BYU compiled a 12-2 straight-up record and a 10-4 against-the-spread mark during the 2025 season. The Cougars won eight games by margins of 12 points or more, and they tasted both of their defeats against the same opponent, Texas Tech.
After considering leaving Provo to take the Penn State job, head coach Kilani Sitake decided to stay and is back for his 11th season. He’s led BYU to 23 wins in the last two years and now owns an 84-45 SU record and a 68-60-1 ATS ledger.
The Cougars bring back seven starters on a defense that gave up an average of only 19.1 points per game last season. They’ve also added four-star transfer linebacker Cade Uluave, who was a first-team All-ACC selection while playing for California in 2025.
In 12 games for the Golden Bears, Uluave produced 100 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six passes broken up, five QB Hurries and three sacks. He’s a preseason first-team All-Big 12 pick in Phil Steele’s magazine.
Steele also has LB Isaiah Glasker, DT Keanu Tanuvasa and safety Faletau Satuala as preseason first-team All-Big 12 selections. As a true sophomore last season, Satuala recorded a team-high 84 tackles to go with 7.5 TFL’s, four PBU, three interceptions for 65 return yards and one touchdown, two forced fumbles, one sack and one QB Hurry.
Glasker led the Big 12 in TFL’s with 14.5 as a sophomore in 2025. He produced 67 tackles, 10 QB Hurries, 8.5 TFL’s, three sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one PBU last season. Glasker and Satuala were both third-team All-Big 12 choices in 2025.
Tanuvasa is a 6-foot-4, 310-pound space eater in the middle of BYU’s defense. He transferred into Provo after starting 19 times for arch-rival Utah from 2022-24. In 2025 for the Cougars, Tanuvasa played in all 14 games and contributed 25 tackles, 4.5 TFL’s, three PBU and a pair of sacks.
Tanuvasa has started 33 times in 38 career games. He has 75 career tackles, 16.5 TFL’s, eight PBU, six sacks and one forced fumble.
Steele’s magazine also has senior CB Evan Johnson and senior safety Raidr Damuni as preseason second-team All-Big 12 selections. Johnson enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign, producing 47 tackles, eight PBU, a Big-12 best five interceptions for 25 return yards and one TD, two TFL’s and one sack.
Damuni missed two games due to injuries last season, but he still contributed 43 tackles, two PBU, one interception for 26 return yards, one fumble recovery, one QB Hurry and 0.5 TFL’s.
BYU scored at a 31.4 points-per-game clip last season. The offense brings back five starters, including RB LJ Martin, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. As a junior in 2025, Martin had a league-best 1,305 rushing yards and 12 TDs while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He added 36 receptions for 255 yards.
In 33 career games at BYU, Martin has 2,541 rushing yards, 23 TDs and a 5.3 YPC average. He needs 1,361 rushing yards as a senior to break Jamaal Williams’s school record for career rushing yards (3,901 from 2012-14).
Martin is a preseason first-team All-Big 12 pick in Steele’s magazine and a preseason second-team All-American.
Bear Bachmeier won the starting QB job as a true freshman last August after Jake Retzlaff transferred to Tulane because he was facing a seven-game suspension due to engaging in premarital sex. The move worked out for all parties, as Retzlaff led the Green Wave to the College Football Playoff and Bachmeier was a big reason why the Cougars played in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Bachmeier completed 251-of-387 passes (64.9%) for 3,033 yards with a 15/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. As his #47 suggests, he was making plays with his legs as well. Bachmeier produced 527 rushing yards and 11 TDs, averaging 3.6 YPC.
Bachmeier is a preseason third-team All-Big 12 pick in Steele’s magazine. He lost his top three targets from last season, including second-team All-Big 12 WR Parker Kingston, who had 67 catches for 928 yards and five TDs in 2025. TE Carson Ryan, who was a seventh-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in the 2026 NFL Draft, is also gone.
However, Sitake dipped into the portal to sign a pair of four-star TE transfers in Roger Saleapaga II (Oregon) and Walker Lyons (USC). In five starts and 12 games for the Trojans last year, Lyons had 20 receptions for 223 yards and two TDs. Saleapaga had three catches for 26 yards and one TD for the Ducks in 2025, but he was primarily used on special teams.
Coming out of spring practice, BYU’s starting WRs in 2026 were expected to be fourth-year junior Jojo Phillips, Oregon transfer Kyle Kasper and true freshman Legend Glasker. Phillips has started eight times in 21 appearances over the last two seasons, hauling in 24 receptions for 372 yards and two TDs. He’s a preseason fourth-team All-Big 12 choice in Steele’s magazine.
