**BREAKING: Top Player In America Flips Commit To BYU Football Team**
In what has become a defining trend of BYU’s historic 2026 recruiting cycle, the Cougars have secured multiple high-profile flips—though perhaps not the single “top player in America” the headline suggests. Instead, BYU’s recruiting success has been built on a foundation of flipping talented regional prospects from Power Four programs, culminating in what many are calling the best recruiting class in school history.
**The Flipping Trend That Built a Historic Class**
BYU’s 2026 recruiting class currently ranks No. 20 nationally and second in the Big 12 behind only Texas Tech—a stunning achievement for a program that entered the conference just three seasons ago. The class features 21 signees, all of whom committed during the early signing period in December with no last-minute drama. But the path to building this class involved several key flips that demonstrated BYU’s growing recruiting power.
**Terrance Saryon: Flipping Washington’s Home-State Star**
One of BYU’s most significant flips came in May 2025 when three-star wide receiver Terrance Saryon decommitted from Washington and pledged to the Cougars. Saryon, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound speedster from Vancouver, Washington, had been committed to the Huskies since November 2024—his home-state school.
So why did Saryon choose BYU over Washington? He cited three main factors:
1. **Scheme fit**: “I felt like I fit in BYU’s scheme a little bit better,” Saryon told On3, referring to offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick’s system.
2. **Early playing time**: “I feel like I can come into coach Fesi’s (Sitake) receiver room and impact it early,” he said.
3. **Authentic connection**: During his unofficial visit, Saryon said “everything felt natural” and “it really felt like I was at home”.
Wide receivers coach Fesi Sitake had only been recruiting Saryon for about two months before the flip, but those two months were “the hardest I’ve ever been recruited,” Saryon noted.
**Bott Mulitalo: Flipping the In-State Prize from Oregon**
Perhaps the most significant flip in terms of in-state impact came when four-star offensive tackle Bott Mulitalo flipped his commitment from Oregon to BYU in March 2025. Mulitalo, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman from Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah, is ranked as the No. 12 offensive line recruit in the nation.
Mulitalo had initially committed to Oregon, but when he switched from defensive line to offensive tackle full-time, the Ducks’ interest cooled. BYU, however, doubled down.
“When I switched to offensive lineman, I feel like [Oregon] wasn’t as interested in me as much as BYU was,” Mulitalo explained.
The flip was fueled in part by four-star tight end Brock Harris (No. 69 nationally), who helped recruit Mulitalo to BYU. “I feel like Brock really brought us together,” Mulitalo said. “He really hit me up a lot about BYU at the time I was committed to Oregon”.
Mulitalo’s commitment carried special significance. Growing up a Utah fan alongside his seven brothers, he ultimately chose to “play in [his] backyard” and help change BYU’s culture from within.
**Jaxson Gates: The Flip That Went the Other Way**
Not every flip worked in BYU’s favor. In October 2025, three-star cornerback Jaxson Gates flipped his commitment *from* BYU to Missouri after being committed to the Cougars for nearly two weeks. Gates had originally flipped to BYU from Syracuse in July 2025, citing the program’s trajectory and cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford’s development approach. But when Missouri came calling with an aggressive recruiting push, Gates became the sixth flip of the Tigers’ class.
**The Bigger Picture: A Program on the Rise**
Despite losing key recruiters like Jay Hill and Jernaro Gilford, BYU reloaded its coaching staff and secured the highest-rated class in program history. The Cougars won the in-state recruiting war, flipping the Pula twins from Utah and adding Lehi running back DeVaughn Eka.
Head coach Kalani Sitake signed a new contract extension in December 2025 that commits more resources to NIL moving forward, positioning BYU to sustain this recruiting momentum.
For Sitake and his staff, the ability to flip committed players from Power Four programs like Washington, Oregon, and (in the case of Gates initially) Syracuse signals a seismic shift in BYU’s recruiting profile. The Cougars are no longer just competing for in-state talent—they’re winning battles across the West and building a foundation that could reshape the program’s trajectory in the Big 12.
As the 2026 class prepares to enroll—with early enrollees like Mulitalo set to join the Cougars for spring football—the message from Provo is clear: BYU is built to last.
