BYU’s preseason buzz starts with LJ Martin, and it doesn’t stop there.
The senior running back was named the Big 12 preseason offensive player of the year Monday after a season that put him squarely in the league spotlight. Martin, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound tailback from El Paso, Texas, earned the honor in a vote by media members who cover the Big 12’s 16 schools. A year ago, he claimed Big 12 offensive player of the year after rushing for 1,305 yards during BYU’s 12-2 run and trip to the Big 12 championship game.
Martin was one of six Cougars to make the preseason All-Big 12 team, giving BYU a strong showing across both sides of the ball.
Center Bruce Mitchell joined him on the offensive side. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound lineman was a Rimington Trophy candidate last season and did it in his first year as a full-time starter.
BYU’s defensive representation was even heavier. Senior cornerback Evan Johnson and junior safety Faletau Satuala were both recognized after helping the Cougars finish among the Big 12’s best in takeaways, with 17 interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.
Senior defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa also made the cut after serving as a team captain and starting all 14 games last season on his way to All-Big 12 honorable mention honors. Linebacker Cade Uluave rounded out BYU’s group after a standout run at Cal, where the 6-foot-1, 235-pound senior from Mountain Ridge High School posted 237 tackles, six sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in three seasons.
The source article identified Uluave as earning All-ACC first-team honors a year ago.
Utah also had a preseason honoree in return specialist Mana Carvalho. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound sophomore from Laie, Hawaii, finished second in the Big 12 last season with 212 punt return yards and was one of three league returners to score a touchdown, earning all-conference honorable mention.
Elsewhere in the league, Texas Tech defensive lineman A.J. Holmes was selected as the Big 12 preseason defensive player of the year, and Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker was tabbed preseason newcomer of the year after transferring from North Texas.
2026 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Offense
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.
Defense
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.
Specialists
Kicker: Stone Harrington, PK, Texas Tech, Sr.
Punt/Kick Returner: Mana Carvalho, PR/KR, Utah, So.
Punter: Palmer Williams, P, Baylor, Sr.
In Other News...
BYU Enters Big 12 Media Days With A Feeling Fans Missed
BYU heads into the 2026 Big 12 media days with a different kind of buzz than it brought into the league a few years ago. The Cougars have spent the past two seasons proving they can belong in the conference, capped by a 12-win run that turned a once-intriguing newcomer into a legitimate contender. Bear Bachmeiers rise at quarterback helped define that climb, and with LJ Martin back in the fold, the roster looks more like one built to stay in the race than simply surprise it.
Six veteran Cougars are scheduled to represent the program in Frisco, giving the team a chance to put its confidence on display before the season even starts. Bachmeier, Martin, Bruce Mitchell, Evan Johnson, Isaiah Glasker and Keanu Tanuvasa give BYU a mix of offensive and defensive leadership, and the bigger question now is whether the Cougars can turn that returning experience into the kind of consistency that changes how the rest of the Big 12 views them. [Read more 🡒]
LJ Martin Leads Another Major Sign Of BYUs Big 12 Respect
The Big 12s 2026 preseason awards gave BYU another clear sign of how the league views the Cougars heading into the new season. Running back LJ Martin was named the conferences Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and he was joined by five teammates on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, a haul that trails only Texas Tech and underscores how much respect BYU has earned in media voting.
For a program still building its standing in the league, that kind of recognition matters because it suggests the Cougars are being discussed not just as a feel-good story, but as one of the teams expected to shape the race. The selections also point to a roster with talent spread across both sides of the ball, and they leave BYU in a familiar spot entering camp: with outside expectations rising, and with the real test still ahead. [Read more 🡒]