American Fork High School (American Fork, Utah).
- Ranked as the No. 23 recruit in Utah and the No. 100 tight end nationally by 247Sports.
- Caught 60 passes for 960 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.
Dallin Johnson, OT/DL
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-3, 285 pounds.
Springville High School (Springville, Utah).
- Committed to BYU over an offer from Washington State.
- The No. 29-ranked player in Utah by 247Sports.
- Earned First Team 5A All-State honors on defense in 2022 and on offense in 2023.
- Recorded 14 sacks and 19 tackles for loss as a senior in 2023.
Luke Toomalatai, DL
★★★ (247Sports composite).
6-foot-2, 300 pounds.
Long Beach City College (Long Beach, California).
- Chose BYU over Houston, Coastal Carolina and others.
- Ranked No. 87 nationally among junior college recruits by 247Sports.
- Recorded 31 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2023.
Brody Laga, K
6-foot, 165 pounds.
Mountain Ridge High School (Herriman, Utah).
- Rated as a 5-star prospect by the Chris Sailer Kicking Academy.
- Made 33 of 35 extra point attempts in 2023, along with 15 of 18 field goals with a long of 59 yards.
- “I committed (to BYU) because of the great history in the program. The coaching staff is great and showed a lot of love,” Laga told KSL Sports. “BYU has an environment that I want to be in and (I’ll) still be able to play in front of my family.”
Transfer commitments
Jack Kelly, LB
★★★★ (247Sports transfer).
6-foot-3, 235 pounds.
Weber State.
- Earned First Team All-Big Sky honors in 2023 with 56 tackles, 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception.
- Prepped at Kearns High School (Kearns, Utah).
Marque Collins, CB
★★★ (247Sports transfer).
6-foot, 170 pounds.
Weber State.
- Has recorded 27 total tackles and five interceptions across six collegiate seasons.
- Earned All-Big Sky Honorable Mention honors in 2021.
Sam Vander Haar, P
6-foot, 205 pounds.
Pitt (via Melbourne, Australia).
- Recorded 31 punts for a 38.6 yard average and long of 53 for Pitt in 2022.
- Has three remaining years of eligibility.