As if the BYU football program had nothing else going on this week, the Cougars’ coaching staff took a pause Wednesday to sign and talk about what most recruiting experts are saying is the best recruiting class in school history as the early signing period got underway across the country.
“I am looking at the potential here with this signing class, and the sky’s the limit for this class,” head coach Kalani Sitake said. “We can do some really great things with it.”
A day after agreeing to a long-term contract extension with BYU after being courted heavily by Penn State to accept its head coaching vacancy, and three days before the No. 11 Cougars face No. 4 Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game, Sitake said BYU will sign a few more guys to this class, either before the signing period ends on Friday, or when the next period begins on Feb. 4, 2026.
BYU’s 2026 recruiting class — 19 strong as of 5 p.m. Wednesday — is currently ranked as the 20th-best in the country by 247 Sports, one spot behind Texas Tech, which was expected to sign around 20 prospects Wednesday, in the race for Big 12 recruiting supremacy.
“We are really fired up about the talent that’s coming in and the fits that they are to our program,” said Sitake, noting that a “good number” of the signees will go on missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before enrolling.
He also said that several recruits will enroll early and start school at BYU in January.
BYU announced its 19th signing shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday, and it was a big one.
Ryder Lyons, the four-star quarterback from Folsom, California, waited until later in the day to send in his paperwork, causing a little bit of consternation for the folks who follow BYU recruiting closely.
As such, Sitake and his assistants weren’t able to talk about Lyons at their noon news conference.
“Speaking in general, we feel good about our quarterback position,” Sitake said. “We feel good about the talent that’s coming in there at that position.”
Lyons was a consensus five-star prospect when he committed to BYU on June 24 on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” but has been dropped to a four-star last month, for whatever reason. He attended BYU’s 41-21 win over UCF last weekend.
Still, Lyons is the highest-rated recruit in the Sitake era, per 247 Sports’ ratings. Lyons has already received his mission call — a Spanish-speaking mission to Orlando, Florida — and has said for months that he plans on serving a mission before enrolling at BYU.
BYU’s most notable “other” signing Wednesday was four-star tight end Brock Harris of St. George’s Pine View High. After committing, the 6-foot-6 Harris went to work persuading other top prospects to consider BYU.
Other top signees include Lone Peak offensive lineman Bott Mulitalo, Olympus linebacker Adam Bywater, Orem edge rusher Lopeti “Junior” Moala and Ty Goettsche, a four-star tight end from Cherry Creek High in Englewood, Colorado.
“We feel like we got a lot of our needs taken care of and (recruits) who will provide depth to our team, but also some guys that can definitely compete for playing time right away,” Sitake said. “Overall, I love the class.”
Eight signees hail from the state of Utah. That list includes Harris, Mulitalo, Bywater, Moala, Orem safety Kaue Akana, Lehi receiver Legend Glasker (cousin of BYU LB Isaiah Glasker), Lehi running back Devaughn Eka and Ridgeline receiver Graham Livingston.
“I am just really proud of the fact that we got a lot of guys from the state of Utah, our backyard,” Sitake said.
While acknowledging that increased funding from the school for NIL and revenue sharing — bolstered by Tuesday’s raise and contract extension — will enable BYU to cast an even wider net for top-flight recruits, Sitake said there will always be an emphasis on instate recruiting as long as he is the coach.
“A good (portion) of our roster comes from the state of Utah. But we also want to make sure that we look at other places (for) people that can fit what we’re doing here. It’s a good mix. I think half our class is out of the state,” he said. “… Then you have to be able to play football first. They have to be able to do it. You have to have the talent. I don’t really care where they come from. It’s just a lot easier when you don’t have to jump on a plane to go recruit them.”
As is always the case, a few players who had committed to BYU the past few years pulled back their pledges and looked elsewhere. That list includes Jaxson Gates, a cornerback from LaVerne, California, who committed to Missouri, and PJ Takitaki, an edge rusher from Lehi who committed to Utah.
Asked where this signing class ranks among the 11 classes he has brought in since replacing Bronco Mendenhall in 2016, Sitake said it is “interesting” that some guys that BYU received commitments from last June “lost stars all of a sudden because they committed to us.”