Kasper was a four-star prospect coming out of high school, but he was limited to 23 games in four seasons at Oregon due to multiple injuries to both of his feet. Glasker, who runs a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, reportedly made plays galore throughout spring practice.
The offensive line will be anchored by senior center Bruce Mitchell, who was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2025. Senior offensive guard Kyle Sfarcioc is a preseason second-team All-Big 12 pick in Steele’s magazine. OT Andrew Gentry, who is 6-foot-8 and 315 pounds, returns after starting all 14 games last year.
Sitake snagged three offensive linemen from the portal, including Paki Finau (Washington), Jr Sia (Utah St.) and Zak Yamauchi (Stanford). Finau played in 12 games for the Huskies in 2025, starting four times at right guard. However, BYU has moved him outside and he’s expected to start at left tackle.
Sia started 10 games for the Aggies last year at right tackle, but the Cougars have moved him inside where he’s battling senior Sonny Makasini for the starting gig at right guard. Makasini has logged eight starts in 24 games at BYU over the last two seasons.
Steele’s National Unit Rankings have BYU #19 at QB, #23 at RB, #19 on the o-line, #26 on the d-line, #7 at LB and #12 in the secondary. He has the Cougars ranked #17 in his preseason Power Rankings, while I have them at #14 in mine.
Per the 247Sports Composite, BYU’s 2026 recruiting class is ranked #24 in the country overall. The transfer-specific group is ranked #39. There are 31 new players, including eight four-star prospects in the incoming freshman class.
The prize of the freshmen in the 2026 cycle is QB Ryder Lyons, who is the nation’s #46 overall player, the #5 QB and the #6 player out of the state of California. He had offers from Oregon, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona St. and others.
FanDuel has BYU’s season win total at 8.5 (‘over’ -140, ‘under’ +114). The betting shop has the Cougars with 100/1 odds to win the CFP and +550 odds to win the Big 12 Championship Game.
DraftKings has BYU’s season win total at 8.5 (‘over’ -136, ‘under’ +115), but it also has an adjusted number of 9.5 (‘under’ -240, ‘over’ +194). In its Games of the Year lines, DK has the Cougars as 10.5-point home underdogs vs. Notre Dame on Oct. 17. They’re also three-point road underdogs at Utah on Nov. 7.
Barring a rash of injuries, I expect BYU to favored 10 times unless it’s a really small ‘dog at TCU on Oct. 3. If there’s a situational spot that’s a little concerning for the Cougars, it’s their game at UCF on Oct. 24.
For starters, the Knights have two weeks to prepare, while BYU will be playing its fourth game in four weeks and making the long trip to the Sunshine State after facing the Fighting Irish. This matchup could get even trickier if the to-be-determined kickoff time is in the afternoon, especially if it’s a noon Eastern start.
Although it’ll be late October, that could still be 90-degree heat in Orlando in the afternoon.
PREDICTIONS: I’ll risk 2.7 units to win 2 units on BYU to go ‘over’ 8.5 wins (-135 price at Circa), and I’ll also risk 0.5 units to win 0.97 units on ‘over’ 9.5 wins for a +194 payout. With the questions at the QB position for Texas Tech (Will Hammond tore his ACL on Oct. 25), I also think the Cougars are worth a shot at +550 to win the Big 12. Let’s risk 0.25 units to win 1.375 units on that wager.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
-BYU is 8-1 ATS with seven outright wins in its last nine games as a home underdog.
-BYU is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games as a home favorite.
-During Sitake’s tenure, the Cougars are 18-11 ATS in 29 games as road underdogs.
-If there’s an area of concern for this team besides the WR room, it’s the special-team’s units. Will Ferrin, who was a second-team All-Big 12 kicker in 2025, is gone along with the aforementioned WR Kingston. He was also a second-team All-Big 12 pick as a punt returner last season, as he averaged 13.5 yards per return and had one TD. WR Cody Hagen, who was a preseason third-team All-Big 12 choice as a kick returner in Steele’s magazine, decided to retire in late May due to recurring injuries. Fuller Shurtz is expected to be the starting punter, but he’s only played one snap in his career to date.
-FanDuel has Bachmeier with 65/1 odds to win the Heisman Trophy. Martin is listed with 250/1 odds.
-Another Big 12 team that I’m bullish on is the 2026 Houston Cougars. Here’s my preview of Willie Fritz’s third team in H-Town.