Why Isaac Teeples Is A Great Fit For BYU's Lineup

When it was announced that Arizona hurdler Logan Hubler was signing with BYU, it felt like the Cougars had the final piece of their recruiting puzzle, at least for the Class of 2022.

But while Hubler completed this Brigham Young recruiting class, it was another signing from two months ago that truly felt like a home run win for the Cougars.

So let's talk about Isaac Teeples.

The Washington native was one of the last elite high school cross country stars to sign with a program back in February.

Similar national-caliber stars like Newbury Park's (CA) Colin Sahlman, Niwot's (CO) Zane Bergen and Hartland's (MI) Riley Hough, as well as numerous others, all made their commitments in 2021, well before the cross country season had even finished.

Teeples, however, had been building his resume ever since.

The senior from Kamiakin High School won five-straight cross country races this past fall. He then finished runner-up at the Team Nationals Southwest Regional and later ran a 14:23 personal best for 5,000 meters to place 10th at the Garmin RunningLane XC National Championships.

At that national meet, Teeples emerged as the top unsigned senior in the race.

Fast forward to this past weekend and Teeples found a way to translate his cross country fitness to the outdoor oval, running 8:55 for 3,200 meters at the Arcadia Invitational.

If it wasn't already clear, Teeples has the potential to be a major contributor for the BYU men.

In fact, in a BYU press release, Coach Ed Eyestone was quoted recently as saying, "Teeples has the chance to impact the 2022 team."

While that may seem like an unexciting quote on the surface, that's actually some high praise from someone who coaches one of the deepest distance rosters in the NCAA each and every year.

To put things in perspective, Teeples was also being recruited by North Carolina, Colorado, Gonzaga, Washington and Washington State.

But seeing BYU land an elite-level talent is nothing new. After all, this is the same program that was home to recent superstars like Conner Mantz and Casey Clinger.

That's what makes Teeples' decision to sign with the Cougars so impactful.

Despite Colorado's extensive history of success, North Carolina's aggressive recruiting efforts and Washington's incredible roster depth, it was still BYU that came out on top.

That's quite the statement to make, at least in the recruiting circuit.

Teeples signing with BYU is also a major missed opportunity for both Gonzaga and Washington State.

The Gonzaga men are working to extend their national qualifying window in cross country while Washington State will soon lose national-caliber standout Colton Johnsen and, eventually, 3:57 miler Zach Stallings.

The overall impact of Teeples signing with BYU gives them an infusion of immediate talent.

While the rest of the Cougars' recruiting class features plenty of under appreciated distance runners, it is Teeples who can truly act as the focal point for this group much like Clinger did in 2017.