College football’s national signing day has been a shadow of its former self since 2017, the year when recruits were allowed to officially commit in December rather than wait until the first Wednesday in February.
The advent of the transfer portal has also taken away the day’s luster, as transfer signings have overshadowed high school signings to the point where signing day is barely recognized at many schools.
At BYU, officials will still make some announcements Wednesday, and head coach Kalani Sitake will chat with reporters, but for the most part, all the heavy lifting was done in December, when 21 prospects put their names on the dotted line.
At least two BYU recruiting experts — Jeff Hansen of Cougar Sports Insider on the 247Sports network and Casey Lundquist of Cougs Daily on the Sports Illustrated network — don’t expect BYU to sign any new high school prospects Wednesday.
“There could always be surprises but I think it is pretty much 2027 (recruits) at this point,” Lundquist said.
Last year, in gathering its 2025 signing class, BYU signed 18 guys from the high school ranks in December and then four in February, including four-star linebacker/running back McKay Madsen, who is currently on a mission in Argentina.
Last May, BYU added quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who was classified as an incoming freshman although he played spring ball at Stanford, and offensive lineman Alai Kalaniuvalu, a four-star prospect who picked BYU over Oregon after a back-and-forth battle that saw him commit to both schools. Kalaniuvalu is also currently on a mission.
So recruiting never stops, obviously, and is rarely predictable. The addition of Bachmeier, the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder from Murrieta, California, for instance, proved to be as important of a pickup as BYU has had in the past 10 years, arguably.
Although plans had not been formalized as of Monday afternoon, BYU might use Wednesday to promote at least nine transfer portal additions, most notably Cal linebacker Cade Uluave, USC tight end Walker Lyons, Oregon receiver Kyler Kasper, Stanford offensive lineman Zak Yamauchi and Oregon tight end Roger Saleapaga II.
Other newcomers include Utah State’s JR Sia (OL), Washington’s Paki Finau (OL), Kansas State’s Jake Clifton (LB) and Mississippi State’s Jayven Williams (DB).
Of course, the day could also be used to remind fans and the media that BYU signed its best recruiting class in school history last December, a class that ranks No. 21 in the country and No. 2 in the Big 12, behind only Texas Tech.
BYU’s class of 2026 includes seven four-star recruits and 14 three-star recruits, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.
The four stars are quarterback Ryder Lyons, linebacker Adam Bywater, offensive lineman Bott Mulitalo, tight end Brock Harris, tight end Ty Goettsche, edge rusher Lopeti Moala and the final two adds from December — Lone Peak High twins Kennan and Jaron Pula, billed as “athletes” who can play receiver or defensive back.
Lyons (Orlando, Florida) and Harris (Spokane, Washington) are already on their respective missions in different corners of the country.
Hansen reported Monday that with the final 247Sports rankings in place, BYU landed three of the top five prospects in the state of Utah, five of the top 10 and nine of the top 20.
Clearly, Big 12 membership has moved BYU onto an even playing field in in-state recruiting with rival Utah. The Utes are currently No. 35 in the team rankings and lost a little bit of ground with head coach Kyle Whittingham taking the Michigan job and several Utah assistant coaches, recruits and players with him to Ann Arbor.
Utah did beat BYU for two top in-state prospects — Lehi’s Mataalii Benjamin (OL) and PJ Takitaki (edge), the nephew of former BYU standout Sione Takitaki. Both are four-star recruits.
BYU on Wednesday could also release the list of returned or returning missionaries expected to join the program this year, guys such as receiver Jett Nelson, quarterback Enoch Watson and defensive end Adney Reid.
Last year, 10 of BYU’s 24 high school signees went on missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Three of the signees — running back Cale Breslin, receiver LaMason Waller III and tight end Tucker Kelleher — are no longer in the program.
Breslin transferred to Montana State before the 2025 season but did not appear in any games. Waller has signed with Southern Utah, per his Instagram account, while Kelleher had not announced his next destination as of Tuesday.
Among the players in this year’s class who originally committed to BYU but withdrew that pledge and have signed elsewhere are California cornerback Jaxson Gates (Missouri), Skyridge quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne (Colorado) and the aforementioned Takitaki (Utah).
BYU’s 9 transfer portal additions
- Kyler Kasper, wide receiver, 6-6, 210, Chandler, Arizona (Williams Field HS/Oregon)
- Walker Lyons, tight end, 6-4, 235, Folsom, California (Folsom HS/USC)
- Zak Yamauchi, offensive line, 6-4, 325, Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman HS/Stanford)
- JR Sia, offensive line, 6-5, 325, Herriman, Utah (Mountain Ridge HS/Utah State)
- Paki Finau, offensive line, 6-5, 310, Hesperia, California (Oak Hills HS/Washington)
- Cade Uluave, linebacker, 6-1, 235, Herriman, Utah (Mountain Ridge HS/Cal)
- Jake Clifton, linebacker, 6-2, 225, Owasso, Oklahoma (Owasso HS/Kansas State)
- Jayven Williams, cornerback, 6-2, 185, Mobile, Alabama (Baker HS/Mississippi State)
- Roger Saleapaga II, tight end, 6-4, 245, Orem, Utah (Orem HS/Oregon)
BYU’s 21 December signings
- Ryder Lyons, quarterback, 6-2, 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)
- 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)
- Kennan Pula, athlete, 6-2, 195, Highland, Utah (Lone Peak High)
- Jaron Pula, athlete, 6-2, 185, Highland, Utah (Lone Peak High)