BYU’s roster for the 2026-2027 season is taking shape, but the big missing piece is still staring the Cougars in the face.
Kevin Young and the program added Lithuanian combo guard Dovydas Buika on Wednesday, ending a stretch of months without a new face. Even with Buika in the fold, BYU still has several openings to sort out before next season arrives.
The rebuild is a sizable one. BYU is set to replace 12 of the 17 players from last year’s roster, with graduation, the NBA Draft, and the transfer portal all doing their part.
Seven players entered the portal, and every one of them has already landed elsewhere. Three ended up at high-major programs.
On top of that, BYU has to account for two NBA Draft picks in AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders.
The good news for the Cougars is that Robert Wright III is back. He entered the transfer portal and even took a visit to Kentucky before withdrawing and returning to BYU, making him the most important transfer retention of the offseason.
At this point, BYU has added seven scholarship players for 2026-27. That group includes three transfer additions, two high school recruits, one returned missionary, and one international prospect.
Bruce Branch III is the headliner among the newcomers. The five-star freshman will draw plenty of attention, but the source material makes clear that his ceiling is high and that he is not expected to score at the same level AJ Dybantsa did at BYU.
Even after all those additions, the roster is not finished. BYU still has three or four scholarship spots to fill, and two of them need to be centers.
That search has dragged on for months, and the Cougars still have not identified their starting center for next season. They also need a backup.
The coaching staff has been working the international market to find that next starting big, and the delay has been tied in part to enrollment complications. Kevin Young said the Cougars have been in "lockstep" with one center in particular.
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Martin is also chasing a place in program history, with the all-time rushing mark still within reach if he keeps producing at the level he showed a year ago. Big 12 coaches already have him pegged as a preseason Offensive Player of the Year, which only adds to the pressure and the possibility around what BYUs offense could become if he stays on track. [Read more 🡒]