Kevin Young’s rebuilt BYU team has opened the season 3-0, and the next two games - Thursday against Montana State and Nov. 18 against Northern Colorado - will serve as the final tuneups before the Cougars head to paradise for the Maui Invitational from Nov. 23-25.
The No. 23 Cougars look very different from last year’s group.
Only four players remain from the 14-man roster, and that list includes Dawson Baker and Brody Kozlowski, who missed all or most of last season because of injuries. That leaves Rob Wright III and Khadim Mboup as the only returners who played major minutes.
The overhaul has brought a new look, and the biggest change may be the shooting. Former Cougar and current broadcaster Mark Durrant said he likes what he sees.
“I love this group. I am super optimistic.
I thought Ohio State was a really good team coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance and had some dudes and BYU handled them well,” Durrant told the “Y’s Guys” livestream show this week. “I think it’s an elite shooting team.
I think Bruce Branch III is really good now and will be great by the end of the year. I think Rob Wright is the best player in the country.”
Depth has also been reshaped in a major way.
Veteran play-by-play announcer Greg Wrubell pointed to the bench as one of the clearest signs that this BYU roster is built differently.
“This year, they bring off the bench a guy that scored 1,300 points (Dawson Baker) that they didn’t have for most of last year,” Wrubell told the “Y’s Guys” livestream. “They bring off the bench a guy who has scored 700 points in his career (Nate Pickens).
They bring off a guy who was starting games in the ACC (Jake Whalin). They bring Khadim Mboup.
I love Mboup and (they have) top-level high school talent in Dean Rueckert and Brooks Bahr. Last year, you weren’t looking at the same level of talent.”
Wrubell and Durrant have been calling BYU games together for 30 seasons, and on this week’s show they took a quick, three-word swing at several key players on the roster.
For Jaxon Kohler, Durrant went with: “Fierce. Smart. Glue.”
Wrubell’s read: “Skilled. Fun. Energy.”
On Collin Chandler, Durrant said: “Explosive. Sleeper. Sharpshooter.”
Wrubell: “Long. Strong. Shooter.”
Bruce Branch III drew this from Durrant: “Raw. Wrubellion-physique.
He’s a man. An NBA man.”
Wrubell kept it shorter: “Dynamic future pro.”
Tyler Betsey got Durrant’s: “Smooth. Silky. Assassin.”
Wrubell’s: “NBA. Range. Rebounding.”
For Rob Wright III, Durrant said: “Fun. Happy. Killer.”
Wrubell called him: “Architect. Navigator. Bomber.”
Khadim Mboup was described by Durrant as: “Aggressive. Untapped potential. He’s gonna be the most improved player this year.”
Wrubell’s version: “Happy team player.”
Dawson Baker earned Durrant’s: “Scorer. Crafty. Leader.”
Wrubell said: “Veteran missing piece.”
And Brooks Bahr drew perhaps the most colorful pair of labels. Durrant called him: “Tasmanian devil. Fabio.”
Wrubell said: “Good. Positive.
Rat. (He’s gonna be tenacious.
He’s gonna gnaw and bother, but he’s good - in a positive, tactical way. You want him as your teammate, and you hate playing against him.
He’s that kind of guy.)”
Beyond basketball, the two broadcasters said BYU’s across-the-board success right now is something they haven’t seen in their long run around the program.
The school currently has No. 1-ranked women’s cross country, No. 6 men’s cross country, No. 7 women’s volleyball, No. 10 football, No. 14 women’s soccer, No. 20 men’s golf and No. 23 men’s basketball all producing at a high level.
Wrubell said the Cougars are doing more than holding their own in the Big 12.
“BYU is not surviving in the Big 12, but they are thriving and, in a lot of ways, if you want to go by the Director’s Cup, (they are) running the Big 12 in terms of overall excellence. They just are,” Wrubell said.
“The league knows what BYU means to it. BYU has gone out on the field, on the pitch, on the court and they have proved it in every possible arena that they are here to stay.
They mean business. They are going to do it their way and succeed in this new era.”
Durrant said the program’s rise has been a long time coming.
“It’s crazy to me that for so long, BYU had to fight and scrap and that no (power) conference wanted them,” he said. “What BYU brings to the table, with the reach they have and the fanbase, it’s just nuts.
I think the Big 12 realizes it was a great move to bring them on. It’s amazing what BYU did over the years (competing) in smaller conferences and independence and now, when you throw in resources, the sky is the limit.
We are just scratching the surface. The future is bright and very royal blue.”
In Other News...
BYU Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Big 12 Playoff Push
The Big 12s playoff picture has started to look a lot different, and BYU is right in the middle of it. During a recent discussion, Josh Pate and Joel Klatt pointed to Utah, BYU and Texas Tech as teams building strong College Football Playoff cases, with the league suddenly drawing more respect for what its top contenders have done on the field.
For BYU, that matters because the conversation is no longer just about staying relevant in the conference race. The bigger question is whether the Big 12s collective resume can stack up with the nations best, and whether the league could land as many as three playoff bids. In a selection process increasingly driven by resumes rather than brand names, BYU finds itself in a spot where every week can reshape both its own path and the conferences ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Defense Has A Turnover Problem At The Worst Time
BYUs defense has been doing plenty of the hard part this fall, getting hands on passes and forcing quarterbacks to fit the ball into tighter windows. The Cougars still lead the nation in pass breakups, but the turnover column has not followed, and the secondary has now gone five games without an interception as the 2026 season has worn on.
Injuries to Raider Damuni and Evan Johnson have thinned out the back end, and Mississippi State transfer Jayven Williams has been asked to help steady things while also adding his own pass breakups. Coaches and players know the frustration is in finishing those plays, not just contesting them, and they remain confident the interceptions will come if the defense keeps putting itself in position. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces A Bigger Baylor Test Than Fans Might Think
The loss to Utah was frustrating enough on its own, but it also offered a reminder that BYU can still be pulled into the kind of tight, mistake-heavy game that leaves little margin for error. Utah made the most of red-zone chances and turned four Bear Bachmeier interceptions into the difference in a 28-20 result, even as BYU stayed in the top 10 of the College Football Playoff rankings and moved on to the next challenge on the schedule.
Baylor is the kind of follow-up opponent that can make that Utah game feel even more relevant. The Bears bring a defense that deserves real attention, and BYUs offensive picture is still shaped by the impact of LJ Martins injury, which adds another layer to a game that already asks plenty of the Cougars. If BYU wants to avoid letting one loss turn into a broader wobble, this is the sort of matchup that will show whether the response is immediate or still a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]