Coveted Running Back Prospect Ezra Sanelivi Commits to BYU

Savelivi is the second player to commit to BYU in the 2027 recruiting class

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake | BYU Photo

BYU has added a coveted running back prospect to its 2027 recruiting class. On Wednesday, Nevada native and three-star running back Ezra Sanelivi committed to Kalani Sitake and running backs coach Harvey Unga.

Nevada native and RB prospect Ezra Sanelivi has committed to BYU. His film is tons of fun.

Good pickup for Harvey Unga! pic.twitter.com/FTXBSmSLLL

— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) April 8, 2026

Sanelivi preps at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada. He picked the Cougars over competing offers from Washington, Wisconsin, Arizona, Iowa, Arkansas, Cal, and Michigan State among others. He is a top 10 prospect in Nevada per 247Sports.

Sanelivi is well built at 5'11 and 205 pounds. As a sophomore in 2024, he racked up 861 yards on 5.1 yards per carry. He also had 12 touchdowns on the ground. As a junior, he appeared in fewer games and had fewer carries, but he finished with 745 on 5.9 yads per carry.

Sanelivi won't be a home run hitter at the next level. Instead, he will fit the mold of physical running backs that have had success at BYU under Harvey Unga. What makes Sanelivi unique, in the opinion of this author, is his ability to see the field, stick his foot in the ground and get up field. He doesn't have elite top-end speed, but he does possess high-end quickness at the line of scrimmage.

sophomore & junior year highlights!https://t.co/ERsytAgjhMhttps://t.co/I120LaMu2Z

— ezra sanelivi (@theezrasanelivi) December 29, 2025

Ezra is an important commitment in BYU's 2027 class. BYU's depth behind LJ Martin and Sione Moa is a quesiton mark going into the 2026 season. By the time Sanelivi enrolls in 2027, Martin will be on to the NFL. Getting someone like Sanelivi could bolster the depth in 2027 while also bringing in a potential starter down the road.

Sanelivi is the second player to commit to BYU in the 2027 class and the first out-of-state commitment in the 2027 recruiting class. He joins Tytan Dejong as one of BYU's two commits in the 2027 class so far.

The Cougars are just about to start building what will be the foundation of the 2027 recruiting class. BYU will host most of its top targets on campus in June for official visits.

Recruits with BYU Official Visits on the Schedule

Nine BYU targets have announced their plans to take official visits in June.

1. Jaxson Rex
2. Jag Ioane
3. Tytan DeJong
4. Lakepa Satuala
5. Kyle Nabrotzky
6. Moa Brown
7. Brody Rudnicki
8. Jeremiah Williams
9. Ryan Wooten

Ioane, DeJong, Brown and Satuala are some of the top prospects in the state of Utah in the 2027 class. The Cougars are coming off their best recruiting class since recruiting rankings became popular in the early 2000's. In-state recruiting was a large reason for BYU's historic class. BYU signed 5 of the top 10 players in the state and 8 of the top 16.