This year's preseason All-Big 12 projections should have BYU football fans salivating.
BYU football has had to do more with less, historically. That is, with a smaller recruiting pool and the rigidity of the university's honor code for non-LDS prospects (and even LDS prospects, at times), Cougar football teams have rarely boasted the top-end talent of the teams is aspired to compete with.
Today, we're living in a different age for BYU football.
Last season's team sent two players to the NFL Draft -- Jack Kelly and Carsen Ryan -- and could send plenty more this season, climbing to as many as 10 potential draftees. Kalani Sitake has rallied a loaded roster in Provo, and that's exactly why 2026 feels different from the two scrappy squads who challenged the status quo of the postseason format.
The 2024 team wasn't supposed to be any good (projected second-to-last in preseason Big 12 polls), yet Jake Retzlaff led the team to a 10-win regular season.
The 2025 team was forced to trot out a true freshman quarterback who had joined the team after Spring practice. Bear Bachmeier established himself as a top-50 quarterback from the jump, and is inarguably the best sophomore signal caller in the nation in preseason projections.
So for the 2026 team to have no obvious weaknesses -- no clear deficiencies -- it's challenging not to get excited about BYU football's potential.
That's perfectly reflected in the Big 12's preseason All-Conference list, which lists six Cougars as the best at their respective positions in the league.
Offensive Honorees
- Quarterback: Noah Fifita, QB, Arizona, RS-Sr.
- Running Back: Cam Cook, RB, West Virginia, Sr.
- Running Back: LJ Martin, RB, BYU, Sr.
- Fullback: Kayden Luke, FB, West Virginia, Jr.
- Wide Receiver: Omarion Miller, WR, Arizona State, Sr.
- Wide Receiver: Amare Thomas, WR, Houston, Sr.
- Wide Receiver: Wyatt Young, WR, Oklahoma State, Jr.
- Tight End: Terrance Carter Jr., TE, Texas Tech, Sr.
- Offensive Line: Joe Cotton, OL, Cincinnati, RS-Sr.
- Offensive Line: Shadre Hurst, OL, Houston, Sr.
- Offensive Line: Bruce Mitchell, OL, BYU, RS-Sr.
- Offensive Line: John Pastore, OL, Kansas State, Sr.
- Offensive Line: Evan Tengesdahl, OL, Cincinnati, RS-Jr.
Defensive Honorees
- Defensive Line: C.J. Fite, DL, Arizona State, Sr.
- Defensive Line: Wendell Gregory, DL, Kansas State, So.
- Defensive Line: A.J. Holmes Jr., DL, Texas Tech, Sr.
- Defensive Line: Keanu Tanuvasa, DL, BYU, RS-Sr.
- Defensive Line: Adam Trick, DL, Texas Tech, Sr.
- Linebacker: Ben Roberts, LB, Texas Tech, Sr.
- Linebacker: Austin Romaine, LB, Texas Tech, Sr.
- Linebacker: Cade Uluave, LB, BYU, Sr.
- Defensive Back: Will James, DB, Houston, Jr.
- Defensive Back: Evan Johnson, DB, BYU, RS-Sr.
- Defensive Back: Jamel Johnson, DB, TCU, Sr.
- Defensive Back: Brice Pollock, DB, Texas Tech, Sr.
- Defensive Back: Faletau Satuala, DB, BYU, Jr.
Special Teams Honorees
- Kicker: Stone Harrington, PK, Texas Tech, Sr.
- Punt/Kick Returner: Mana Carvalho, PR/KR, Utah, So.
- Punter: Palmer Williams, P, Baylor, Sr.
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