There are ample reasons to believe in what BYU football is building leading into the 2026 season, and Cougar Nation has been beating that drum since before 2025 even finished.
Bear Bachmeier was likely the most incredible true freshman quarterback in the nation, leading the Cougars to a 12-win season after joining the team very late in the offseason. He returns to BYU's backfield as a sophomore with more experience under his belt, more time to learn Aaron Roderick's offense, and more offseason reps to grow familiar with his wide receivers.
Joining him is LJ Martin, the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 and one of the nation's best running backs. He opted against leaping to the NFL to spend his senior year in Provo.
Then on the defensive side of things, Cade Uluave, an All-ACC senior linebacker, fills in for NFL draftee Jack Kelly, and nearly every other impact position in last year's incredible defensive unit returns, from Evan Johnson and Therrian Alexander to Isaiah Glasker and Faletau Suamataia.
Kalani Sitake believes enough in the program he's built in Provo that he said no to Penn State, a program with the brand value to give College Football Playoff voters the benefit of the doubt to grant entry at the end of the season.
Stewart Mandel with the New York Times has likewise bought into what Sitake is cooking up at BYU, as his updated preseason top 25 lists BYU as the eighth-best team in the entire nation, and the clear favorite to win the Big 12 Conference for the first time since joining in 2023.
Not too shabby.
My Preseason Top 25 version 2.0 (first update since January)
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) June 1, 2026
-- There are 7 teams I have more confidence in than any team going into 2025.
-- What to do with Texas Tech without Sorsby.
-- Why not, Indiana?
-- Alabama skepticism and more.
Free story:https://t.co/7asuiEukTJ
"BYU football is having a moment. The program is coming off back-to-back 11-win seasons and reached its first Big 12 title game last season. It has a QB to build around in sophomore standout Bachmeier. Also, Kalani Sitake turned down Penn State. With Texas Tech’s attrition and QB uncertainty, BYU is the clear Big 12 favorite."
BYU also sat at the 8th spot in Mandel's previous top 25, which he published before spring practice. Texas Tech, the Cougars' immediate competition for the Big 12 title, took a big ding after losing starting quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
BYU football is lining up for what could be a very special season. In the ever-volatile Big 12 Conference, however, nothing is guaranteed, and nothing is given. If BYU wants to take home the Big 12 crown and breach the threshold of the College Football Playoffs, it won't come down to preseason rankings -- it will come down to wins.
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