BYU Football: 2026 Cougars Season Preview and Prediction
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BYU just missed out on the College Football Playoff each of the past two seasons, going 11-2 in 2024 and 12-2 in ’25. So expectations are soaring in Provo for coach Kalani Sitake in his 11th season, especially after the school broke the bank to keep the coach from going to Penn State last December. BYU won’t be sneaking up on anybody this year, but the Cougars should have enough firepower and enough defense to contend for another berth in the Big 12 Championship Game.
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BYU Football: 2026 Cougars Season Preview and Prediction
Previewing BYU’s Offense for 2026
The Bear is back. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier flourished as a freshman in 2025 after not even arriving on campus until June. After participating in spring drills at Stanford last year, Bachmeier stunned everyone by beating out two seasoned backups and then led the Cougars to the Big 12 Championship Game, where they lost to Texas Tech for the second time in a month. Bachmeier started in all 14 games for the 12-2 Cougars, completing 65% of his passes for 3,033 yards and 15 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions. Even bigger things are expected of the Southern California native in 2026.
Another notable returnee is running back LJ Martin, the 2025 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. The senior ran for 1,305 yards last year and can become one of the most prolific running backs in school history — top three, at least — with another big year.
Related: Big 12 Predictions for 2026
Previewing BYU’s Defense for 2026
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham’s departure for Michigan left a dent at rival BYU as well, as three-year Cougars defensive coordinator Jay Hill followed his former coach to Ann Arbor. Hill’s defense in his third season at BYU was among the Big 12’s best — allowing just 332.4 yards and 19.1 points per game. Head coach Kalani Sitake decided on special teams coordinator Kelly Poppinga to fill that role, and Poppinga has a fairly full cupboard to work with.
Utah transfer Keanu Tanuvasa will be the heart of the front seven, aided by former Cal linebacker Cade Uluave, a gem from the transfer portal. Junior safety Faletau Satuala will help the new secondary coaches get settled in, but there are question marks, especially with defensive passing game guru Jernaro Gilford joining Hill and Whittingham at Michigan.
Related: Big 12 Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2026
Previewing BYU’s Specialists for 2026
Gone are kicker Will Ferrin, punter Sam Vander Haar and long-snapper Garrison Grimes. Senior kicker Matthias Dunn has been in the program for several years and will finally get his chance to shine — at least until former five-star recruit Brody Laga returns from a church mission. When Vander Haar didn’t get a waiver for another season, BYU turned to freshman Fuller Shurtz in spring camp, and the results so far have been mostly positive.
National Ranking: 16
Big 12 Prediction: 2
Related: Big 12 Football 2026 Predictions
Related: Big 12 Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2026
Related: College Football Top 138 Team Rankings for 2026
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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