“The people that make the star system (of ranking recruiting classes), I don’t think you can bank on that.”
Aaron Roderick on offensive players who signed Wednesday
Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, a semifinalist for the 2025 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coach, also spoke to reporters Wednesday and said one trend he is noticing in recruiting is that the state now produces its share of outstanding skill position players.
“It used to be just linemen in the state (who got recruited), maybe guys that play in the box, and once in a while a skill guy here and there,” Roderick said. “But now in Utah, you’re finding skill players, quarterbacks, linemen, tight ends, running backs, all of it. The quality of play is just improving every year, as is the quality of coaching.”
Lehi’s Glasker and Eka, Ridgeline’s Livingston and Pine View’s Harris fit that bill.
Harris, the 6-6, 245-pound tight end, will serve a mission in Spokane, Washington, before enrolling.
“We’ve been trying to build up the tight end position again to what it should be at BYU, and (have been) getting some good production this year out of our tight ends,” Roderick said. “These guys (Harris, Goettsche and Parker Ord) are all part of that future where that should be a position of strength for us.”
Roderick acknowledged that BYU has been “a little thin” at running back this season due to the loss of Sione Moa to injury and the NCAA not giving a year back to Hinckley Ropati, so having Eka joining the team next year will be extremely helpful.
As the Deseret News reported Sunday, star running back LJ Martin will likely declare for the NFL draft.
Jay Hill on defensive players who signed Wednesday
An upbeat defensive coordinator Jay Hill said his priority every year is to get the best players available to BYU in Cougar blue, and he doesn’t worry so much about stocking up one position group over another.
“And I think we did that,” he said. “We signed some real top-notch guys that are going to be huge assets to us moving forward.”
Hill said there are a few other defensive players that BYU might sign “in the next little bit,” and then he will look toward the transfer portal for immediate help.
Hill said one of his favorite prospects he’s recruited the past few years has been linebacker Braxton Lindsey of Rogers, Arkansas. The Cougars beat several SEC schools for the services of Lindsey, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Him being a member of the church was a big deal. …. Coach (Kelly) Poppinga did a phenomenal job recruiting him, and he will be a huge asset to our program.”
BYU’s class of 2026 signees (19)
- Ryder Lyons, quarterback, 6-3, 225 El Dorado Hills, California (Folsom High)
- Brock Harris, tight end, 6-6, 245 St. George, Utah (Pine View High)
- Bott Mulitalo, offensive lineman, 6-5, 330 American Fork, Utah (Lone Peak High)
- Ty Goettsche, tight end, 6-6, 220 Englewood, Colorado (Cherry Creek High)
- Kaue Akana, safety, 6-3, 220 Orem, Utah (Orem High School)
- Jax Tanner, offensive lineman 6-4, 275 Meridian, Idaho (Rocky Mountain High)
- Terrance Saryon, receiver, 5-11, 175 Vancouver, Washington (Evergreen High)
- Braxton Lindsey, linebacker, 6-3, 230 Rogers, Arkansas (Rogers High)
- Lopeti “Jr.” Moala, edge rusher, 6-4, 255 Orem, Utah (Orem High)
- Legend Glasker, wide receiver, 6-2, 175 Lehi, Utah (Lehi High)
- Matthew Mason, safety, 6-3, 190 Las Vegas, Nevada (Faith Lutheran High)
- Sefanaia Alatini, safety, 6-2, 200 Oakland, California (St. Francis High)
- Antonio Johnson, cornerback, 6-4, 170 Fort Worth, Texas (Arlington Heights High)
- Parker Ord, tight end, 6-4, 215 Frisco, Texas (Panther Creek High)
- Nehemiah Kolone, defensive lineman, 6-4, 265 Stillwater, Oklahoma (Stillwater High)
- Adam Bywater, linebacker, 6-4, 215 Salt Lake City, Utah (Olympus High)
- Justice Brathwaite, cornerback, 6-1, 190 Gilbert, Arizona (Higley High)
- Devaughn Eka, running back, 5-11, 190 Lehi, Utah (Lehi High)
- Graham Livingston, receiver, 5-11, 180 Millville, Utah (Ridgeline High)