BYU’s recruiting surge kept rolling Monday with another eye-catching win, this time landing three-star athlete Peyton Higginson of Salem Hills High.
Higginson chose the Cougars after a battle that also included Michigan and Utah State, giving BYU another notable victory in the 2027 cycle. The decision adds to a stretch that has seen Kalani Sitake’s program stack up commitments and build real momentum on the trail.
For Higginson, the fit went beyond football. When he spoke to the Deseret News last week, he pointed to development on and off the field as the biggest factor in his choice.
“Just a place that I’m going to develop on the field and off the field at a high level,” Higginson told the Deseret News last week when asked what would be the deciding factor in his recruitment. “I want to be in a program that’s going to teach me how to be a dad, how to be a father, a husband. So that’s something that I’ve been looking for, and I feel like all these final schools are really good at that, and a place that’s going to set me up financially outside of football.”
He also said his path to BYU won’t be immediate. Higginson plans to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints beginning next February, which means he would be available to play for the Cougars in 2029.
“I am planning on getting my (missionary assignment) sometime in the next couple of months,” he said.
Higginson, who had more than 20 scholarship offers before trimming his list to BYU, USU and Michigan, plays receiver and safety for the Eagles. He’ll be a senior this fall on a team coached by his uncle, Jeff Higginson. Rivals.com lists him with an 88 rating and ranks him as the No. 22 athlete in the country.
His own words after the commitment captured how strongly BYU landed with him.
“I am very excited about my decision and excited to be a Coug,” Higginson told Greg Biggins of Rivals.com. “The feeling I had the first time I was around the team was special, and it was like no other place that I visited.”
The numbers back up why he drew so much attention. Last season, Higginson piled up 81 tackles and three interceptions at safety, while also catching 40 passes for 574 yards and nine touchdowns.
He said his ability to do a little bit of everything is a big part of his appeal.
“I think my versatility sets me apart,” he said. “That’s something that has enabled me to be recruited as an athlete, and not just a receiver or a safety.”
Higginson also has some notable family ties. He is the second cousin of former BYU defensive tackle John Nelson and former USC linebacker Porter Gustin.
His commitment gives BYU its 13th pledge from the class of 2027 and its third athlete, joining Mountain Ridge’s Tytan DeJong and Jaxson Rex of San Clemente, California. Rex is the cousin of former BYU tight end Isaac Rex and current BYU running back Preston Rex.
The Cougars’ recent run has been especially strong. It started June 27, when four-star receiver Blake Wong picked BYU over Ohio State, UCLA, Oregon and a long list of other schools.
A day later, Davis High safety Bode Sparrow chose Oklahoma over BYU. Since then, BYU has added Maple Mountain four-star edge rusher Uhila Wolfgramm and Tennessee offensive lineman Kyle Nabrotzky.
Higginson summed up the class this way after his commitment: “BYU has landed some studs and I am just really grateful and honored to be a part of this recruiting class,” Higginson told Rivals.com.
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