How BYU's 2026 Recruiting Class Stacks Up Against Big 12 Peers

Nov 23, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake with tight end Mason Fakahua (22) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It's officially recruiting season. For the next 60 days, the full time and attention of the BYU coaching staff will be on the recruiting trail. Some time will be spent on the transfer portal and putting the finishing touches on the 2025 roster. Most of the time, however, will be spent on the 2026 recruiting class.

The Cougars are set to host dozen of recruits for official visits over the next two months, including a large group of four and even five-star recruits.

As the recruiting season reaches its peak, we're taking a look at BYU's 2026 class today and how it stacks up against BYU's Big 12 peers.

BYU is up to seven commits in the 2026 class, including commits from a pair of four-star recruits in the last 30 days (Bott Mulitalo and Brock Harris).

BYU Commits

1. Brock Harris (TE)
2. Bott Mulitalo (OL)
3. PJ Takitaki (DE)
4. Ty Goettsche (TE)
5. Justice Braithwaite (CB)
6. Kaneal Sweetwyne (QB)
7. Legend Glasker (WR)

Team Recruiting Rankings

As of this writing, BYU's team recruiting ranking is in the middle of the pack in the Big 12.

1. Kansas (8th nationally)
2. Arizona State (11th)
3. Iowa State (12th)
4. Oklahoma State (19th)
5. Texas Tech (25th)
6. Baylor (29th)
7. TCU (33rd)
8. UCF (34th)
9. BYU (35th)
10. Houston (42nd)
11. West Virginia (44th)
12. Arizona (53rd)
13. Cincinnati (59th)
14. Kansas State (68th)
15. Utah (79th)
16. Colorado (99th)

There are five Big 12 teams inside the top 25. There are another four teams, including BYU, just outside the top 25. Then there's a chunk of Big 12 schools that are ranked lower than 50th nationally.

It's so early in the process that team recruiting rankings are not the best measure of recruiting success. At this point, a big recruiting class can catapult a team towards the top of the recruiting rankings. Kansas is a perfect example. The Jayhawks rank 8th nationally with 14 commits. Their average star rating indiciates that they will not finish near the top 10 by the end of the recruiting cycle.

Some teams, BYU included, have not filled out even half of their 2026 classes. For that reason, average star rating is the best metric to use at this point of the recruiting calendar.

Average Star Rating

Here are the Big 12 teams ranked by the average star ratings of the players that are currently committed.

1. Houston - 89.28
2. BYU - 88.92
3. Baylor - 88.72
4. Arizona State - 87.99
5. Kansas - 8
6. Oklahoma State - 87.34
7. Texas Tech - 87.31
8. Iowa State - 86.71
9. UCF - 86.80
10. TCU - 86.76
11. Kansas State - 86.24
12. West Virginia - 86.04
13. Cincinnati - 85.88
14. Utah - 85.72
15. Arizona - 85.16
16. Colorado - NA

This view highlights how strong BYU's recruiting class is thus far. In terms of average star rating, BYU ranks second in the conference behind only Houston. An average rating of 88.92, if it holds through signing day, would be the best average rating for BYU since recruiting rankings were invented.

BYU doesn't have a high quantity of commits yet, but the commits they have are of high quality. If BYU can land a few more of the big names they are pursuing, the 2026 class could be one of the best ever in Provo.