Earlier this week, ESPN released a list of “The 40 most important players in college football in 2026” written by Bill Connelly, and three with Utah ties landed on the list.
At No. 31 is BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, at No. 34 is Utah running back Wayshawn Parker, and at No. 36 is Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen, who prepped at American Fork High.
Bachmeier and Parker are both in a section highlighting five players from the Big 12, while Madsen is in a section highlighting five players from all of the Group of Six conferences.
Of Bachmeier, Connelly wrote, “BYU had to unexpectedly hand the reins to Bachmeier, a true freshman, last season and had to keep the offense pretty cautious and low-tempo because of it. The Cougars also went 12-0 against teams not named Texas Tech.
“Kalani Sitake’s Cougars have proven size and physicality in the trenches, and they could unfurl a new level of upside in 2026 if Bachmeier is able to learn and develop further. That will require receivers, however: Last year’s three primary targets are gone. That could be an obstacle, but as we look for the most likely team to challenge Texas Tech, BYU is an obvious potential choice.”
Of Parker, Connelly wrote, “Utah surged from 96th to sixth in offensive SP+ last season thanks in part to a brilliant marriage between coordinator Jason Beck and quarterback Devon Dampier.
“We’ll have to see if Dampier can create the same type of magic with new coordinator Kevin McGiven, but in Parker the Utes have one of the most well-rounded backs in the country. If he can carry a big workload and keep Dampier from taking too many hits, Utah should be a Big 12 contender once again.”
Of Madsen, Connelly wrote, “Madsen and BSU had an odd 2025 season: They were every bit as good as they were supposed to be ... except when they were terrible.
“Injuries didn’t help, but in the four starts Madsen lost, he completed 53% of his passes with a 1-to-6 TD-INT ratio and a 14.2 QBR. In seven wins, he had a 61% completion rate, 17-to-3 TD-INT ratio and 80.3 QBR. If Madsen is healthy and consistent again — not a given with a pretty new receiving corps — BSU is probably your Group of 6 CFP favorite again.”
Elsewhere, Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is No. 4 on the list.
Of him, Connelly wrote, “The first time he filled in for an injured Behren Morton last season, Hammond was super promising. The second time, he was partially responsible for Texas Tech’s only regular-season loss, then tore his ACL.
“Now, thanks to the Brenden Sorsby saga, he’s rushing back to take the reins of a potential top-five team. When healthy, he’s a promising efficiency passer and dangerous scrambler. He’ll have to be both healthy and good as soon as possible.”
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell tops Connelly’s list.
