Cougs Daily

Newest BYU Commit Justice Brathwaite Shut Down His Recruitment Early to Focus on Football

Casey Lundquist

2026 BYU commit Justice Brathwaite with cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford
2026 BYU commit Justice Brathwaite with cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford / Justice Brathwaite
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Earlier this week, BYU picked up its first commitment of the 2026 class when legacy recruit Justice Brathwaite committed to the Cougars. 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 (more on that in a moment). 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. We caught up with Justice to discuss his decision to commit to BYU.

The 2026 early signing period is still a year away. Brathwaite opted to shut down his recruitment early so he can focus on football. On his decision to commit early, Brathwaite said, "Mainly so I donā€™t have to focus on recruiting and can just focus on playing and doing what I love."

His family connections to BYU played a big part in his decision to commit to BYU. "My dad's connection to the school was a crucial part in my commitment," Brathwaite said. "[My dad] played with [Jernaro Gilford]...I have always had a connection and the things my dad has told me about BYU have helped me in my journey...heā€™s been through everything I'm going through now."

Coach Gilford made a unique impression on Brathwaite during the recruiting process. Coach Gilford attended one of Brathwaite's games and took a different approach than other coaches following the game. "When [Coach Gilford] came out to watch me play, the first thing he said to me after the game was something I need to work on," Brathwaite said. "That moment was something small for him, but for me it was a huge eye-opener. Never have I had a college coach tell me I need to Improve - they always tell me I'm doing great to recruit me. That is when I knew I wanted to be Cougar."

Jernaro Gilford and Reynaldo Brathwaite were teammates from 2002-2003. They weren't just teammates, however, they were also roommates. To this day, Reynaldo holds the record for the longest touchdown run in BYU history, a 95-yard touchdown against San Diego State.

Justice is the first member of a 2026 recruiting class that could be a very good one for BYU. There is a lot of high-end talent in BYU's natural recruiting pool. On what his pitch would be to other recruits in the 2026 class, Brathwaite said, "If you're like me where football is life, BYU is the only place where nothing else matters. No partying or other distractions. Come continue the winning culture at BYU by focusing on only football and faith."

Brathwaite knows a thing or two about a winning culture - he is a two-time state champion at Higley High School.

Justice is excited to get to BYU's campus and become part of the BYU culture. "I'm most excited to get on campus and just become part of the BYU culture," Justice said. "From my visit, it was clear that what BYU had is unlike anywhere else. The fans, the coaches, the players, they all play a part and I canā€™t wait to be involved!"

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Casey Lundquist
CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.

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