BYU Football is Up to 21 Commits Coming Out of Pivotal Recruiting Month

Over the last month, BYU has picked up nine commitments from some of their top targets in the 2026 class. While there are still a couple uncommitted recruits that BYU is pursuing, most of the top targets are off the board. The foundation of the 2026 class is set and BYU is up to 21 commits. Here are the 21 players committed to BYU.

1. Ryder Lyons - QB

Five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons picked BYU over fellow finalists Oregon and USC. He also strongly considered Ole Miss, Ohio State, and Michigan.

Lyons was coveted by pretty much every school in the country. While he narrowed his focus down to BYU, Oregon, and USC, there were schools like Ole Miss, Ohio State, and Michigan that were pushing to enter the Lyons sweepstakes. Lyons also picked up competing offers from the likes of Alabama, ASU, Auburn, Cal, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, TCU, Utah, Washington, and Texas A&M in his recruitment.

So what makes Ryder Lyons such a coveted quarterback prospect? The term "dual-threat" is over-used a little bit in recruiting circles, but it is the only way to describe Lyons' skillset. Over the last two years, he has thrown for over 6,500 yards and run for more than 1,500 yards. He can punish defenses with either his arm or his legs. He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in California following the 2024 season.

2. Brock Harris - TE

He has a big catching radius at 6'6 and he is excellent in contested situations. He has the potential to be a game-changing tight end at BYU.

3. Bott Mulitalo - OL

A standout from nearby Lone Peak High School, Mulitalo backed off his commitment to Oregon back in March. Mulitalo committed to the Ducks back in December as a defensive line prospect. He decided to change positions to offensive tackle and when he did, he opened up his recruitment. A few weeks later, he committed to BYU.

Mulitalo picked BYU over competing offers from all over the country, including Oregon, Arizona State, Auburn, Utah, Arizona, USC, Washington, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Michigan State, and Nebraska among others.

He is a top 100 player in the 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports and he is already a mid four-star recruit. He is the second top 100 player to commit to BYU in the 2026 class joining four-star Brock Harris.

Here's the twist in Mulitalo's recruitment: he is changing positions going into his senior season. Mulitalo has played defensive line and that's where he has been recruited to play at the next level. He announced on "X" his plans to switch to offensive tackle a few weeks ago. BYU was happy to welcome him in as an offensive tackle.

4. Jax Tanner - OL

Four-star offensive lineman Jax Tanner committed to BYU over finalists Oregon, Tennessee, Michigan, and Boise State. Tanner also picked up competing offers from Auburn, Cal, Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford, USC, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin among others.

As a junior, Tanner was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Idaho. He did not allow a sack all season and he had 115 pancake blocks according to Gatorade. He played right tackle last season and he projects as an interior offensive lineman at the next level.

5. Terrance Saryon - WR

Sarryon committed to the Cougars over competing offers from Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Cal, Washington State, Colorado State, and Nevada.

Saryon is a native of Vancouver, Washington and a top-five recruit in Washington in the 2026 recruiting class. He is listed at 5'10 and 160 pounds. He is smaller than most wide receivers that BYU has recruited under Fesi Sitake, but he is explosive with the ball in his hands. He is also a skilled route runner - something that could get him on the field early at BYU. If he can add 15-20 pounds, he has the potential to be an early contributor in Provo.

As a junior, Saryon tallied 51 receptions for 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns. In one game against Shelton High School, Saryon had 9 receptions for 282 yards and 5 touchdowns.

6. Kaue Akana - ATH

High three-star Kaue Akana took official visits to Utah and UCLA, but it was BYU that won out after Akana took an official visit to Provo. Akana's recruitment was still growing during the Spring. He picked up competing offers from the likes of Oklahoma, Alabama, USC, Michigan State, UCF and Arkansas over the last few months. He also had competing offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, Cal, Kansas, Oregon, Texas A&M, SMU, and Washington.

Akana is arguably the most versatile player in the state. He stars on both offense and defense for Orem High School. Last year, he tallied over 1,200 receiving yards as a wide receiver, averaging 16.1 yards per reception. On defense, he had 58 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and 1 sack.

7. Braxton Lindsey - LB

Four-star linebacker Braxton Lindsey committed to BYU after taking an official visit back in June. Lindsey's commitment represented a comeback by the BYU staff in Lindsey's recruitment. Lindsey released a final four back in May that included Arkansas, Miami, Missouri, and Oklahoma. BYU's staff was able to get him on campus for an official visit, and the visit went well enough to close the gap and land a commitment.

