BYU’s recent run in close games has been built on more than just late-game grit. Over the past two seasons, the Cougars are 8-2 in one-score games, and they’re 4-0 in such contests in 2025.
That kind of record doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from all three phases showing up together, with offense, defense and special teams covering for one another when the game gets messy.
That idea has shaped the way BYU is putting this team together again in fall camp. On offense, the Cougars bring back the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in running back LJ Martin, a starter at quarterback in sophomore Bear Bachmeier and a solid offensive line. There is talent at tight end and receiver, but not much that’s proven yet.
Even so, fifth-year senior quarterback Treyson Bourguet sees a group with real flexibility.
“We have a lot of continuity from last year,” Bourguet said. “We got some guys from the transfer portal that can really come in and plug and play.
They can really get after it. Coach A Rod (Aaron Roderick) has done a really good job calling plays to the offense’s strengths.
“It’s kind of hard to pick and choose what are strengths are because we’re so well-rounded all over the football field. We can go into a game and throw it 45 times and find a lot of success, and then the next game we can throw less than 20 times and let LJ run and find a way to win. And our defense complements us a lot, creating turnovers and doing what they do.”
Bourguet also likes what Bachmeier brings after his freshman season. Roderick opened the playbook for him last year, and Bourguet believes there’s room for even more growth.
“I think Bear is going to keep doing what he’s doing,” Bourguet said. “You find growth from your freshman to your sophomore year, your sophomore to your junior year and your junior year to your senior year, that’s what I’ve seen for myself.
Whatever play is called, Bear is going to execute it to the highest level, not just physically but mentally as well. His football IQ is off the charts.
He and Coach A Rod really complement each other very well, no matter what play is called.”
Defensively, BYU has plenty back to work with. The Cougars return an improving veteran defensive line and what could be one of the country’s best linebacking groups, led by senior Isaiah Glasker, junior Siale Esera and Cal transfer Cade Uluave. Evan Johnson, who may be the fastest player on the team, is back at cornerback and anchors a deep secondary.
The biggest change on that side is on the headset. Jay Hill is gone after leaving for a spot on Kyle Whittingham’s staff at Michigan, and Kelly Poppinga has taken over as BYU’s defensive coordinator.
“Kelly has been here the whole time,” BYU senior defensive end Bodie Schoonover said. “It’s been amazing and the transition has been smooth for us.”
Schoonover thinks this group has the ingredients to be something special.
“It’s our mindset as a whole,” he said. “We’ve got so many guys on the team that are bought into our purpose as a defense to just go out there every play and give it our all.
We just love football and we love to be here. We love each other.
Our camaraderie and our chemistry will take us a long way.”
Special teams is where BYU has the most rebuilding to do. With Poppinga now leading the defense, fourth-year assistant Justin Ena is in charge of the kicking game, and almost every spot has to be filled again. The Cougars are replacing the kicker, punter, holder and returner jobs.
Right now, Matthias Dunn, a senior from Heber City, looks like the leading candidate at kicker. Redshirt freshman Fuller Shurtz of Katy, Texas, appears to have the edge at punter. The battle at deep snapper includes redshirt freshman Berkley Alfrey of Auburn, Wash., redshirt sophomore Ty Smith of Gibert, Ariz., and sophomore Rayden Heintz of Brighton, Colo.
In Other News...
BYU Basketball Finally Added A Frontcourt Piece Fans Needed
BYUs frontcourt outlook for the future got a boost with the addition of a seasoned international big man, as the Cougars officially added a 6-foot-9 center to the roster for the 2026-27 season. The new piece brings a pro background overseas, having already played in the Polish Basketball League and EuroCup, while also representing the Polish National Team.
For a program that has been looking to add size and experience up front, it is the kind of move that fits a longer-term plan rather than an immediate patch. BYU has been earning attention on the football side too, with LJ Martin landing preseason All-America recognition and Walker Lyons drawing early award buzz, but the basketball programs latest addition gives fans something to circle for the next wave of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Is Taking A Risk At Receiver After Key Losses
BYUs receiver room is headed into 2026 with a different look after the departures of Parker Kingston and Cody Hagen, and the staff did not try to patch the hole by adding another wideout. Instead, the Cougars brought in backup quarterback John Sanders and running back Journee Tonga, while offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has pointed to the receivers already in the program and the extra help available at tight end as reasons for optimism.
The burden now shifts to a group that includes JoJo Phillips, Kyler Kasper and freshman Legend Glasker, along with Reggie Frischknecht and Tiger Bachmeier, to make the passing game work without much outside reinforcement. BYU has also added Walker Lyons and Roger Saleapaga at tight end, giving Roderick more options in the middle of the field, but the real question is whether the current receiver mix can hold up after the roster choices left the position without the obvious safety net of another addition. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Could Be In Line For A Frontcourt Boost Fans Want
BYUs frontcourt wishlist could get a little more interesting if Jaxon Kohler decides to keep playing college basketball. The Michigan State forward, who has already spent four seasons with the Spartans, is exploring a path to another year of eligibility, and that has put a handful of major programs on alert, including BYU, Kansas and Kentucky, with a return to East Lansing still in the mix.
For the Cougars, Kohler would bring a veteran presence and the kind of interior help fans have been hoping to see as rosters keep shifting. The catch is that the whole picture depends on whether he is actually able to secure another season for 2026-27, which leaves BYU in the same holding pattern as the rest of the interested schools while the next step in his college career sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]