BYU heads into Big 12 play with a fresh injury headache on the offensive line, and it comes at a tough spot. The Cougars’ Monday depth chart left out two-year starting right tackle Andrew Gentry, a noticeable absence for a player who has owned that job since arriving in Provo and has been one of BYU’s best run-blocking tackles in recent seasons.
Kalani Sitake said Monday that Gentry is officially listed as questionable. The next two days, Sitake said, will help determine whether Gentry - along with linebacker Siale Esera - can suit up when BYU visits TCU this weekend.
If Gentry can’t go, the Cougars would turn to a pair of freshmen at right tackle: Lone Peak’s Bott Mulitalo and Siosiua Latu-Finau, a 4-star recruit out of California. Both were listed with the “or” designation, which means they’ll spend the week competing for the spot in practice.
“We’ll see how how it plays out this week, and I’m not nervous,” said BYU senior starting center Bruce Mitchell. “We’ve got some really talented, good young players (and) the only thing that separates us older guys from them is is experience. Some of them could get thrown into the fire this week, (and) excited to see what they can do if they get the opportunity.”
Mitchell’s presence in the middle is a big reason BYU can feel steadier even with possible shuffling around him. He’s been graded as the top center nationally by several services, including Pro Player Focus, and when asked about that recognition Monday, he kept the focus squarely on the opponent.
“Let’s go beat TCU.”
That’s the mission now as BYU comes out of its lone bye week and moves into the stretch of conference games ahead over the next nine weeks of the 2026 season. Sitake said the Cougars got an early look at TCU while watching the Horned Frogs against UCF, and he came away impressed.
“We had an early start on TCU, and got to see them play against UCF, and got to see (that) they’re a well-coached team,” Sitake observed regarding the Horned Frogs. “I think (they) put up a lot of yards, and they can move the ball.
Defensively, they’re sound, too, and I have known the defensive coordinator, and I’ve known Sunny Dykes forever. So they’re going to be ready to play.”
There was some good news on the health front, too. Sitake said offensive lineman Kyle Sfarcioc, tight end Roger Saleapaga and receiver Tiger Bachmeier are expected back after missing the win over Colorado State two Saturdays ago.
“I thought it was a very successful bye week, (we got( a lot of work done, and got a lot of guys ready to go,” Sitake said. “So, as we start this nine-game path of getting to where we want to be … (I) feel really good about where we’re at as a program, as a team, and looking forward to game four for us.”
One player who made the most of the off week away from football was receiver Kyler Kasper, who told reporters he proposed to his girlfriend over the weekend.
“That was really fun during the bye week,” Kasper, who was all smiles, said of the proposal. “Other than that I just rested and hung out, but that was a big step.”
Kasper said the team still treated the bye as a working week, with full practices and workouts built in as BYU prepared for TCU.
“I think we took it very serious,” Kasper said. “We were able to get a week ahead to prep for TCU, which I think is huge. We took that very serious and we had very good practices, so I think it was a really good week leading up to this week, and obviously we need to continue that into this week … but we’ll be prepared.”
In Other News...
BYUs Big 12 Path Suddenly Runs Through Two Huge Tests
BYU used its weekend off to catch its breath, but the break did little to simplify the road ahead. The Cougars return to Big 12 play next weekend at TCU, and the conversation around their season is already shifting toward how they handle the stretch that follows, with Iowa State waiting as another major test. With BYU still in the mix near the top of the conference picture, every week now feels like a sorting exercise, especially in a league where the standings remain crowded and a few teams still have a realistic path to the championship game.
The Cougars have given themselves a chance because of the way they have played on offense, while their defense has been good enough to keep them in the race. But the next two games will say plenty about whether that profile translates against the kind of competition that can separate contenders from the pack. Utah, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Houston remain part of the broader Big 12 conversation too, which only adds to the pressure on BYU as it heads into a run that could either strengthen its case or leave it chasing from behind. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Bye Week Brought A Telling Shift In The Top 25
BYUs bye week arrived at a useful moment, not just for rest but for perspective. While the Cougars sat out, the broader college football picture kept moving, and the latest Top 25 ballot offered a reminder of how quickly the sport can shift when teams keep stacking wins and standout performances.
Texas stayed at No. 1 in the ranking, with Miami, Notre Dame, Georgia and Ohio State filling out the top tier, a snapshot that says as much about recent form as it does about reputation. For BYU, the takeaway is less about any single slot and more about the pressure to stay in the conversation when the calendar and the standings both start tightening. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Sent A Clear Message In The Latest AP Poll
BYUs place in the AP Top 25 took a small hit after Week 4, slipping from No. 9 to No. 10 as the latest rankings settled in. The Cougars still sit well inside the national conversation, but the movement around them underscored how crowded the Big 12 picture is becoming, with Utah climbing two spots to No. 13 and other league teams continuing to jockey for position.
Oklahoma State also joined the poll at No. 19 after its win over West Virginia, adding another layer to a conference race that already has plenty of traffic. Texas Tech and Houston held steady or moved up as well, so for BYU the message from the latest poll was simple: every week is going to matter, and the margin between a rise and a slide is already razor thin. [Read more 🡒]