Cougs Daily

The 2026 Recruiting Class Has the Potential to Be One of the Best Ever at BYU

Casey Lundquist

Lavell Edwards Stadium
Lavell Edwards Stadium / BYU Photo
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On Monday afternoon, BYU picked up a commitment from four-star tight end Brock Harris. Harris picked the Cougars over a list of more than 35 competing offers. Harris was being heavily recruited by some of the biggest brands in the sport - he was recently on Michigan's campus for a visit - but he decided to stay in state and commit to BYU.

Harris is an important part of a 2026 BYU recruiting class that has the potential to be one of the best in program history. The Cougars have five commitments in the 2026 class:

  1. Four-star tight end Brock Harris
  2. Rising tight end Ty Goettsche who picked BYU over Penn State, Texas A&M, Florida, Auburn, and Texas Tech among many others
  3. Cornerback Justice Brathwaite who picked BYU over Cal, Arizona State, Iowa State, Kansas, and San Diego State among others
  4. Defensive end PJ Takitaki, the nephew of former BYU great Sione Takitaki
  5. Quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne

With those five commitments, BYU's recruiting class currently ranks 35th nationally.

BYU is also heavily pursuing a large pool of four-star recruits that are in BYU's natural recruiting pool. The top name to watch will be five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons. Lyons, a top 10 player in the country in the 2026 class per 247 Sports, will take an official visit to BYU. Lyons was recently on campus for a visit. On the visit, he hung out with now BYU commit Brock Harris.

The other two recruits in the picture are local standouts Jaron Pula and Kennan Pula. The Pula twins are currently committed to UCLA, but that hasn't kept BYU from pushing hard. The Cougars are hoping to flip the Pula twins and keep them in state. Jaron Pula is already a four-star recruit and his twin brother is on the cusp of four-star status. By the time signing day rolls around, both will likely be four-star recruits.

BYU is a finalist for a trio of the nation's top recruits in Malaki Lee, Bott Mulitalo and Talanoa Ili.

BYU is a finalist for Hawaii native and four-star offensive lineman Malaki Lee. Lee will take an official visit to BYU and will decide between finalists BYU, Michigan, USC, Alabama, Texas, and Georgia.

One of the nation's top linebackers, Talanoa Ili, will take an official visit to BYU. Ili could be a five-star recruit by the end of the recruiting cycle. He will also visit fellow finalists Oklahoma, USC, Oregon, Texas, Notre Dame, and UCLA.

Bott Mulitalo, who recently backed off his commitment to Oregon, will take an official visit to BYU. Mulitatalo's transition from defensive line to offensive line made him rethink his commitment to the Ducks and BYU is now a player in his recruitment.

There is a long list of recruits that BYU is pursuing that will either become four-star recruits by signing day, or will be very high three-star recruits.

Idaho native Jax Tanner's recruitment has reached national levels. He is nearing the 30 offer mark and BYU is making him a top priority. Tanner has been on campus in Provo for a visit.

Kaue Akana is on the fast track to four-star status. Akana, who preps at Orem, has seen his offer list continue to grow over the last few weeks. He holds competing offers from Auburn, UCLA, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Michigan State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Washington, USC, SMU, and UCF among others.

Lopeti Moala is another local product that has become a coveted recruit. Moala has been on BYU's campus multiple times for unofficial visits and he will return for an official visit over the Summer. Moala holds competing offers from USC, Utah, Stanford, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State, and Iowa State.

Taimane Purcell, another tight end, has locked in a BYU official visit in June. Purcell will take official visits to Oklahoma State, Stanford, SMU, and USC as well.

Oregon State running back commit LaMarcus Bell will take a BYU official visit in June despite being committed to the hometown Beavers.

Prince Williams preps at powerhouse Bishop Gorman. Williams was recently on BYU's campus for an unofficial visit, and he plans to be back during the Summer, presumably for an official visit. Williams holds competing offers from Florida, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Miami, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Iowa State, and Wisconsin among others.

Nehemiah Kolone holds a BYU offer and has been to BYU's campus for an unofficial visit. He holds competing offers from Baylor, Kansas, Michigan State, Arizona, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech.

The 2026 class has the potential to be one of the best ever at BYU and the addition of Brock Harris could be just the beginning of good things to come.

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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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