BYU is set to open the 2026 season in two days, and there’s no shortage of confidence around what the Cougars might become. From the kicking game to the College Football Playoff picture, the expectations are swinging big.
Start with the most immediate transition: replacing Will Ferrin. The multi-year starter leaves behind a memorable run, highlighted by the game-winning field goal against Utah in 2024 and the overtime kick against Arizona that pushed the game to double overtime.
But the belief here is that Matthias Dunn won’t just hold the job down - he’ll outdo Ferrin’s standard. Dunn has been perfect in the media observation windows and has connected on multiple kicks from 50-plus yards.
At the end of one practice, he even got a full-team pressure test, lining up for a 45-50 yard field goal with everyone surrounding him. He drilled it, and the team erupted around him.
Ferrin went 23-for-30, good for 77%, last season, and the expectation is that Dunn will top that in 2026.
The passing game is where the boldness really kicks in. National analyst Bud Elliot already made his stance clear, leaving BYU out of his top 20 and saying, "I would not have BYU in the top 20 with that passing attack."
That skepticism has centered on Bear Bachmeier, with some viewing him as a linebacker masquerading as a quarterback and questioning whether he has the arm talent to threaten defenses. The counterpoint from camp is simple: Bachmeier has already looked sharper as a passer, with throws he wasn’t making as a true freshman.
One connection that has stood out is his chemistry with Roger Saleapaga, including a perfect throw that showed up during camp.
The projection on Bachmeier is aggressive. The expectation is that he’ll throw for 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2026, up from 3,033 yards and 15 touchdowns as a true freshman.
There’s also the acknowledgment that the turnovers could climb if he keeps taking more chances. Even so, the bigger plays should come with them, and pairing that growth with LJ Martin gives BYU an offense that’s tough to slow down.
Freshman receiver Legend Glasker is another name that has built momentum all offseason. He was named a starter out of fall camp, and the confidence in him has been strong since spring.
He’s made plays consistently, and the prediction is that it carries over when the games begin. He may not lead BYU in receiving, but he could come close.
The comparison point is Austin Collie’s 2004 season, when he had 53 catches for 771 yards. Glasker is projected to land in the 500-600 yard range if he stays healthy.
On defense, the hope is that a long-awaited pass-rush breakthrough finally arrives at defensive end. Nusi Taumoepeau, Tausili Akana, Hunter Clegg, Braxton Lindsey, and Kendall Wall are all in the mix, and the belief is that one of them will emerge as the featured edge threat. Collectively, that group is projected to account for 15-20 sacks.
And then there’s the biggest swing of all: BYU to the College Football Playoff for the first time. The Cougars already took a step last season by reaching the conference championship game, and the view here is that they’re now positioned to break through. Two years of buildup have led to this moment, and the prediction is that 2026 is when BYU crashes the playoff.
In Other News...
Former BYU Transfers Are Popping Up In Some Uncomfortable Places
BYUs transfer list for the 2026 season has already started to leave a few familiar names scattered around the college football map, and not all of those destinations will feel neutral to Cougar fans. McCae Hillstead, once part of BYUs quarterback room, has landed at Utah State and has already won the starting job there, while Jake Griffin is set to suit up for Arizona. Around them, other former Cougars have spread out to UCLA, Iowa State, UAB and Duke, giving BYU followers plenty of chances to run into old personnel in new colors.
The broader picture is even more interesting because the ex-Cougars are not just moving to random outposts. Some have shown up at places like Utah, Michigan, Arizona State and Oklahoma State, which adds an extra layer of familiarity and, in a few cases, a little edge to future matchups and scouting chatter. For a program that is always balancing roster turnover with recruiting momentum, seeing former players pop up in so many corners of the sport is a reminder that the transfer era keeps turning every exit into a potential subplot. [Read more 🡒]
BYU May Have Found A Bigger Role For Tausili Akana
Tausili Akana arrived at BYU with the kind of pedigree that makes people wonder when the production will finally catch up. A former Texas edge prospect and consensus four-star recruit, he came to Provo after two seasons to chase the ceiling that made him such a coveted player in the first place, and the early signs of fall have been encouraging. Akana has added weight, looked better against the run and emerged as the top option at field backer on the initial depth chart, which suggests the Cougars may have found a much larger role for him than the one he carried coming in.
Akana has also sounded comfortable with where he is off the field, pointing to BYU's culture and the development he has gotten from the coaching staff. For a player whose upside has long been part of the conversation, that combination matters, because it often takes both physical growth and the right environment before a gifted transfer turns into a real defensive factor. BYU is hoping this latest version of Akana is closer to the one it envisioned when he first made his way to campus. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fans May Not Love This Name In The Next Coaching Cycle
With the college football season just getting started, the usual early whisper campaign around the next coaching cycle is already taking shape. A new look at the market points to three names that could surface if Power Four jobs open up, with Kliff Kingsbury, Mike Norvell and Kalani Sitake all mentioned as possible fits depending on how the fall unfolds.
Sitakes inclusion is the one that should matter most to BYU fans, even if nothing is imminent and nothing is decided. He has built enough credibility to keep showing up in these kinds of conversations, which is a compliment as much as a warning, because the more successful the Cougars look under him, the more often his name figures to appear whenever a major program starts casting a wide net. [Read more 🡒]