BYU is starting the 2026-27 season with a familiar number next to its name: a ranking.
The Cougars landed at No. 25 in Monday’s release of the preseason AP Top 25 for men’s basketball, giving BYU a spot in the opening poll for the second year in a row. It’s the first time since 1980 that BYU has opened two straight seasons inside the preseason AP Top 25.
BYU’s place in the poll comes with plenty of attention on the roster Kevin Young has assembled. Leading the way is All-American candidate Robert Wright III, the junior point guard who briefly entered the transfer portal before deciding to return to Provo. He gives BYU a proven centerpiece at the position that usually drives everything.
The Cougars also add freshman Bruce Branch III, a name already carrying major NBA buzz. He is viewed as a potential top-five pick in next season’s draft, another sign of how aggressively BYU is building its NBA pipeline after AJ Dybantsa went No. 1 in this past year’s draft to the Washington Wizards.
BYU didn’t stop there. The program also dipped into the transfer portal and brought in former Kentucky guard Collin Chandler and former Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler, giving the Cougars more veteran help from the power-conference level.
Kohler’s situation adds another wrinkle. He can play a fifth season of college basketball because of a temporary restraining order he received, along with dozens of other athletes in the Glancey v.
NCAA case. If he stays eligible, he could be a major factor in BYU’s push to rise in the rankings and stay in the national picture.
This latest AP appearance also extends a notable stretch for the program. BYU has now shown up in at least one AP Top 25 poll in each of the last four seasons, which is the second-longest run of consecutive seasons with at least one ranking. The longest stretch remains five straight seasons from 2006 to 2011.
The Big 12 was well represented in the preseason poll, and BYU was one of six league teams included. Arizona checked in at No.
5, Houston at No. 10, Kansas at No.
17, Iowa State at No. 18 and Texas Tech at No. 19, with the Cougars slotting in at No. 25.
Florida opened at No. 1, followed by Duke, Illinois and UConn. The full top 25 also included Michigan State, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisville, Arkansas, St. John’s, Miami (FL), Gonzaga, Michigan, Alabama, USC, UCLA, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
In Other News...
BYUs UCF Test Suddenly Looks Very Different At Quarterback
UCFs quarterback picture for the BYU game has shifted enough to change how the matchup should be viewed heading into the week. Alonza Barnett III, who has been working back from a hamstring injury, is reportedly not expected to start, and coach Scott Frost has made it clear the staff is taking a careful approach with his recovery. Steve Cooper said Barnett has returned to practice on a limited basis, but his status remains up in the air.
For BYU, that adds a new layer to a road test that already had plenty of intrigue. Preparing for one quarterback is one thing, but the Cougars now have to account for a situation that could look different by kickoff, depending on how UCF handles Barnetts availability. Frosts emphasis on avoiding a setback suggests the Knights are thinking long term, even if that leaves some uncertainty for a game that suddenly feels a little less settled. [Read more 🡒]
Bear Bachmeiers Breakout Just Took A Strange Turn After BYUs Upset
Bear Bachmeiers rise went from the center of BYUs biggest win of the season to an unexpected conversation topic almost as soon as the Cougars left the field. After helping BYU knock off No. 2 Notre Dame, 28-24, and move to 6-0, the freshman quarterback suddenly found himself attached to a broadcast-side anecdote that had little to do with the upset itself and a lot to do with how quickly his name is spreading beyond Provo.
The odd detour comes on the heels of Bachmeier also saying Notre Dame disrespected him and his family during his recruitment, adding another layer to a story that already had enough emotion wrapped around it. BYU has the kind of marquee win that can change the tone of a season, but in Bachmeiers case, the attention now extends well beyond the football field, with one loose, unconfirmed comment threatening to become part of the fallout from an otherwise statement-making night. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Crowd Watched One Student Turn Pregame Nerves Into A Fortune
Long before the first snaps of the night, one BYU student turned a routine pregame promotion into the kind of scene people at LaVell Edwards Stadium wont forget soon. Carter Smith, 21, stepped into Pat McAfees Kicking Is Easy contest and came through on his second field goal attempt, a pressure-packed swing that suddenly made him the center of attention for everyone in the building.
The result was life-changing, with Smith walking away $3 million richer and instantly drawing widespread recognition. Even with that kind of windfall, his plans remain grounded in the classroom and beyond it, as he intends to keep working toward his education and a future career in dentistry. [Read more 🡒]