As Kalani Sitake and the BYU Cougars continue to add high school talent to the class of 2027, we as fans tend to look forward and project how good each player will turn out to be. In reality, we have no earthly idea. Sometimes it's the overlooked two-star prospect that blossoms while the four-star stud quietly fades away.
With the benefit of hindsight, let's take a look back at the last 10 recruiting classes and see which player emerges as the best signing in each class. In order to qualify they need to appear in 247 Sports' "enrollees" or "signed letter of intent" sections, meaning they can't be considered transfers.
And my definition of the "best" player in the class is the one who had the biggest impact over the course of their entire career at BYU.
2025 - Nusi Taumoepeau, defensive end (4-star, 91 rating, No. 1 in BYU's class)
Despite being limited by early injuries last year, Nusi Taumoepeau flourished last year as a freshman for a 12-2 Cougars team. He appeared in nine games last year but was eased into action as he worked his way back from injury, ultimately seeing his role increase as the season went along. In all he had 12 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble in his promising first season in Provo.
In this case the No. 1 prospect in BYU's entire signing class also rose to the top in on-field production.
(Note: Quarterback Bear Bachmeier was considered a Stanford transfer last year instead of a high school commit, otherwise he would have easily won this award.)
2024 - Faletau Satuala, safety (4-star, 94 rating, No. 1 in BYU's class)
Satuala was the gem of BYU's class of 2024, and if anything he has surpassed expectations on the field. The former Top 150 national prospect had 84 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore last year and was named All-Big 12 Third Team.
For the second straight year, the No. 1 high school prospect in BYU's class is also the No. 1 player on the field.
2023 - LJ Martin, running back (3-star, 88 rating, No. 4 in BYU's class)
As a junior last season, LJ Martin was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. With a healthy, productive season this year, he could break BYU's all-time career rushing record.
2022 - Parker Kingston, wide receiver (3-star, 81 rating, No. 19 in BYU's class)
With an 81 rating coming out of Roy High School, Parker Kingston was hovering on two-star status when he joined the Cougars. He developed into a near 1,000-yard receiver last year and one of the most dangerous return men in the country. Kingston was awarded All-Big 12 Second Team at receiver last year before his off-field issues led to his dismissal from the team.
2021 - Isaiah Glasker, linebacker (3-star, 82 rating, No. 13 in BYU's class)
While 12 players in BYU's class of 2021 were rated higher than Isaiah Glasker coming out of high school, he has emerged as the alpha of this class. Over the last two seasons he has racked up 137 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and five interceptions. Despite nagging injuries he was All-Big 12 Third Team last year and with a strong senior season in 2026 could be an early-round pick in next year's NFL Draft.
2020 - John Nelson, defensive tackle (3-star, 80 rating, No. 25 in BYU's class)
Bless you, John Nelson. In the pre-Jay Hill days, defensive tackle was a hard, hard position to play at BYU. The Cougars former defensive staff would regularly send three overmatched defensive linemen and drop eight into coverage, meaning Nelson was often taking on two or more offensive linemen on any given play. He was an impact player in each of his four seasons at BYU, appearing in 46 games with 69 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.
2019 - Blake Freeland, offensive tackle (3-star, 83 rating, No. 6 in BYU's class)
A four-year starter in Provo, Freeland was simply dominant on the offensive line. He was named Third Team All-American in 2022 and was a fourth round pick in the NFL Draft. Not bad for a low three-star prospect coming out of high school.
2018 - Zach Wilson, quarterback (3-star, 86 rating, No. 2 in BYU's class)
No position is more impactful than quarterback, and few BYU quarterbacks have been as good as Zach Wilson. Over the course of three seasons he started 28 of 30 games in which he played, throwing for 7,625 yards, 56 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions while completing nearly 68% of his passes. In 2020 he finished No. 8 in the Heisman voting and was the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
2017 - Tyler Batty, defensive end (3-star, 80 rating, No. 9 in BYU's class)
Man, what a class! In 2017 BYU landed punter Ryan Rehkow, tight end Isaac Rex, linebacker Ben Bywater, and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga. There is a case to be made for each of them, especially Tonga, but I'm going with Tyler Batty because of his impact in helping BYU break through in the Big 12 in 2024. Over five seasons and 53 games in a Cougars uniform, Batty racked up 224 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss, and 16.5 sacks. He was named All-Big 12 First Team in 2024 and Second Team in 2023.
2016 - Jaren Hall, quarterback (3-star, 84 rating, No. 11 in BYU's class)
Jaren Hall had a great career under center for BYU. He appeared in 31 games with 24 starts in Provo, throwing for 6,174 yards, 52 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while completing over 65% of his passes. Throw in another 800 rushing yards and nine more touchdowns, and Hall was a star. In 2022 he was named All-Independent Offensive Player of the Year by College Football Network and was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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