How BYU’s 2027 football recruiting class is shaping up

Football recruiting at BYU has clearly been on an upward trend, as head coach Kalani Sitake has landed top-50 signing classes each of the past three years.

Last year’s recruiting class, signed in December 2025 and February 2026, ranked No. 21 nationally and was headed by four-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, four-star tight end Brock Harris and four-star offensive lineman Bott Mulitalo. Lyons and Harris are currently on church missions, while Mulitalo enrolled early and showed in March’s spring drills that he is fully capable of competing for the starting left tackle spot this fall.

The signing class included seven four-stars and 14 three-stars, and was widely viewed as the best in school history. In 2025, the class ranked No. 43 nationally, and in 2024, the class ranked 44th nationally.

Which brings us to the 2027 signing class, the one that Sitake and his revamped coaching staff is currently building. How is this class shaping up?

Short answer: It is too early to tell, because BYU currently has only five commits from the class of 2027, but the next 30 days are absolutely huge if the Big 12 program hopes to stay on its upward track.

BYU absolutely has a shot at (Bode) Sparrow, but I will say that … they do have their work cut out for them, because it has seemingly been Oklahoma and Oregon at the forefront for the last couple of months,

Recruiting expert Brandon Huffman of On3.com

Brandon Huffman, national recruiting analyst for On3.com since March 1, who previously had the same role for years at 247Sports.com, says it is way too soon for BYU fans to panic over the fact that BYU only has five commitments and is nowhere near the top 50 in the team rankings right now.

“I think it is strategic. There are a lot of schools that do their heavy lifting early on, and there are a lot of schools that do their heavy lifting in June,” Huffman said. “BYU is a little more strategic in that they are banking on the official visits being where they really start to see the number increase from five to 15 or 20.”

Huffman said schools with new head coaches and staffs generally get more aggressive early, while established staffs such as Kalani Sitake’s at BYU are more patient.

“You are seeing that out West with UCLA, with Cal, and with Utah, to an extent,” he said. “As the official visits begin ramping up here in the next three weeks, you are going to see (the rankings) look a lot different than they do now.”

June has replaced January as the most important month on the football recruiting calendar for high schoolers; January is now the time when programs load up on top players from the transfer portal, and BYU got its share by acquiring the likes of Oregon receiver Kyler Kasper and tight end Roger Saleapaga, USC tight end Walker Lyons, and Cal linebacker Cade Uluave.

So quality high school recruiting is not as indispensable as it once was, but it is valued nevertheless, and Sitake and company are certainly in the thick of it right now, Huffman said.

The danger in taking the approach that BYU is taking, he said, is that prospects are being told if they don’t commit on the spot during an official visit, their spot might go to someone else.

“The old days of having the last visit being the key to getting a kid (are gone),” he said. “Now, you’re just praying for dear life that you get that (late June) visit because so many guys are committing earlier than they are later, so it is definitely a double-edged sword.”

BYU in the hunt for two four-star WRs

BYU’s two major visit dates are June 11-12, and June 18-19.

But before that, BYU is expecting perhaps the key to its entire class, Blake Wong of Norco, California, to visit. Wong, a four-star receiver, is scheduled to visit on Monday, June 8.

He spent the end of last week at Utah, and will visit UCLA this weekend before heading to Provo. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder is scheduled to visit Oregon and Ohio State after his BYU visit.

Wong is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and recently attended a BYU Fanfest in Southern California and a church fireside in the same area. Huffman does not believe that Wong has plans to serve a church mission at the current time, but is not certain.

“BYU has been up there high on his list for quite some time,” Huffman said. “I think BYU has a very legitimate shot at him, especially now that Brian Hartline is not at Ohio State. That’s hard for any receiver to pass up.”

Wong is being compared to BYU product and current Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua, in some circles. He’s that talented.

“If he kind of insists on waiting longer to make his decision, that could favor BYU, because I think of all the schools out West, BYU does the best job of being patient and allowing guys to take as much time as they need to make a decision. Other schools are like, ‘Hey, it’s either commit now or we don’t have a spot.’ BYU hasn’t been like that.”

Does BYU have a chance to land Davis High’s Bode Sparrow?

The No. 1 prospect in Utah, according to most recruiting services, is Davis High receiver Bode Sparrow, a 6-2, 195-pound all-around athlete from Kaysville who has narrowed his choices to BYU, Utah, Oklahoma and Oregon. Most services list Sparrow as a receiver, but he is much more than that.

