BYU's win over Stanford matters more than just the scoreboard

PROVO — When BYU knocked off Stanford over the weekend, it wasn't just another early-season Power Four nonconference victory.

The 27-3 win evened the all-time series at 2-2 and symbolized far more than a single game: It was a statement to future recruits considering both Stanford and BYU.

Stanford once had the upper hand on and off the football field, both in securing high-level athletes of the sponsoring faith who were BYU prospects and defeating BYU on the gridiron.

During arguably some of its lowest points in recent history (2003 and 2004), BYU found itself floundering on the football field. And in subsequent years, Stanford was able to take advantage of the high ground and recruit some of the best Latter-day Saints talent in the nation to Palo Alto.

But as the infantile Michael Scott once said: "Well, well, well … how the turntables."

Today, BYU is winning on the field while also reclaiming talent that might have once gone to the Cardinal.

Stanford's religion pipeline

For decades, Stanford lured away some of the best Latter-day Saints football talent in the country. The Cardinal's academic prestige and West Coast presence, combined with their willingness to recruit these athletes and create an environment in which they could thrive, opened up a steady pipeline.

Beyond the field, Stanford offered a powerful business network and long-term socioeconomic earning potential, making it an attractive destination for players and their families thinking beyond football. Coach Jim Harbaugh, Brian Shaw and Lance Anderson, found a way to entice these BYU recruits to the Bay area time and time again.

Names like Simi Fehoko, Tanner McKee, Gabe Reid, Levani Damuni, Brandon Fanaika, Dallas Lloyd, Sean Barton, and others once donned the Cardinal red, many of whom BYU heavily pursued. Even Taysom Hill, who originally committed to Stanford before landing at BYU post mission, was part of that trend.

The Stanford to BYU shift

Since 2022, BYU has quietly built a counter-pipeline: players once bound for Stanford who instead found their way to Provo. The current roster includes:

• LJ Martin, RB: Initially committed to Stanford before flipping to BYU
• Siosia Latu Finau (formerly Siosiua Vete), OL: Once a Stanford commit before changing course
• Hunter Clegg, DE: Committed to Stanford, later Utah, now at BYU
• Nusi Taumoepeau, LB: Signed with Stanford before re-routing to BYU
• Bear Bachmeier, QB: Enrolled at Stanford and went through spring ball before transferring
• Tiger Bachmeier, WR: Played two seasons at Stanford before transferring

That's six scholarship players with Stanford ties now in Cougar blue, a striking contrast to the years when Stanford consistently won those recruiting battles — not to mention the many players who also received competing offers from Stanford but chose to commit to BYU out of high school.

Why Stanford is losing relevance

Stanford football is no longer the destination it once was for Latter-day Saints recruits for the following reasons:

• Coaching instability: An interim head coach is in his first and only year.
• Conference chaos: After the Pac-12 collapsed, Stanford landed in the ACC, a coast-to-coast mismatch that diminishes regional recruiting advantages.
• Weak fan support: Stanford Stadium is often half empty.
• NIL limitations: Stanford's NIL infrastructure pales compared to other Power Four programs.
• Academic barriers: Strict admissions make transfers challenging, further limiting roster-building flexibility.

Even the program's once-critical recruiting edge with Latter-day Saints prospects is fading. A key figure in Stanford's recruiting was Anderson, a member of the church and defensive coach brought in by Jim Harbaugh. Anderson was retained by Brian Shaw after Harbaugh departed, providing continuity and credibility with recruits.

Today, Anderson is the head coach at Utah Tech, continuing his influence locally, but no longer at Stanford. With his departure and the broader program turmoil, prospects increasingly see BYU as the more attractive option.

Furthermore, there is a faith factor influencing young men to choose a different path than they once did. Many athletes are struggling while attending institutions of higher learning.

These athletes are not experiencing a warm embrace from the modern day academics who chose to openly and outrightly demean traditional conservative Christian morals, ethics and theology. Secularism and humanism is the worship of the age and its more a la mode to not only stiff arm Christianity, but to mock it.

The faith factor

BYU athletes and fans have experienced disrespectful sacrilege from Stanford on multiple occasions. In 2004, Stanford's halftime show included five dancers in wedding veils poking fun at polygamy. Then Stanford athletic director Ted Leland issued an apology:

"The actions of the Stanford band in Saturday's game were inappropriate, and I wish to apologize to BYU, their team, fans and alumni. We are committed to being good hosts to our opponents who visit Stanford and anything that doesn't reflect this is regrettable."

Nearly two decades later, in 2022, BYU, again, encountered a depiction of a marriage sealing, "for time and all eternity" which was entitled "Gay Chicken."

The spectacle was performed by the Stanford band once again. During Stanford's halftime show, the band used terms and phrases taken from temple ceremonies, which church members consider sacred.

The issue was not so much the commentary on same-sex marriage, but rather the mocking of sacred religious practices, thus leaving many members of the church, athletes and fans alike, feeling marginalized.

BYU's recruiting momentum

BYU's recent wins over Stanford, coupled with the Cardinal instability, signal a broader shift in recruiting.

For years, Stanford stood as a prime landing spot for top talent. Now, with BYU firmly entrenched in the Big 12, investing in facilities, the coaching staff, while building a roster that increasingly features players who once would have considered Stanford, the momentum is swinging in Provo's favor.

For BYU to win at the highest of levels, it's an imperative to recruit, and retain the best prospects who share the school's faith in the nation.

Saturday's victory was a win on the scoreboard; but more importantly, it was a win for the future of BYU recruiting. The recruiting pendulum is swinging and BYU is taking advantage.

Related topics