ESPN’s latest look at the 40 most important players in college football for 2026 includes three names with Utah ties, and all three landed in the top 40.
Bill Connelly’s list, published earlier this week, puts BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier at No. 31, Utah running back Wayshawn Parker at No. 34 and Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen at No.
- Madsen, of course, is the American Fork High product.
Bachmeier and Parker show up in Connelly’s Big 12 grouping, while Madsen is listed among the five most important players from the Group of Six conferences.
Connelly’s note on Bachmeier centers on how BYU had to turn the offense over to him unexpectedly as a true freshman last season. That forced the Cougars into a cautious, low-tempo approach, even as they finished 12-0 against everyone not named Texas Tech.
He also pointed to the shape of the roster around him, writing that Kalani Sitake’s team has “proven size and physicality in the trenches,” and suggesting the Cougars could reach another level in 2026 if Bachmeier keeps developing. The catch is at receiver, where BYU has to replace its three primary targets from last year. Still, Connelly called BYU “an obvious potential choice” among the teams most likely to challenge Texas Tech.
Parker’s case is built around what Utah showed on offense a year ago. Connelly noted that the Utes jumped from 96th to sixth in offensive SP+ last season, helped by the partnership between coordinator Jason Beck and quarterback Devon Dampier.
The question now is whether Dampier can recreate that kind of production under new coordinator Kevin McGiven. But Connelly sees Parker as a major reason Utah can stay in the mix, describing him as “one of the most well-rounded backs in the country.” If Parker can handle a heavy workload and help keep Dampier from absorbing too many hits, Connelly wrote, Utah should be back in Big 12 contention.
Madsen’s spot on the list reflects a strange 2025 season for Boise State. Connelly called it odd because the Broncos were exactly what they were supposed to be - until they weren’t.
He pointed to a sharp split in Madsen’s play. In the four starts Boise State lost, Madsen completed 53% of his passes with a 1-to-6 TD-INT ratio and a 14.2 QBR. In seven wins, he was much sharper, completing 61% with a 17-to-3 TD-INT ratio and an 80.3 QBR.
Connelly said injuries were part of the story, but the bigger question now is whether Madsen can stay healthy and steady with a pretty new receiving corps. If he can, Connelly wrote, Boise State is “probably your Group of 6 CFP favorite again.”
Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is also near the top of the list at No. 4. Connelly’s writeup said Hammond looked very promising the first time he replaced an injured Behren Morton last season, then was partly responsible for Texas Tech’s only regular-season loss the second time before tearing his ACL.
Now, Connelly wrote, he is “rushing back to take the reins of a potential top-five team.” When healthy, Hammond is “a promising efficiency passer and dangerous scrambler,” but Connelly said he’ll need to be both healthy and good right away.
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell is No. 1 on Connelly’s list.
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