American Fork’s Christian Hanshaw reaches for Davis High’s Bode Sparrow as Sparrow runs with the ball after making an interception during a game at American Fork High School in American Fork on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Sparrow visited the presumed leader, Oklahoma, last week along with his parents and brothers. The Sooners are the clear favorite to land his services, according to Blair Angulo of 247Sports. Sparrow’s father, Ty, played free safety for Snow College and Weber State in the mid-2000s and served a church mission to Korea.

“BYU absolutely has a shot at Sparrow, but I will say that that is one that they do have their work cut out for them, because it has seemingly been Oklahoma and Oregon at the forefront for the last couple of months,” Huffman said. “Both Krew Jones, who has committed to Oklahoma, and Sam Ngata, who has committed to Oregon, have said at different times that they are getting (Sparrow) to join them (at their chosen school).”

BYU is still very much in the picture for Sparrow, according to a source close to the program, although there is some level of uneasiness because his Provo visit (June 19) is scheduled to come after officials to Oregon (Friday) and Utah (June 12).

Will the game-changer be patient enough to give BYU a chance?

“There is plenty of evidence that would suggest the Sooners are in the lead and BYU is playing catchup,” wrote Jeff Hansen of Cougar Sports Insider on the 247Sports network. “But there is confidence in Provo. When we last talked with Sparrow, he told (us) that he is as high on BYU as he has been at any point in the recruiting calendar.”

Huffman predicts that BYU and Utah will make big pushes, but in the end he sees Sparrow heading out of state.

BYU’s other top targets from 2027 class

• Another four-star prospect BYU certainly has a good chance to get is Uhila Wolfgramm, an edge rusher from Maple Mountain High in Utah County. After shining at a couple of camps in May, Wolfgramm was recently upgraded to a four-star, and has offers from UCLA, Oklahoma and, of course, BYU. Wolfgramm is schedule to visit the same day as Sparrow, June 18.

• BYU coaches usually offer only one quarterback per class, and this year that QB is Brody Rudnicki, who hails from the same school as Ryder Lyons — Folsom High near Sacramento, California. Rudnicki, 6-1, 205, has told reporters that he plans to serve a mission for a year before enrolling at his chosen school in 2028.

Cal is probably BYU’s biggest competitor for Rudnicki, which is notable because the Bears recently beat BYU for receiver Elyjah Staples. The 6-3, 205-pound Staples, from Huntington Park, had surprisingly narrowed his choices to BYU and Cal before deciding to stay in his home state.

New Cal coach Tosh Lupoi “is one of the best recruiters in college football, and had been for a long time,” Huffman said. “You go on that visit to Berkeley and you know that Tosh is going to do what he can to make sure you (don’t leave) without committing to that school.”

• Another top prospect to watch is offensive lineman Kyle Nabrotzky of Brentwood, Tennessee. The 6-6, 250-pound Nabrotzky has a bunch of Power Four offers, but reportedly has BYU in his top six with Michigan, Tennessee and others. He has told reporters that he grew up cheering for BYU.

• June 18-19 is shaping up to be huge for BYU, as Salem Hills High athlete Peyton Higginson is also scheduled to visit those days. Higginson, a three-star who has had an offer from BYU for more than a year, can play a variety of positions. Trouble is, his primary recruiter at BYU up until last January was Jay Hill, who is now at Michigan. Yes, the Wolverines have offered Higginson, along with Utah, Cal, Purdue and others.

More on BYU’s class of 2027 commits

BYU is currently ranked 60th in the 247Sports.com team recruiting rankings for 2027, and 59th in the composite rankings. The composite rankings are assembled by 247Sports and include their rankings along with rankings from On3, Rivals and ESPN.

Some teams, such as No. 1 Oklahoma, have as many as 23 commits; most of the teams just ahead of BYU in the team rankings have between six to 11 commits.

The gems of the class, to date, are defensive lineman Jeremiah Williams of Tustin, California, and defensive back Ryan Wooten of Jersey City, New Jersey. Neither are members of the faith that supports BYU, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but both mentioned BYU’s unique culture established by Sitake as big reasons for their commitments.

