Recently, we've been looking back on the ups and downs of BYU football's recruiting over the last several years. From the late 2010s into the early 2020s, it was mostly downs.
BYU's class of 2017 was "meh" overall but somehow produced five studs and three NFL players. The Cougars' class of 2018 was ho-hum as well but managed to produce three NFL draft picks.
The "forgotten" class of 2019 ranked just No. 75 nationally and then things truly bottomed out talent-wise for the Cougars with the underwhelming class of 2020 that ranked 80th in the country.
Jump ahead to 2023 and everything changed for the Cougars on the recruiting trail. Three years ago Kalani Sitake and his staff delivered a recruiting class that ranked No. 39 nationally after spending years with classes floating somewhere between the 50s and 70s.
The Big 12 recruiting bump
So what changed for BYU in 2023?
Well, everything!
Two years before BYU's class of 2023, the joyful, long-awaited news BYU fans had been hoping for for generations was finally announced that the Cougars would join the Power Four ranks. Their inclusion into the Big 12 was announced in 2021, meaning players BYU was actively recruiting throughout 2021 and 2022 could take everything they loved about Provo and now couple that with Power Four status.
The messaging worked.
The talent level in the class of 2023 was nothing like BYU had seen during its long slog through football independence. The average 247 Sports players rating of the Cougars class that year was 86.04, which is a sea change from most of the independence classes that hovered somewhere in the 82s and 83s.
In 2023 BYU signed seven players with a 247 Sports rating of 87 or higher. That was the same number of the three previous classes combined with three players rated 87+ in 2022 and 2021, and just one in 2020. In 2019 they signed two players rated 87 or more, and just one in 2018.
Fast forward to 2026 and the Cougars are still reaping the benefits of the class of 2023.
The studs from the class of 2023
Here's just a sampling of some of the studs from BYU's class of 2023, many of whom have been instrumental in the Cougars success over the last two years and will do the same in 2026.
LJ Martin, running back - 88 rating. LJ originally committed to Stanford but flipped his commitment to BYU before enrolling at Palo Alto. When fully healthy, he's one of the best running backs in the country. Last year he was named the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Year and with a strong 2026 campaign there's a chance he breaks BYU's career rushing record.
Hunter Clegg, defensive end, 92 rating. After prepping at American Fork, Clegg was a four-star recruit, the No. 4 player in the state of Utah, and a Top 250 national recruit. He originally committed to Stanford and then to Utah before serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon returning he flipped his commitment once again, this time to BYU. He held offers from the bluest of the blue bloods like Michigan, Oregon, UCLA, USC, LSU, and Auburn. As a freshman last year he showed promise with 10 tackles and a sack and he could be poised for a breakout season in 2026. Clegg was the type of local, LDR prospect the Cougars missed out on time and again before making the jump to the Power four.
Jojo Phillips, wide receiver, 87 rating. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, the 6-foot-5 speedster flashed his massive potential with 10 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 21.1 yards per reception. Even in a deep wide receiver room last year he was expected to do great things, but his season was derailed by injury and he put up a 14-161-0 season. Coming into 2026 he is slated to be a starter and a major producer for BYU's offense this year.
Ethan Thomason, tackle, 89 rating. A borderline four-star prospect from Colorado, Thomason served a church mission before joining the program. He chose the Cougars over offers from the likes of Tennessee, Michigan State, Nebraska, Indiana, Virginia, and a slew of Big 12 schools, among others. Before the "Big 12 bump", BYU rarely landed players with this kind of offer sheet. Now a redshirt freshman, the future is bright for the 6-foot-8 mauler.
Other contributors like Siale Esera and Miles Hall were members of the class of 2023, while a host of players who served missions are still in the early stages of their football careers and could develop into big-time contributors in coming years.
LJ Martin, Hunter Clegg, and Jojo Phillips could be three of BYU's most important players in 2026.
They all came to Provo in the class of 2023, the year everything changed for BYU football's recruiting.
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