College Football

National Signing Day: Where did BYU football's recruiting class rank?

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 2:13 a.m. ET

Fansided, Nathan Cunningham/FanSided via Lawless Republic

The paperwork is in and the commitments around the nation are in the books. So where does BYU football’s 2017 class rank?

Signing Day 2017 was a success for BYU football.

The Cougars got most of the guys they wanted to get and made an impact in the state of Utah. Kalani Sitake and Co. also got some of the top LDS athletes, and pulled the ‘Poly Pipeline’ towards Provo.

Still, the overall rankings might not be what some BYU football fans wanted.

Depending on the recruiting service you prefer, the Cougars were ranked somewhere between Nos. 55-70 in the nation.

It was a great day for BYU football, but the Cougars fell short to the Utes.

Scout.com ranked BYU 58th in the nation. The rival Utah Utes were ranked 33rd.

ESPN.com ranked BYU football 70th and Utah 41st.

247Sports.com ranked the Cougars 66th and Utah 33rd.

Rivals.com placed BYU 62nd and Utah 25th.

I’m sure a lot of fans would’ve liked to see that number closer to the 40-45 range, but don’t worry yet. There’s a lot to love about this class.

The biggest takeaway is that the Kalani Sitake Effect is real. Very, very real.

It’s clear that he knows how to sell BYU to 16, 17 and 18-year-old kids, whether they’re LDS or not. He made it a goal to recruit Utah and to make a splash with LDS athletes, and the Cougars did both of those things. BYU signed more in-state recruits than Utah and Utah State combined.

His love for the university permeates into everything he does – and recruits see that. But more importantly, he cares about each recruit individually. And so does every member of the coaching staff. Being from diverse backgrounds helps them on the recruiting trail. They can speak to non-LDS athletes and explain the ins and outs of BYU, or they can talk to out-of-state kids and pitch the passionate fanbase to them.

It’s an exciting time for BYU football. People often forget that Sitake and his staff are still behind the proverbial eight ball in terms of recruiting. Most of these kids are being offered early in their high school careers. With Sitake going from Utah to Oregon State to BYU in three years, it’s tough to establish a base with a recruit and his family.

The future is bright in Provo. Signing Day 2017 proved that.

Rise and shout, Cougar fans.