Lindsey is a four-star recruit per ESPN. He picked BYU not over the aforementioned finalists in his recruitment, but also competing offers from Baylor, Kansas State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin among others.

8. Jaxson Gates - CB

BYU successfully flipped Syracuse commit Jaxson Gates. Gates, a cornerback with elite speed, came to BYU in June for an official visit. Gates had been committed to Syracuse since the Orange were his first scholarship offer back in November of 2024. The BYU official visit was enough to get Gates to flip his commitment to BYU.

Gates, a California native, had seen his recruitment heat up over the last few months. Syracuse was his first offer. His offer sheet grew to include competing offers from Michigan State, Utah, Oregon State, San Jose State, Colorado State, Boise State, and UNLV among others. He picked up SEC offers from Missouri and Mississippi State after his BYU official visit, but it wasn't enough to keep him from BYU.

9. PJ Takitaki - DE

Lehi standout Penisimani (PJ) Takitaki committed to Kalani Sitake and the BYU football program early in the process. PJ is a defensive end in the class of 2026 and the nephew of former BYU standout Sione Takitaki.

PJ decided to lock down his recruitment early and commit to the Cougars over a competing offer from Cal. Even though he has verbally pledged to the Cougars, it wouldn't be surprising to see him pickup more offers during the Spring evaluation period. He already picked up another offer from San Diego State since committing to BYU. Takitaki is currently rated a high three-star recruit by 247Sports.

PJ Takitaki was a standout for Lehi High School this past season. In one playoff game earlier this year, Takitaki tallied six (not a typo) sacks in one game, including three sacks on three consecutive plays. The Lehi wide receivers coach, a former Utah player, described it as "possibly the most dominating defensive performance that [he had] ever seen." Listed at 6'3 and 210 pounds, Takitaki projects as an edge rusher at the next level.

10. Ty Goettsche - TE

Last week, Colorado native Ty Goettsche locked down his recruitment and committed to BYU. BYU was one of the first schools to get in touch with Goettsche a few months ago.

After getting in touch with BYU, Goettsche's recruitment took off. He picked up his first offer from Utah State on February 11th. In less than a month, he picked up competing offers from Penn State, Texas Tech, Arizona, Utah, Cal, Michigan, TCU, Florida, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arkansas, BYU, and a number of G6 schools.

Goettsche had scheduled official visits to Florida, Auburn, BYU and Texas Tech. Instead of waiting to take his official visits, Goettsche felt like BYU was the school for him.

Listed at 6'7 and 225 pounds, it's easy to see why Goettsche went from no offers to a national recruit over the span of a month. He is long, athletic, and he has a big catching radius. He is also a willing blocker that will be able to hold his own at the line of scrimmage.

11. Lopeti Moala - DL

Lopeti Moala picked BYU over fellow finalists Utah, UCLA, and Stanford. He picked up other competing offers from Arizona State, Arizona, Iowa State, and USC among others.

Moala has great size for a high school prospect at 6'4 and 250 pounds. His athletic ceiling is really high, he uses his hands really well at the point of attack, and he is just scratching the surface of his potential. We project him to end up along the interior defensive line for BYU.

12. Nehemiah Kolone - DL

Oklahoma native Nehemiah Kolone committed to BYU after taking an official visit to Provo back in June. Kolone took official visits to Michigan State and Oklahoma State earlier this Summer, but it was the BYU visit that got him to pull the trigger and commit.

Over the course of his recruitment, Kolone picked up competing offers from Arizona, Baylor, UCF, Kansas State, Kansas and Tulsa among others. BYU's staff invested months developing the relationship with Kolone and his family. BYU hosted him back in January for junior day and Jay Hill traveled to Oklahoma to visit him at his high school. The relationships with BYU's staff pushed BYU across and finish line.

13. Justice Brathwaite - CB

Justice Brathwaite was the first commit of the 2026 class. Justice is the son of former BYU running back Reynaldo Brathwaite who played for BYU from 2002-2003. Justice is a three-star cornerback from Arizona that picked the Cougars over competing offers from Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas, San Diego State, UNLV, and UTEP.

Listed at 6'0 and 160 pounds, Brathwaite inherited the speed made his dad a record holder at BYU. He has tallied three pick-sixes over the last two years. As a junior, he finished the season with 39 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and 4 interceptions. He has both the physical and technical abilities to be an early impact player at BYU once he enrolls.

14. Kaneal Sweetwyne - QB

Back in February, BYU picked up a commitment from quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne. Sweetwyne picked the Cougars over competing offers from Washington State and Utah State.

