BYU Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill has been busy on the recruiting trail and recently secured the commitment of Las Vegas safety prospect Matthew Mason. Hill favors tall defensive backs who can cover a lot of the field and Mason certainly fits that bill as a 6-foot-3, 190 pound prospect who can play at multiple positions.

Originally from Florida, Mason’s family moved recently to the Las Vegas area where he attended Faith Lutheran High School. He’s rated as a 3-star prospect by the 247 Sports Network and claims over 20 scholarship offers from the likes of Arizona State, UNLV, San Diego State, Boise State and Air Force, among others.

Although not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mason felt a connection with the Cougars after making his way to Provo for an official visit.

“I never really envisioned myself going to BYU because being from Florida, it’s all about the south(ern) schools,” Mason said during an interview on ESPN The Fan radio station. “But being out here I can see that BYU is as big as anyone and I want to help get them to the next level and to make the playoffs.”

Mason cited the primary reason for his commitment to BYU to the people within the program, namely Coach Hill, whom he grew a strong connection with through the recruitment process.

“There’s a lot of great coaches that recruited me, but he’s the most genuine and has a direct plan for me to compete and play early,” Mason said. “I didn’t feel that with any other coach.”

In an effort to play early, Mason plans on graduating from Faith Lutheran this coming December in order to begin his Cougar career in January and compete in spring practices. The plan is for him to play at the free safety position although he’s open to play other positions in the BYU defensive backfield.

Now that he’s closed off his recruitment, Mason is focused on making the most of his senior season and to arrive in Provo ready for the elevated collegiate competition.

“It really feels amazing…to know where home is and I can just focus on getting better this offseason,” Mason said. “I’m going to ball out my senior year and get to BYU ready to go.”

Ryder Lyons announces commitment date

Southern California 5-star prospect Ryder Lyons announced on social media that he’ll announce his commitment decision on June 24. BYU is considered one of the final contenders for his services, and he’s set to take his official visit to Provo this weekend.

Lyons spent last weekend making his official visit to Oregon, which is considered to be a strong contender for his services, along with USC. Should Lyons commit and then sign with BYU he’ll become just the fourth 5-star rated prospect to play for the Cougars, joining quarterback Ben Olson and offensive linemen Ofa Mohetau and Scott Young.

Lyons is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has plans to serve a mission upon graduation from Folsom High School.

2026 BYU football commitments

Sefanaia Alatini, 6-2, 185 athlete, Mountain View, Calif.

Justice Brathwaite,  6-0, 160 defensive back, Gilbert, Ariz.

Legend Glasker, 6-1, 165 athlete, Lehi High School

Ty Goettsche, 6-7, 225 tight end, Englewood, Colo.

Brock Harris, 6-6, 238 tight end, Pine View High School

Antonio Johnson, 6-4, 180 defensive back, Forth Worth, Tex.

Matthew Mason, 6-3, 190 defensive back, Las Vegas, Nev.

Bott Mulitalo, 6-5, 290 offensive line, Lone Peak High School

Parker Ord, 6-4, 210 tight end, Frisco, Tex.

Terrance Saryon, 5-10, 160 receiver, Vancouver, Wash.

Kenael Sweetwyne, 6-3, 195 quarterback, Skyridge High School

PJ Takitaki, 6-4, 230 defensive end, Lehi High School