Two-Way Athlete James Clifford Commits to BYU as PWO

With new roster restrictions in college football, preferred walk-on spots have been trimmed down to a handful of players per class. Gone are the days where BYU will add 15-20 preferred walk-ons. Instead, the Cougars will be selective with the preferred walk-on opportunities that they offer.

Earlier this week, California native James Clifford committed to BYU as a PWO. Clifford, listed at 6'7, starred as both a tight end and a defensive end for Poway High School in California. Clifford picked BYU over competing PWO offers from Oregon and USC.

Committed! 🔵⚪️ I’m excited to announce that I’ve accepted a PWO at BYU. I want to thank @kalanifsitake and @BYU_CoachJustin for the opportunity@BYUfootball @BYUFBRecruiting @CriddleBenjamin @PowayTitans @BrandonFHarris1 @CoachBrettPoway pic.twitter.com/TmFD2hfvrK
— James Clifford 6’7” DE/TE (@JamesPClifford) March 3, 2026

Clifford is the younger brother of BYU offensive lineman David Clifford. David was on BYU's roster in 2024 before leaving to serve a mission in February of 2025. David will return from his mission next year and rejoin the program. He joined the program as a PWO over competing scholarship offers from Arizona, San Jose State, Nevada, and Colorado State among others.

James Clifford could end up on either side of the ball at BYU. As a tight end, he has a large catching radius and he is difficult to bring down after the catch. He finished the 2025 season with 823 receiving yards on 38 receptions and 12 touchdowns. He was named the best tight end in San Diego after his senior season.

Grateful for an incredible season. Led all San Diego Tight Ends in
✅ Receiving yards
✅ Scoring
✅ Yards per catch

Full TE highlights here 🎥👇https://t.co/fPVMcHt2CV @KUSIPPR @PPRPapaPig @burt_grossman @PrepRedzoneCA @CalHiSports @BrandonFHarris1 @CoachKGilbride pic.twitter.com/9hdwxbNwSF
— James Clifford 6’7” DE/TE (@JamesPClifford) November 19, 2025

As a defensive end, he is quick off the line of scrimmage and he was disruptive against both the pass and the rush. He consistently met ball carriers in the background as soon as they received the handoff. He led Poway High School in tackles, sacks, TFLs, and forced fumbles. He was named to the First Team All-CIF as a defensive end.

Defense and Special Teams highlights. Led the team in
✅ Tackles
✅ TFLs
✅ Sacks
✅ Forced Fumbles
✅ Blocked FGs

Full DE highlights here 🎥👇https://t.co/uAg1IWqESe @KUSIPPR @PPRPapaPig @burt_grossman @CalHiSports @BrandonFHarris1 @CoachBrettPoway @sdfootball pic.twitter.com/itg344ZRYq
— James Clifford 6’7” DE/TE (@JamesPClifford) November 19, 2025

He was a first-team all-league selection on both offense and defense in 2025.

James also plays basketball for Poway High School. He recently won the 2026 CIF basketball championship.

Given the limited PWO spots, BYU is intentional in filling out every spot on its roster. The BYU staff views Clifford highly enough to offer him one of the limited spots on the roster.