Sweetwyne is as physically gifted as any quarterback to come out of the state of Utah over the last several years. He is 6'4 and 205 pounds and he can run. He also has a strong arm that can make a lot of throws. He has the physical tools to be a starter at the P4 level. However, he still has a lot of room to develop before he can get there.

Sweetwyne threw for 2,675 yards while completing 62% of his passes as a junior. He threw for 19 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Cleaning up the interceptions is one area he will need to improve as a senior before he gets to BYU in 2026. To his credit, he got much better in that department as the season progressed. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Sweetwyne was playing his best football.

Sweetwyne is dangerous with his legs. He ran for 930 yards for Skyridge last season. His dual-threat capabilities fit the mold of quarterbacks that have found success under Aaron Roderick.

15. Legend Glasker - WR

Glasker picked the Cougars over competing offers from Cal, Washington State, Colorado State, Hawaii, Utah State, San Jose State, and UNLV. Glasker had locked in three official visits to BYU, Washington State, and Cal. Instead of waiting for those official visits to make his college decision, Glasker locked down his recruitment and committed to BYU.

Legend Glasker. Glasker, who is the cousin of star BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker, preps just a few miles up the road from BYU at Lehi High School.

As a junior at Lehi, Glasker was one of the top wide receivers in the state of Utah. He played only seven games and he finished with 781 receiving yards. His 111.6 receiving yards per game ranked fourth in the state.

16. Sefanaia Alatini - DB

On Tuesday morning, three-star athlete Sefanaia Alatini committed to BYU. Over the course of his recruitment, Alatini picked up competing offers from Arizona, Cal, Minnesota, Utah, Washington, Cal, San Diego State, and Oregon State among others.

Alatini is listed as an athlete by recruiting services, but he has primarily played safety for St. Francis High School in California. Alatini was high school teammates with 2025 BYU signee Kingston Keanaaina.

17. Matthew Mason - S

On Tuesday, three-star safety Matthew Mason committed to BYU after taking an official visit over the weekend. Mason, a Las Vegas native, picked BYU over finalists Boise State, San Diego State, and UNLV.

Mason also held competing offers from the likes of Arizona State, Northwestern, Utah State, and Oregon State among others. BYU jumped to the top of Mason's list when they entered his recruitment.

18. Parker Ord - TE

Texas native and coveted tight end Parker Ord committed to BYU after taking an official visit. Ord picked BYU over competing offers from Utah, WVU, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Pitt, and Georgia Tech among others.

Ord took an official visit to Utah last weekend. After taking an official visit to BYU, he decided to lock down his recruitment and commit to Kalani Sitake.

Ord is the third tight end of BYU's 2026 recruiting class, joining coveted recruits Brock Harris and Ty Goettsche.

19. Adam Bywater - LB

On Monday, Olympus High School standout Adam Bywater announced his commitment to BYU over finalists Utah and Boise State. Adam, who is the younger brother of former BYU star linebacker Ben Bywater, also held competing offers from Utah State, Arizona State, and San Diego State.

As a 6'3 junior at Olympus High School, Adam lined up at both safety and linebacker. He tallied 80 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 4 pass breakups in 2024. The BYU coaching staff has told Bywater that they like his size, length, and frame. They also like his motor and instincts. He is projected to play linebacker at the next level

20. Antonio Johnson - DB

Johnson committed to BYU on his official visit.

Johnson picked up an offer from BYU back in May. He quickly developed a relationship with BYU’s staff and committed to the Cougars over competing offers from UTEP, Texas State, Sacramento State, and Austin Peay.

Johnson fits the mold of the defensive backs that BYU has recruited since hiring Jernaro Gilford: he is long and fast. He has elite size for a defensive back and he also runs track for his high school. He has the ability to high-point the football and make contested catches thanks to his background playing wide receiver. Both Hill and Gilford have developed a reputation for identifying under-recruited defensive backs and turning them into stars. They hope Johnson can be the next player to fit that mold. He will need to add some muscle and develop his technique in coverage, but if he can, he has the tools to be a great player for BYU.

21. Graham Livingston - WR

Ridgeline star Graham Livingston committed to BYU after taking an official visit. Livingston is the younger brother of former BYU safety and current BYU grad assistant Hayden Livingston.

Livingston was the most productive wide receiver in the state of Utah last season. He finished first in Utah in receiving yards with 1,624 yards and 15 touchdowns. He averaged 125 receiving yards per game. He also had five interceptions on the defensive side and he returned four of those interceptions for touchdowns.

Livingston is one of the fastest players in the state. In the offseason, he stars in track where he recently ran a 10.62 in the 100 meter dash.