The BYU Cougars will kick off the 2026 season in 78 days against Utah Tech. As we count down the days until kickoff, today we will profile the player who wears No. 78 - redshirt freshman tackle Ethan Thomason.
Ethan Thomason's background
Ethan Thomason was a two-sport high school athlete in Colorado, excelling in both football and basketball. He was also a diligent high school student who earned All-academic honors in basketball and was a member of the National Honors Society.
He was one of the best players in the state of Colorado in the class of 2023. 247 Sports ranked him as the No. 4 prospect in the state and a Top 30 offensive tackle nationally. He was a high three star recruit with an 89 grade, which is just a whisker away from four star status.
Not surprisingly, he was flooded with Power Four offers coming out of high school. He received SEC offers from Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The Big Ten came calling with Indiana and Michigan State. A plethora of Big 12 schools offered him as well, but in the end Thomason chose BYU.
Thomason's past and present with BYU
The 6-foot-8, 310-pound mauler elected to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Missouri from 2023 through 2024 before beginning his college football career. He returned in 2025 and redshirted without appearing in any games last year. Those of us who cheer for BYU understand the concept of needing a year to "knock off the mission rust" and that's exactly what he did last season.
I was set apart tonight as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will be serving in the Missouri Independence Mission. See you all in 2 years! Thank you all for your love and support.💙 🤙 #GoCougs #thechurchistrue pic.twitter.com/ZWHQp5n5GX
— Ethan Thomason (@EthanThomason77) January 9, 2023
Now as a redshirt freshman who is fully integrated into the offense and his body is ready to go, it will be interesting to see if and how the coaching staff using him in 2026. Andrew Gentry is expected to return to his starting role at right tackle this year. Gentry had a solid season in 2025 and will be playing for All-Big 12 honors and a shot at the NFL draft. Unless Gentry has some sort of injury or unforeseen issue, he's going to monopolize the snaps at right tackle.
But Ethan Thomason could very well earn a spot on the two-deep roster behind Gentry while being groomed as a future starter. He's that good and has that much potential.
Ideally, Thomason will see the field this year on special teams, in some jumbo packages, and in blowout victories. He has all the tools and potential he needs to be a multi-year starter at BYU. Expect him to take the first steps down that long-term path in 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google