ESPN Highlighted Two BYU Freshmen, but Two Others Deserve the Spotlight as Well

A pair of BYU freshmen got some love from ESPN, but another duo might be ready to make an instant impact

BYU wide receiver Jaron Pula at Spring Camp | BYU Photo

On Sunday, ESPN's Billy Tucker highlighted the 51 college football freshmen that are "poised to make an impact" on the 2026 college football season. 10 freshmen from the Big 12 were listed, and a pair of BYU freshmen made the cut.

True freshmen Bott Mulitalo and Jaron Pula were recognized by ESPN. Mulitalo and Pula are certainly two of the most talented freshmen on BYU's roster. The former four-star recruits, who were also teammates at Lone Peak High School last season, have the talent to be stars in Provo. Here is what ESPN had to say about the former blue-chip prospects.

4. Bott Mulitalo

BYU offensive lineman Bott Mulitalo at Spring Camp | BYU Photo

Billy Tucker: "At one point in Mulitalo's high school career, he was an Oregon commit projected to the defensive line. He has since switched positions -- and schools -- and still finished the 2026 cycle ranked No. 53 in the SC Next 300. He blends explosive power with good bend, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he pushes for early playing time, even if there's not an obvious starting position up for grabs right now."

Our Expectations for Mulitalo: As far is Mulitalo's future at offensive tackle is concerned, two things can be true:

1. Mulitalo is one of the most athletic offensive linemen on BYU's roster and he should be a long-term starter for the Cougars
2. You don't want Mulitalo to be forced to start too early

Mulitalo spent his entire football career developing as a defensive tackle. It wasn't until the offseason before his senior year in high school that he switched to offensive tackle. There are nuances to the position that Mulitalo is still learning. Ideally, BYU won't ask Mulitalo to start right away. As the depth chart currently stands, we expect Andrew Gentry and Paki Finau to start at the tackle spots. Unless injuries alter BYU's plan, Mulitalo should have a year to develop behind a veteran before competing for a starting job in 2027. Still, the future is extremely bright for Mulitalo at BYU.

6. Jaron Pula

Billy Tucker: "Wide receiver is one of the few unsettled positions for a Cougars team with College Football Playoff aspirations in 2026. BYU must replace its top three pass catchers from last year and its top returner at receiver, Jojo Phillips, caught just 14 balls for 161 yards. The 6-3 Pula, a late flip from Utah alongside twin brother Kennan Pula, has a good catch radius on the boundary and a four-star résumé."

What We Expect for Pula: If you have followed our content at BYU On SI, you will know how high we've been on Jaron Pula. We picked Pula to be one of the top freshmen in Fall Camp. From the beginning, we have said that Pula has one of the highest, if not the very highest, ceilings in the room. That hasn't changed. We expect Pula to be a long-term starter for the Cougars.

However, Pula was a little banged up in Spring Camp. That limited some of reps back in the spring. It's an uphill battle for a freshman to play right away, and even a minor injury can put someone too far behind to catch up by the time the season starts.

It's still early in camp, and Pula could still emerge as an instant contributor at wide receiver. For now, however, we don't expect Pula to be in the primary rotation right away. As the season progresses and he is given more time to develop chemistry with BYU's quarterbacks, he could play. If he is healthy and on the same page with BYU's quarterbacks, he would be too talented to keep off the field.

Two BYU Freshmen That Deserve the Spotlight

Since this is a list of the freshmen that are "poised to make an impact" in 2026, we believe there are two other freshmen on BYU's roster that are currently on pace to make an earlier impact when the season kicks off.

The first is true freshman wide receiver Legend Glasker.

Legend Glasker - WR

Dating back to Spring Camp, we believe no outlet has been higher on Legend Glasker than we have. After a few weeks of camp, we proclaimed that Glasker "looked like the next big thing" at wide receiver. Glasker's first week of Fall Camp has only strengthened our belief in the kind of impact he could have in 2026.

On day one, Glasker got behind the defense (like he did so many times in Spring Camp) in a one-on-one drill.

Legend Glasker gets behind Crew Clark in 1-on-1 drills.

Glasker consistently got behind the defense in Spring Camp. Nice placement from freshman QB Enoch Watson on this throw. pic.twitter.com/wYWucHQRMH

— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) August 5, 2026

While it was a great rep from Glasker - and even more evidence of his readiness to contribute right away - there was one thing we still hadn't seen from Glasker. In the Spring, Glasker rarely had the chance to go up against BYU's best cornerbacks. Veterans are often limited to a pitch count to stay healthy. Therefore, the cornerbacks that Glasker was beating in the spring were guys projected to play reserve roles.

Fast forward to Saturday and we had a chance to see Legend Glasker go up against Evan Johnson in a one-on-one rep. BYU posted a clip of Glasker beating Johnson on a fade route for a touchdown. Despite being listed at only 175 pounds, Glasker used his frame to keep Johnson out of the passing lane, then he used his athleticism and ball skills to go up and make the play.

Being a stud runs in the family 🤷‍♂️

BYU freshman @LEGEND1GLASKER with a tough catch against one of the best CB in college football 👀 pic.twitter.com/fYtDtLjJS1

— Center Street Media (@CenterStMedia) August 8, 2026

Evan Johnson has the chance to be a top 10 cornerback in college football this season. Johnson is better than the majority of cornerbacks that Glasker will face in 2026. Glasker has earned the right to play, and we expect him to make a splash when he gets his chance.

Braxton Lindsey - DE

You can never have too many edge rushers, and BYU may have found a really good one in former four-star prospect Braxton Lindsey. Lindsey is part of a really talented group of young edge rushers. Despite being part of a crowded room, he has the frame and talent to contribute right away.

Lindsey gained five pounds between Spring Camp and Fall Camp. He is currently listed at 6'3 and 240 pounds. It's important to note that Lindsey plays one of the most complicated positions in BYU's defense. He will be asked to get after the passer, defend the run, and even drop into coverage at times. While he gets comfortable with BYU's entire playbook, we foresee a scenario where he is used situationally.

By the time the season ends, he could be on track to be a long-term starter, similar to the trajectory of Nusi Taumoepeau last season.

Billy Tucker's Top 10 Impact Freshmen in the Big 12

Texas Tech and West Virginia were the only other Big 12 schools with multiple players on the list.

1. Kelvin Obot (Utah OL)
2. LaDamion Guyton (Texas Tech DE)
3. Kevin Brown (WVU OL)
4. Bott Mulitalo (BYU OL)
5. Tyren Hornes (UCF WR)
6. Jaron Pula (BYU WR)
7. Keisean Henderson (Houston QB)
8. Matt Sieg (WVU S)
9. Felix Ojo (Texas Tech OL)
10. Hayden Vercher (ASU TE)

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