When BYU opens 2026 fall camp, the quarterback job won’t be the main drama for once. Bear Bachmeier is already locked in as the starter, which shifts the spotlight to the spots around him - and there are plenty of them.
The biggest one sits at wide receiver. BYU had to replace leading receiver Parker Kingston before spring camp even started, then Cody Hagen announced his retirement after spring. That left the Cougars with a receiver room that suddenly looks like the biggest uncertainty on a roster otherwise loaded with veterans.
Jojo Phillips is set to start. Beyond him, the picture is still being drawn.
Kyler Kasper, the Oregon transfer, worked with the first-team offense in the spring, and true freshman Legend Glasker kept climbing the depth chart. Jaron Pula and Terrance Saryon also picked up second-team reps.
BYU still has Tiger Bachmeier, Tei Nacua, and Reggie Frischknecht in the mix after they played sparingly in 2025, but the Cougars need a few wideouts to become dependable targets for Bear Bachmeier if they want to handle the best teams on the schedule.
The offensive line looks far more settled, with one notable opening. Washington transfer Paki Finau took first-team reps at left tackle, Bruce Mitchell is back at center after earning First Team All-Big 12 honors in 2025, Kyle Sfarcioc returns at right guard, and Andrew Gentry is back at right tackle. The only real vacancy is at left guard.
That spot has a crowded field. Joe Brown and Trevin Ostler split first-team reps in March.
Sonny Makasini, who played in 14 games last season, is back in the hunt after missing spring while recovering from an injury. Zak Yamauchi, a Stanford transfer who started a handful of games as a freshman in 2025, was also limited by injury in the spring and remains in the competition.
Defensive end is another room worth watching closely, and BYU defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga has already pointed to it as the deepest position group on that side of the ball. Nusi Taumoepeau, who broke out as a true freshman, is healthy again. Hunter Clegg, who played more snaps than any true freshman not named Bear Bachmeier in 2025, enters camp after a full offseason of development and looks ready to push forward.
They’ll be challenged by more experienced names too. Tausili Akana’s role expanded last season after he transferred in from Texas, and his weight gain will matter if he’s going to hold up as an every-down defensive end.
Bodie Schoonover brings the most experience in the room and may be BYU’s best run-stopping end, but his role will depend on how much he develops as a pass rusher. He pressured the quarterback on 8% of pass rush attempts last season, a step below Taumoepeau, Clegg, and Akana.
There’s more young talent waiting behind them. True freshman Braxton Lindsey was a spring standout.
Kini Fonohema has gotten to a weight where he can compete for time. Adney Reid and Siosefa Brown are also in the mix.
With players who were four-star recruits or had competing P4 offers, this group has a chance to look much better in 2026 than it did in 2025.
The backup quarterback race is another important one, even with Bachmeier entrenched as the starter. BYU usually needs more than one quarterback to get through a season, and the job behind him appears to be between Treyson Bourguet and freshman returned missionary Enoch Watson.
Bourguet and Watson, both Arizona natives, shared the backup reps in March. Bourguet brings more experience and a stronger grasp of the offense. Watson may have the higher ceiling, and he fits the profile of quarterbacks who have done well in Aaron Roderick’s system because he is accurate and mobile.
Special teams will be almost entirely new. BYU is replacing its starting kicker, punter, long-snapper, kick returner, and punt returner, and Justin Ena is stepping in as the new special teams coordinator.
Tiger Bachmeier, Cannon DeVries, and Jonathan Kabeya are in line to compete for the return jobs, with a freshman like Legend Glasker possibly joining that battle too. At kicker, Matthias Dunn, Ian Sanches, and Brody Laga will fight for the spot. Laga signed on scholarship before his mission and returned home a few months ago, while Dunn has spent the last two seasons as Will Ferrin’s backup.
Cornerback has a clearer top end, with Evan Johnson and Therrian Alexander III established as the two starters. The third rotation spot is open.
Jonathan Kabeya could fill it, though he may be better suited at nickel. Mississippi State transfer Jayven Williams looks like the favorite after handling that same role for the Bulldogs last season, and Kevin Doe and Jordyn Criss are the younger names expected to help round out the two-deep.
In Other News...
BYU Football Is Crossing A Uniform Line Fans Never Expected
BYU football is about to put a new kind of mark on its uniforms, and it is one fans have not seen before. Beginning with the 2026 season, Entrata will become the Cougars first-ever jersey patch sponsor, with the Utah-based property management software companys logo set to appear on game jerseys as part of a broader partnership that also brings branding and community engagement efforts.
The move signals how far the college athletics landscape has shifted, even for a program with a distinct identity like BYUs. Athletic director Brian Santiago said there was plenty of interest from corporate sponsors, but the school did not disclose financial terms, leaving the full scope of the deal to come into focus later as the patch becomes part of the teams look. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Fans Know This Name And His Rise Just Got National
John Henry Daleys ascent has gone from familiar to national in a hurry. The senior edge rusher put together a breakout 2025 season at Utah, leading the nation in tackles for loss and earning first-team All-America honors before an Achilles tendon injury cut short his year. For anyone who has followed his path, the production only confirmed what had been building for a while: Daley is the kind of disruptive defender who can change the feel of a game from the edge.
Now at Michigan, Daley is working his way back and aiming to be fully ready for the 2026 season, a timeline that matters even more with the Wolverines facing a demanding schedule. Michigan also needs answers up front after losing its top three defensive linemen to the NFL Draft, which leaves Daley positioned to become one of the most important returning pieces on that side of the ball if his rehab keeps trending in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Football Just Crossed A Major Branding Line
BYU Athletics has added another modern layer to its football operation with a new multi-year partnership that reaches well beyond the field. The agreement brings in a Utah-based technology company and folds in more than just a logo on a jersey, with the school pointing to in-venue branding, digital activations, fan engagement and community work across the state as part of the package.
The most visible piece will arrive with the 2026 season, when the program is set to debut a jersey patch as part of the deal. For BYU, it is another sign of how college football branding is evolving, and for the program and its partner, the hope is that the relationship builds something that resonates with fans while also carrying a broader impact in Utah. [Read more 🡒]