BYU's recruiting is STACKED

have you gone through and done a head count? are they using the missions as the equivalent of a floated check? as in, i don't have to count this runner for 2 more years?

Arguably one of the best running cultures in the country + high percentage of stable families and low drug/substance use + the strongest recruiting power anywhere (eg, every Utah runners dream is BYU team or give it up for BYU farm team) = stacked, stacked roster.

Especially if you get “injured.”

I still can't believe BYU would be more attractive to a fast and high-achieving Mormon (even from Utah) than Stanford.

You are mistaken.

Man, it’s going to be difficult for the coaches to decide who to cut from XC to keep 17 athletes

If you are talking the upper echelon of “fast” recruits, the ones that actually have a shot at running pro, then you really can’t underestimate the value in living and training at altitude in the athlete’s prime development years.

Dont they only recruit mormons. Not sure why BYU would be attractive to people who aren't mormons. So that would probably limit their pool

Several people on the team aren't members. Ex. Carter Cutting, Rory Linkletter, and Adam Wood to name a few. Great school, great program, great culture, limited distractions. Not to mention the amount of pros/olympians they have produced the last few years. There are many things attracting people to BYU.

They recruit a lot of Mormons but not all. Right now, there are a lot of really good HS kids coming out of Utah that are LDS so yeah, they are going to recruit them. The women's team currently has Jenna Hutchins out of Tennessee who isn't LDS. There may be some others but I'm not sure.

For those asking, no you don’t have to be Mormon to run there.

why do non Mormons pick it? Cause it’s a great school if you wanna get better at running and excel in the NCAA or become a pro.

I know a few of those kids committed arnt Mormons

I’ve overheard straight from some them while at the big XC meets, cause it’s a common question they get asked when people ask if they chose BYU for faith based reasons. (But not gonna list here cause I think high school athletes should have as much internet privacy as possible. If it’s not well known or not, then I don’t want to be the one to post it online forever for them)

The kids dont have to lie about it or anything. Sure, theres some ways of life they’re “suppose” to follow since it’s a religious school. But for the most part you don’t have too, epically if you’re at the school cause you’re a good athlete

Doing the 2 year mission isn’t enforced either

Makes missing out on Kaden Evans less painful. But this is nothing special at all for a BYU recruiting class. Par for the course if you look over the past 10 years.

I think you meant “overestimate” instead of “underestimate”.🥴lol