BYU’s third week of fall camp closed with a clear theme: several young players are starting to separate, and the Cougars’ offense is beginning to show a little more life in the process.
The biggest shift has come from Bear Bachmeier. One of his calling cards out of high school was the ability to extend plays with his legs and turn broken snaps into chunk gains.
Early in his freshman year, he worked more carefully within the structure of the offense, which made sense for a quarterback seeing college defenses for the first time. But over the past week or two, Bachmeier has started to bring that scrambling element back into the mix.
That showed up Friday in the two-minute drill. On third down, Bachmeier was flushed from the pocket, kept the play alive just long enough, and found Legend Glasker for a first down.
Later in the week, he rolled out in the red zone and delivered a sidearm pass to Walker Lyons for a touchdown. Bachmeier later posted the clip on "X".
In last Saturday’s scrimmage, he scrambled right and hit Reggie Frischknecht downfield for another score.
That kind of improvisation can cut both ways. It opens the door to explosive plays, but it also raises the risk of mistakes. Still, if the game has slowed down enough for Bachmeier to create off-script while protecting the ball, that’s a good development for BYU’s offense.
Friday’s two-minute drill also gave the defense a chance to show what it can do against the first unit. The answer: pressure.
Tausili Akana blew around the edge for a sack on the opening snap, and Bachmeier never really got comfortable after that. He wasn’t able to work through his progressions because the rush kept closing in.
It was the first time in camp that the pass rush clearly took over a drive.
That matters. In college football, the gap between a good defense and a great one is often a disruptive front.
If BYU’s pass rush is better in 2026 than it was over the last two seasons, the defense can take a real step forward. When the offense was forced into obvious passing situations, the line got after Bachmeier.
The receiver rotation is also starting to come into focus. The four wideouts who took the bulk of first-team reps during the week were Jojo Phillips, Kyler Kasper, Legend Glasker, and Reggie Frischknecht.
Tiger Bachmeier and Tei Nacua mostly worked with the second unit, though Bachmeier did get a rep or two with the starters on Friday. At this point, Phillips, Kasper, Glasker, and Frischknecht look like the core group.
Glasker, a true freshman, appears ready to have a major role right away. He has been running with the first-team offense and should either start or see plenty of snaps.
Another freshman expected to make an immediate impact is defensive end Braxton Lindsey, a four-star who has been working with the first-team defense. Safety Kennan Pula, also a true freshman, has put together a productive camp and should see the field as well.
If one of the veteran safeties misses time because of injury, Pula could be in line for a much bigger role.
Kasper has also become one of the more intriguing pieces in camp. At 6-foot-6, he brings size that changes how the offense can attack in the red zone, and he’s athletic enough to make that size matter.
Bachmeier has started looking his way near the goal line, and the results have been encouraging. Kasper caught a touchdown from Bachmeier in last Saturday’s scrimmage, using his length to help finish the play even though the throw wasn’t perfect.
A week earlier, Bachmeier had already found him in the end zone once in the first scrimmage.
That connection could become a real weapon. If Bachmeier and Kasper keep building chemistry, Aaron Roderick will have a useful answer against any defense. As the article noted, there is no such thing as a 6'6 cornerback, and that size mismatch could open up a lot of options if Bachmeier can keep putting the ball where only Kasper can reach it.
There are also a few under-the-radar names beginning to matter. Cannon DeVries is expected to play a lot on defense, and he may also start as the punt returner.
As of this writing, he is projected to start at nickel. He also showed up with an interception of Bachmeier that he returned for a touchdown, and he was getting plenty of first-team run on defense.
Up front, Viliami Po'uha and Anisi Purcell are names to keep on the radar. Both are expected to play significant roles, and if BYU wants to be as disruptive as people expect, they’ll need both of them to contribute.
At kicker, Matthias Dunn looks like the favorite to open the season. He has only kicked a handful of balls in practice, but he has made every one of them, including several from 50 yards or more.
And in the backfield, Preston Rex looks much more comfortable than he did at this point last fall. He has improved as a between-the-tackles runner and stands out as the best receiver among BYU’s running backs.
That part of his game showed up Friday, when he made a string of tough catches. Rex should have a real role in 2026.
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BYU Has A New Lineup Question After A Breakout Home Opener
A home opener can settle a team in a hurry, and BYU womens soccer got exactly that kind of lift from Emma Hamberlin in a 2-0 win over USC. The junior, who has been training as a center back, came off the bench and made her presence felt over 45 minutes, helping the Cougars control the second half and out-shoot the Trojans 12-11 in a game that never felt fully settled until late.
Hamberlins breakout also leaves BYU with a fresh lineup question as the homestand rolls on against Minnesota. She had spent her preparation on the back line, but her decisive impact in an attacking role gives the Cougars another option to weigh, especially after a performance that showed how quickly one unexpected move can change the feel of a match. [Read more 🡒]