BYU already has six players on the Preseason All-Big 12 team, but the Cougars may not be done sending names into the conference spotlight.
On Monday, running back LJ Martin, center Bruce Mitchell, defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa, linebacker Cade Uluave, cornerback Evan Johnson, and safety Faletau Satuala were all honored. That’s a strong start. Still, there are a handful of BYU players outside that group who have a real shot to force their way onto the All-Big 12 conversation by the end of the season.
Andrew Gentry is a good place to start. He started all 14 games for BYU last season, his first full year as a starter after transferring from Michigan.
That production came with some built-in obstacles, too. Gentry was coming off a season-ending Lisfranc injury in 2024, and because of that injury, he missed Spring Camp.
His first reps at BYU didn’t come until 2025 Fall Camp.
Even with that limited runway, Gentry held up well. Over 14 games, he allowed just one quarterback hit and one quarterback sack.
That lone sack came against the Texas Tech defensive line in the Big 12 championship game. He also went the final six games of the season without being flagged for a penalty, an under-the-radar number that says plenty about how cleanly he played down the stretch.
With a healthy offseason and a second year in the offense, Gentry looks like a player who could make a serious jump.
Walker Lyons is another name to watch. BYU’s wide receiver room has questions heading into 2026, and that could push the Cougars toward a heavier tight end package.
Lyons and Roger Saleapaga are both expected to play major roles, and Lyons has a path to becoming one of BYU’s top receiving threats, maybe even the top one. That kind of volume could put him in position to rise into All-Big 12 tight end territory.
Texas Tech’s Terrance Carter was the preseason pick at the position after catching 55 passes for 624 yards last year, and Lyons has a chance to top that output in 2026.
Isaiah Glasker has already shown he can play at a high level. He broke out for BYU’s defense in 2024 and was headed for another strong season in 2025 before an injury against Colorado slowed him down.
Before that setback, he was coming off one of the best games of his career at East Carolin. He still appeared in every game for BYU, but there were stretches when he clearly wasn’t at full strength.
His best showing in the back half of the season came in the bowl game against Georgia Tech, after he had a few weeks to recover. If he stays healthy in 2026 the way he did in 2024, he has the look of one of the league’s top linebackers.
Nusi Taumoepeau might have the most obvious breakout case of the bunch. The true freshman edge rusher was not fully healthy in 2025 after an injury in Fall Camp forced him to miss the first five games.
He made his debut against Arizona, then saw his role grow as the season went on. By the end of the year, he posted a 29.4% pressure rate, the best mark on BYU’s defense.
His first career start came against Georgia Tech, and he made that opportunity count, leading the Cougars with six quarterback pressures on just 13 pass rush attempts. Taumoepeau missed Spring Camp after having surgery on the injury, but now that he’s healthy, he has a chance to turn that pressure rate into something much bigger.
Then there’s Bear Bachmeier, who could wind up in the thick of the quarterback race across the Big 12. Now a sophomore, he finally has a full offseason at BYU, and what he showed during Spring Camp suggests a meaningful step forward is coming.
Noah Fifita was the conference’s All-Conference quarterback last season and was the preseason choice on Monday after putting up 3,444 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions in 2025. Bachmeier, as a true freshman in 2025, totaled 3,560 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.
If he can build on that production and keep winning at the same rate, he has a real chance to be the best quarterback in the league by season’s end.
In Other News...
Bear And Tiger Bachmeier Are Giving BYU Fans A New Reason To Cheer
Bear Bachmeier and Tiger Bachmeier have already given BYU fans plenty to talk about on the field, but on Monday night they are set to show a different side of themselves. The quarterback and receiver will team up with their uncle Don as the Music Bachs for a free concert at the American Fork Amphitheater, part of the Harrington Center for the Arts Concert in the Park series, with a mix of rock and country songs on the bill.
For the Bachmeier family, it is a chance to bring a hobby that has mostly stayed private into a public setting. The brothers have performed before at retirement homes, but this will be their first live show in front of a general audience, which adds a little extra curiosity to a summer event that already has a built-in BYU connection. [Read more 🡒]
Big 12 Suddenly Has A Texas Tech Problem BYU Fans Will Notice
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and Texas Tech administrators have been trying to put the Brendan Sorsby mess behind them, meeting in Fort Worth in an effort to smooth over a dispute that has lingered through the offseason. The episode has already left a mark around the league, with Texas Tech feeling like it was left to absorb the fallout after the conference collectively decided the quarterback would not be allowed to play, and the whole situation has only added to the sense that this is more than a routine eligibility matter.
For BYU fans, the part worth watching is how much this has widened the gap between Texas Tech and the rest of the Big 12. The Red Raiders have gotten public backing from some coaches, including Kalani Sitake, and the tension has spilled into the open in ways the conference would rather avoid. Even with the meeting meant to calm things down, the underlying question remains whether Texas Tech and the league are really on the same page yet. [Read more 🡒]
Big 12 Media Day Brought Two Massive BYU Revelations
Big 12 Media Day gave BYU a little bit of everything, from conference-level concern to a couple of revealing comments from the Cougars own people. Commissioner Brett Yormark addressed the broader climate around league games, while Kalani Sitake was asked to weigh in on the ever-moving playoff conversation and said he is not making the decisions, even if he believes a 24-team field would make the most sense.
The more intriguing BYU nugget came from Bear Bachmeier, who peeled back the curtain on one of the seasons most memorable moments. His touchdown run against Utah looked like a designed burst of improvisation, but Bachmeier said the play did not unfold the way it was supposed to, which makes the clip feel a little different now. For a program that expects every detail to matter in Big 12 play, it was the kind of candid admission that only adds to the curiosity around what BYU has coming next. [Read more 🡒]