“I’m a big Jeremiah Williams fan,’” Huffman said. “I’ve been tracking him since he was an eighth-grader heading into high school. He’s been part of a very talented Tustin team that’s got (defensive linemen) going all over, to Oklahoma, to UCLA. … He’s been overshadowed by some guys on that defense, but he takes up a lot of real estate up front and has allowed other guys to put up the numbers that they have.”

5 BYU commits to keep an eye on

Tytan DeJong, athlete, 6-3, 215 pounds, Herriman, Utah (Mountain Ridge High)

DeJong got BYU’s recruiting of the 2027 class started in late March, becoming the first to pledge to Sitake and his staff. The lanky athlete played tight end and outside linebacker for Mountain Ridge last fall and is projected to be able to play on either side of the ball in college, but most likely will play defense for the Cougars.

DeJong had 77 catches for 1,057 yards and nine touchdowns as a tight end as a junior, and two interceptions and 30 tackles on defense. He also had offers from Michigan, Stanford, Utah, Cal and Purdue, according to 247Sports. A three-star prospect, DeJong is rated by 247Sports as the No. 96 athlete in the country and a top-20 player within the state of Utah.

Ezra Sanelivi, running back, 5-11, 210 pounds, Las Vegas, Nevada (Liberty High)

The same school that produced BYU safety Kai Nacua, Liberty High of Las Vegas, is reportedly sending another star to Sitake, although this time on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Sanelivi committed to BYU on April 9, when he was rated as the 73rd best running back in the country in the 2027 class in the 247Sports Composite.

Sanelivi was on BYU’s radar for more than a year before he committed, and also had offers from Iowa, Arizona, Wisconsin and Washington, among others. He rushed for 1,606 yards and 21 touchdowns in the first two seasons of his prep career. He put up 122 yards and a touchdown in Liberty’s game against Utah’s Skyridge High last fall.

Jeremiah Williams, defensive lineman, 6-1, 310 pounds, Tustin, California (Tustin High)

One of the gems of BYU’s 2027 recruiting class committed on April 23, as this four-star prospect picked the Cougars over the likes of UCLA, Colorado, Arizona State and North Carolina. Williams is rated as the No. 37 defensive lineman nationally by 247Sports and the 27th best player in the state of California.

As a junior, Williams posted 67 tackles, including 24 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He had 10 sacks as a sophomore, while also performing as a running back. In two seasons carrying the football, he has scored 10 touchdowns. He averaged 7 yards per carry as a junior.

“It was the culture and the coaching staff for me, truly,” Williams told 247Sports. “It was really an eye-opener being around them after also interacting with other coaching staffs. … For me, BYU was the best fit and I trust that they’re going to develop me into the best player I can be.”

Ryan Wooten, cornerback, 6-2, 175 pounds, Jersey City, New Jersey (St. Peter’s Prep)

The Cougars picked up their fourth commitment of the 2027 cycle from a player a long way away from their campus in Provo, and from a state from which they don’t usually get players. Wooten stunned a lot of recruiting observers on May 3 when he made a pledge to BYU coaches, announcing on social media that he was “1000% committed.”

The three-star prospect picked BYU over Florida, Florida State and Boston College. He ranks as the No. 61 cornerback nationally, and the No. 16 overall prospect out of New Jersey. As a junior, he had 46 tackles and an interception.

“BYU just feels different; the energy, the mountains, the whole vibe is elite,” Wooten told 247Sports after a visit to Provo with his parents. “Coach Kalani Sitake is one of the most inspiring head coaches I’ve been around.”

Ma’a’imoa Havili, defensive lineman, 6-3, 290 pounds, West Valley City, Utah (Granger High)

Havili’s case is evidence that those showcases and elite camps for some prospects really can pay off. Relatively unknown last month and with no scholarship offers, the Granger High player shined at a couple events in Utah in May and watched the offers pour in, according to Greg Biggins of On3.

Michigan, Alabama and several other Power Four programs sought his services, but Havili went with his favorite school growing up — BYU — and announced his commitment on May 20.

Havili recorded 102 tackles and 12 sacks as a junior for the Lancers last fall, according to the Deseret News’ high school sports statistical database.

“Ma’a Havili is super intriguing,” Huffman said. “He kind of saw his recruitment just explode in a matter of days. At the beginning of May, he had one offer. He went from that to double-digit offers. With some good senior film, his ranking could blow up.”

1227fbccougars.spt_SGW_01281.jpg — BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake, argues a call as the Cougars and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

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