BYU’s fall camp opens next week, and the biggest decisions on the table are the ones that usually shape a season before it ever starts: who lines up where, and who earns the first crack at the job.
At wide receiver, the Cougars are replacing the three players who logged the most snaps in 2025 - Chase Roberts, Parker Kingston, and Cody Hagen - so this battle carries real weight. Jojo Phillips and Kyler Kasper look like the safest bets to lock down two starting spots.
The third opening is wide open, with true freshman Legend Glasker and another freshman, Jaron Pula, both in the mix. Glasker has the kind of upside that makes it easy to dream on him after how well he performed in Spring Camp, but the expectation here is that Fesi Sitake will start with experience.
That said, the freshmen could keep climbing as the season goes on. Reggie Frischknecht gets the nod for that third spot, with Tei Nacua and Tiger Bachmeier also competing for the reps.
He earned plenty of first-team work in the spring and made the most of it.
Prediction
WR1: Jojo Phillips
WR2: Kyler Kasper
WR3: Reggie Frischknecht
The left guard competition has a crowded feel to it as well. Joe Brown and Trevin Ostler split first-team reps in March, Sonny Makasini is back after missing spring while recovering from injury, and Stanford transfer Zak Yamauchi is also in the mix after starting a handful of games for the Cardinal as a freshman in 2025.
Still, the pick here is Makasini. He brings the most experience to the group, and he already logged 423 snaps for BYU’s offense last season.
He also started the first two games against Portland State and Stanford.
Up front on defense, the Cougars may have more talent than they’ve had at any point in the Kalani Sitake era, and both defensive end spots are up for grabs. The list of contenders is long: Nusi Taumoepeau, Tausili Akana, Hunter Clegg, Bodie Schoonover, Kini Fonohema, and Braxton Lindsey.
Viliami Po'uha and Bodie Schoonover were the two returning players who saw the most action last season, but Po'uha shifted from defensive end to defensive tackle during Spring Camp, so he’s not expected to factor into this race. The projection here goes with Taumoepeau and Clegg.
Taumoepeau was BYU’s most efficient pass rusher last season by pressure rate, and a second-year jump feels likely. Clegg, meanwhile, played more snaps than any true freshman not named Bear Bachmeier after returning home from his mission in December of 2024, and the combination of that experience plus a year in the strength and conditioning program could set him up for a breakout.
The backup quarterback job may be another one that stays unofficial. BYU has not named a backup quarterback in recent seasons, and that likely won’t change in 2026.
If Treyson Bourguet and Enoch Watson stay close, Aaron Roderick would probably list them with an “OR” between their names. Bourguet gets the edge because he’s the more experienced option and handled himself well in the spring.
His best trait is his ability to push the ball downfield. Watson, a freshman, is the challenger.
Special teams is a complete reset. BYU needs new answers at kicker, punter, kick returner, and punt returner, and these jobs could move in a lot of different directions once camp gets going. The projections here come with less certainty than the others: Matthias Dunn at kicker, Fuller Shurtz at punter, Terrance Saryon as kick returner, and Cannon DeVries as punt returner.
On the back end, BYU does return two starting cornerbacks in Therrian Alexander III and Evan Johnson, and both are expected to stay in the lineup. The bigger question is the third corner, since BYU typically rotates at least three.
Mississippi State transfer Jayven Williams is the favorite to fill that role and compete with Jordyn Criss, Kevin Doe, Jonathan Kabeya, and Cannon DeVries. Williams gets the slight edge because he brings the most experience and played well in the SEC last season.
In Other News...
BYUs Backfield Suddenly Carries One Big Concern Into Fall Camp
BYU heads toward fall camp with a backfield that still looks like one of the programs strengths, starting with LJ Martin as the clear lead option in a run-first offense built to lean on its ground game in the Big 12. Martin is also closing in on the schools all-time rushing record, which only adds to the sense that the Cougars offense will keep asking a lot of him when the season opens.
The bigger question is how much help he gets behind him. BYU expects Sione Moa back after his injury absence and sees him as a quality No. 2, while Preston Rex and Devaughn Eka are battling for the next spot in line. That competition matters because the Cougars want depth they can trust, and in a season where the running backs should be central to the offense, the margin for uncertainty is not especially wide. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Lyons Might Already Be BYUs Biggest Fall Camp X-Factor
BYUs fall camp opens in early August, and one of the most important storylines already has a familiar feel for a program trying to reload on offense. Tight end Walker Lyons, the USC transfer, arrived with a reputation for doing a little bit of everything, and he spent spring practice backing that up with the kind of blocking, receiving and football IQ that tends to earn trust quickly.
The Cougars need that kind of reliability after losing NFL draftee Carsen Ryan, and Lyons looks positioned to step into a major role in the 2026 offense. He also gives the staff another versatile piece to work with as the tight end room takes shape, and the early signs suggest he may be more than just a depth addition by the time camp gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]