Jaxon Rex Picks BYU Over UCLA After Official Visit

The Cougars have added another Rex to the pipeline

BYU Football Helmet | BYU Photo

The BYU football program has added another Rex to the pipeline. On Sunday, three-star athlete Jaxson Rex committed to BYU over fellow finalist UCLA. Rex also held competing offers from Arizona, Boise State, Nevada, UNLV, and Utah State among others, but it was the Bruins that got him on campus for an official visit earlier this month. His recruitment turned into a BYU-UCLA showdown and BYU won out.

100% Committed #GoCougs@BYUfootball @Coach_Popp @DemarioWarren @lew_walk7 pic.twitter.com/ucXe1eiVa9

— Jaxson (@jaxson_rex14) June 21, 2026

Jaxson is the cousin of BYU running back Preston Rex and former BYU tight end Isaac Rex. That makes him the nephew of former BYU standout tight end Byron Rex.

Rex stars on both sides of the ball at San Clemente High School. He could play either safety or wide receiver at BYU. In an earlier interview with BYU On SI, Rex said that he won't choose a position until after his mission.

"I’ve talked a lot with Coach A-Rod and Coach Poppinga about it. I feel like I can play either WR or DB at the P4 level," Rex said. "I just love football — offense, defense, all of it. I’m glad I don’t have to choose right now. I’m gonna enjoy playing both sides my senior year, and after my mission I’ll figure out the fastest way to get on the field and help the team."

Junior Season Film@Tritonfootball @jaydeljenkins @dennispitta @cjactis @LachapFootball @latsondheimer @GregBiggins @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney https://t.co/n7wTEo2SwP

— Jaxson (@jaxson_rex14) December 5, 2025

In the same interview, Jaxson said it was BYU defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga that had been in touch with him the most.

On the defensive side, Rex is an instinctive player that frequently finds himself in the right place at the right time. He jumps routes and creates turnovers. On offense, he has the ability to high-point the football and make contested catches.

Once Rex returns from his mission, BYU will only be allowed 105 players on the roster. Historically, college football programs have had more than 120 players on the roster. In an era with few roster spots, adding a player with Rex's versatility is valuable. Whether he starts his career at wide receiver or safety doesn't mean he will end his career at that position.

Just ask his cousin Preston, who played safety for a few years before moving to the other side of the ball to play running back.

Jaxson is the eighth player to commit to BYU in the 2027 class. He is joined by fellow BYU commits, Jeremiah Williams, Ezra Sanelivi, TyTan DeJong, Moa Havili, Ryan Wooten Jr., Demichael Burks, and James Thorley.

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