BYU football places six players on prominent NFL draft watchlist
Aug 20, 2026, 9:52 AM | Updated: 11:34 am
PROVO – BYU football looks poised to produce more NFL draft picks than it has in recent seasons.
The Senior Bowl watchlist highlights that.
On Thursday, the Senior Bowl released its “Top 300,” a ranking of the premier draft-eligible NFL draft prospects for next year’s draft.
BYU had six players on the list.
Senior Bowl names six BYU football players to “Top 300” watch list
Those six players included linebacker Isaiah Glasker, cornerback Evan Johnson, running back LJ Martin, safety Faletau Satuala, defensive lineman Keanu Tanuvasa, and linebacker Cade Uluave.
The 2027 Senior Bowl Top 300: LINEBACKERS
These prospects have separated themselves as some of the top draft-eligible talent in the country heading into this season.#TheDraftStartsInMobile pic.twitter.com/AErsw50dVv
— Panini Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) August 20, 2026
Over the past two seasons, BYU football has won 23 games. However, in that stretch, it has produced only two NFL draft picks.
The tide appears to be turning in BYU producing pro prospects.
Five of the six players listed could have left for the NFL last season, but decided to run it back for another season at BYU.
The only player who wasn’t able to declare for the NFL draft last year was Faletau Satuala, who had a breakout season as a sophomore. Still, he could have bolted from BYU for the transfer portal when defensive coordinator Jay Hill left for Michigan.
Instead, he returned to BYU.
The new face in the group who has yet to appear in a game for BYU is Cade Uluave. The star linebacker transferred in from the Cal Golden Bears, where he was an All-ACC performer. He steps into BYU’s defense in 2026 and is expected to be a star.
BYU boasts the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in running back LJ Martin. Entering his senior season, Martin has the potential to be one of the top running backs in college football.
The 2027 Senior Bowl Top 300: RUNNING BACKS
These prospects have separated themselves as some of the top draft-eligible talent in the country heading into this season. #TheDraftStartsInMobile pic.twitter.com/qLjpJzIL7M
— Panini Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) August 20, 2026
A total of 38 players from the Big 12 Conference make up the Senior Bowl’s “Top 300” watchlist.
BYU produced the second-most watchlist players in the league behind only reigning Big 12 champion Texas Tech, who had nine players listed.
After the two programs that appeared in the Big 12 Championship last year, Houston is next in line with the most watchlist players at four. Followed by Arizona State (3), Arizona (2), Colorado (2), Iowa State (2), Kansas State (2), TCU (2), Utah (2), UCF (1), Cincinnati (1), and Oklahoma State (1).
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
