This weekend is a massive one for the present and the future success of BYU football.
Many of the Cougars' top targets are on campus in Provo this week for their official visits. Some of BYU's most prized recruits are using their trip to BYU as their last official visit among their final schools before making their decision, including prized players like Bode Sparrow and Uhila Wolfgramm.
And boy does BYU need to land some of these dudes.
Kalani Sitake's program needs to close the talent gap that exists between the Cougars and the rest of the Big 12 conference. Based on data from 247 Sports, BYU has the lowest talent composite in the entire Big 12. The Cougars average talent rating of 85.39 ranks 16th of 16 in the conference, joined at the bottom by fellow Power Four newcomers Cincinnati (85.86) and Houston (85.96).
Now, as BYU fans, we are capable of putting talent profiles in context. We trust Kalani and his staff to find the right players who will excel in BYU's unique culture, regardless of how many stars they have in their recruiting profile.
Recruiting scores don't by default translate into wins. Take, for example, Colorado. Deon Sanders' program has the No. 1 talent profile in the Big 12 with an average player rating of 88.50. Last year the Buffaloes went 3-9 with two of their wins coming at home against Delaware and Wyoming.
Colorado can keep the recruiting stars.
The Cougars will keep the Ws.
BYU has gone 23-4 over the last two seasons while knocking on the door of the College Football Playoffs both years despite having the "least" amount of talent on the roster, at least as judged by 247 Sports.
Recruiting trends are improving for BYU
While BYU sits at the bottom of the Big 12 in terms of total roster talent, the tides are shifting.
BYU's 2023 recruiting class ranked 14th of 14, dead last, in the Big 12 with an average recruit rating of 86.04. The class of 2024 didn't fare much better at 15th of 16 with an 85.87 average. The class of 2025 produced a similar result, ranking 15th of 16 in the Big 12 at 85.65.
Then last year a modern day miracle happened. BYU crushed it with the class of 2026. The average rating per recruit jumped to 88.63, good for No. 2 in the conference and No. 24 nationally. The Cougars landed eight four-star high school recruits in what is arguably the most talented recruiting class in program history.
Can BYU pull off a similar result this year?
After all, it's only logical to conclude that for as good as BYU has been over the past two seasons, the team could be even better if the roster was dominated by four-star talents instead of mid-three stars. Kalani Sitake is lapping much of the Big 12 with on-field performance while driving a Honda Accord. Imagine what he could do with a Porsche.
If all goes well this weekend, the Cougars could land some massive talent. BYU's top targets are also in the crosshairs of some of the nation's best programs. Bode Sparrow is down to BYU, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Utah. Uhila Wolfgramm took visits to UCLA, Oklahoma, Cal, and Utah. Kyle Nabrotsky's finalists include BYU, Michigan, UCLA, Tennessee, and other top programs. Blake Wong has taken official visits to Oregon, Ohio State, UCLA, and Utah.
The Cougars are recruiting against a host of bluebloods for some of the nation's top high school talent. Many of these players are in Provo this weekend. Let's hope Kalani Sitake and his staff can close the deal, improve the team's overall talent baseline, and keep the on-field wins coming!
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