BYU football just can't stay out of talented players' list of top schools, as another four-star athlete has narrowed down his destination selections to just two programs: BYU and Cal.
Meet Elyjah Staples, a four-star beast out of Los Angeles, California (as opposed to Los Angeles, Delaware). Elyjah shared that he and his family "decided to narrow it down to the two schools I could really see myself at."
Los Angeles (Calif.) Marquez four-star ATH Elyjah Staples has cut his list of schools down to two
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) May 26, 2026
"After talking with family, we decided to narrow it down to the two schools that I could really see myself at."
Intel: https://t.co/DT06B13JMu pic.twitter.com/FY4fTTKbvl
Elyjah is the 26th-rated athlete in the 2027 class and the 33rd-best prospect in the Golden State, according to 247 Sports composite rankings. A standout at Marquez High School in Huntington Park, Staples is a 50/50 choice between the Cougars and Golden Bears after weighing offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Stanford, Minnesota, Kansas, and more. He's also the second four-star athlete with a very strong interest in BYU that I've covered in the past two days, the first being Davis High School's Bode Sparrow, who has narrowed down his choices to BYU, Utah, Oklahoma, and Oregon.
Unlike Sparrow, who has a slighter frame and plays wide receiver on offense, while sticking to the secondary on defense, Staples is a much larger athlete, more comfortable competing from the linebacker spot and even sliding down to the edge rusher position. On offense, he showed a perpencity for snagging 50/50 balls at tight end, and could be a difference-maker at either end.
A multi-sport athlete, Staples won League Player of the Year honors in both football and basketball as a sophomore, and excelled in track and volleyball otherwise.
Elyjah Staples stands 6'3" with a 205-pound frame. A capable producer from anywhere on the field, he's best projected as a linebacker at the college level. For a BYU defense that has proved capable of developing linebackers into NFL Draft picks (take a look at Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glasker, the latter of which could become an All-American this season if all goes well).
Staples could be the next in a line of exceptional BYU linebackers.
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