Preseason buzz is doing a lot of work for BYU right now, and that’s exactly the point.
For a program like the Cougars, the climb starts long before the first snap. Being talked about as a contender shapes poll placement, poll placement drives attention, attention leads to better TV windows, and those windows help define how the rest of the sport sees you.
That’s the game in July. And this summer, BYU is winning it.
The Cougars enter the fall after a 12-2 season and with plenty of ammunition to keep the spotlight pointed their way. They bring back the Big 12’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year in running back LJ Martin, signed the highest-rated recruiting class in program history and locked up head coach Kalani Sitake on a long-term deal.
At Big 12 Media Days, the message around BYU was clear: this is a team people are taking seriously. Sportswriter Stewart Mandel of The Athletic even called BYU, heading into its fourth year in the league, the No. 1 brand in the Big 12.
A big part of that perception comes from the names lining up on both sides of the ball.
Martin is back after being the league’s best runner a year ago, and now he starts 2026 with preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors already in hand. That puts him in the conversation for the NFL Draft and for national awards like the Doak Walker and Heisman Trophy before the season even begins.
Up front, senior center Bruce Mitchell gives BYU another important piece. He was named to the All-Big 12 team and is tasked with anchoring an offensive line built to help Martin and quarterback Bear Bachmeier keep the offense rolling.
The defense has its own headline players. Faletau Satuala, a preseason All-Big 12 safety, returns as BYU’s leading tackler with 84 and three interceptions, including a 40-yard Pick Six at Iowa State. He is expected to be ready for the opener against Utah Tech on Sept. 5 as he continues recovering from a foot fracture.
Cade Uluave, the Cal transfer, steps into the linebacker spot left open by Jack Kelly, who went in the sixth round to the New York Giants. Kelly’s role in BYU’s 23-4 run over the last two seasons means Uluave will have a bright spotlight on him right away.
Keanu Tanuvasa is another preseason All-Big 12 selection who gives the Cougars stability where it matters most. The 6-4, 300-pound interior defensive lineman returned for one more year of NFL preparation, keeping BYU firm up front.
Then there’s Bachmeier, who arrives with his own résumé already packed. The true freshman threw for more than 3,000 yards, ran for more than 500 and helped BYU win 12 games, earning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors along the way. He won’t be sneaking up on anyone now, and if he wants to be seen as the league’s top quarterback, he’ll have to take another step.
The schedule also gives BYU a chance to keep the conversation going. The Cougars have seven home games, including a possible heavyweight matchup with Notre Dame on Oct. 17 that would boost both teams’ strength of schedule and their public image no matter how it turns out.
Of course, none of this matters if the games don’t back it up. BYU has already seen how quickly preseason praise can evaporate.
In 2024, Utah, Kansas State and Oklahoma State got the early love, while the Cougars were buried near the bottom at No. 13.
But once the season played out, BYU finished tied for first with Arizona State, Colorado and Iowa State, while Utah fell to a tie for 13th and Oklahoma State ended up last. The Big 12’s preseason poll disappeared after that, and On3 Sports later put BYU No. 1 in its own coaches’ poll.
That’s the reality for a program that can’t afford to live in the shadows. BYU has shown before that it can turn a quiet start into something unforgettable, including the undefeated 1984 team that won the program’s first national championship. But this version of the Cougars operates in a different world, one where being visible matters almost as much as being good.
Right now, the visibility is there. The reputation is there. The expectations are there.
Now it’s on BYU to make sure the football matches the noise.
In Other News...
BYU Still Has Two Major Recruiting Decisions Hanging In The Balance
BYUs 2026 recruiting push has already brought more than a dozen official visitors through Provo, and the Cougars have used those weekends to get in front of several prospects who have also picked up offers. Among the most important names in the mix is Owen Leishman, a linebacker and tight end prospect who has offers from BYU and Utah and has already taken an official visit to BYU, giving the Cougars a real foothold in a competitive recruitment.
Jag Ioane is another one worth watching closely. The Orem High School defensive end has taken official visits to several programs, including BYU, and he remains in the middle of sorting through his options. For a class that is still taking shape, both recruitments matter because they could help define how high this group climbs once the summer visits are done and decisions start coming in. [Read more 🡒]
Why Kalani Sitake Staying At BYU Suddenly Feels Even Bigger
With coaching turnover sweeping through the Big 12, Kalani Sitakes steadiness at BYU has taken on a different kind of weight. He is now the leagues longest-tenured head coach, a distinction that says as much about the chaos around him as it does about the program he has built. Sitake has long leaned on a LaVell Edwards-inspired approach, stressing development, culture, discipline and sacrifice over the quick pull of NIL money, and that message has helped define the Cougars under his watch.
It has also helped keep the roster together. Sitake chose to remain at BYU despite outside opportunities, and almost all of his starters are back for the upcoming season, giving the Cougars a level of continuity that is increasingly rare in the league. In a conference where change has become the norm, BYU enters with a coach who has stayed put and a team that has largely stayed with him, which makes the next step feel especially intriguing. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Put Ty Detmer In Rare Air With College Football Legends
ESPNs latest jersey-number project turned into a nice reminder of how often Utah football names surface in the sports broader history. The network went number by number from 0 to 99, picking the best college player ever to wear each one and listing three runners-up, and three players with Utah ties came away as winners: Ty Detmer for No. 14, Merlin Olsen for his number, and Haloti Ngata for No. 96.
For BYU fans, Detmers inclusion is the one that jumps off the page. The former Cougars quarterback has long been part of the programs national identity, and being singled out in a list built to compare eras only adds to that legacy. Utah-affiliated names also showed up among the runners-up, with Robbie Bosco and Jordan Gross giving the state even more representation in a project that leaned heavily on college football history and reputation. [Read more 🡒]