BYU basketball missed out on Jake Wahlin, a Provo native from Timpview High School, in his original round of recruiting. Losing a high-level recruit out of your own backyard isn't a great look, especially as that player became a power conference-level starter with Utah and then Clemson.
In Wahlin's final season of eligibility, however, the two sides came to terms and the Thunderbird alumni will spend his senior year with Kevin Young and BYU basketball.
I can remember Wahlin's monster dunk against BYU at the Marriott Center a season ago, where he caught the ball as he barrelled downhill, rose into the atmosphere and nearly tore the rim off the basket, slapping the backboard as he swung in triumph.
That was a tech. It was an obvious tech -- hilarious, even. But still, the athleticism was apparent and I sat in silence longing that BYU could have more players with bounce like that. I long no longer, because Wahlin is now a Coug. BYU will have at least one more player with bounce exactly like Jake Wahlin. We'll check back in on that detail later this year to see if this is an ominous "be careful what you wish for" moment.
I will never forget this iconic Jake Wahlin dunk at BYU a year ago. https://t.co/QXjW3xeLuZ
— Lawless Republic (@LawlessRepublic) April 16, 2026
I think Wahlin will be a fan-favorite with BYU, though, and he might just be the team's starting power forward if experience is a factor.
In his last two seasons, Wahlin started in 52 of his 68 appearances -- 23 as a sophomore with Utah, 29 as a junior at Clemson -- and played in around 22 minutes per night on average between those years. Averaging 5.3 points, just shy of 4 rebounds, and shooting 34% from three, Wahlin is a 6'10", two-way forward who delivers effort in the absence of Richie Saunders.
Wahlin was the third-rated Utahn player in his recruiting class, and a three-star transfer.
Perhaps most importantly, Wahlin's commitment is evidence that though BYU basketball hunts the best players in the nation, it's still the premier landing spot for top LDS talent in the nation -- perhaps more than ever.
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