Keeping tabs on the BYU-to-NFL pipeline is no small task anymore. The Cougars have turned into a steady source of pro talent, and Week 1 gave a few of those former BYU standouts a chance to show exactly why. From a heavyweight showdown overseas to a starting role in Miami, several ex-Cougars were right in the middle of the action.
The biggest BYU-on-BYU moment came in Australia, where Fred Warner and Puka Nacua lined up against each other as the 49ers rolled past the Rams 27-7. Warner, who checked in at No. 54 on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list, and Nacua, who landed all the way up at No. 7, were two of the most recognizable Cougars in the league entering the season.
Warner was everywhere for San Francisco, piling up 11 tackles to lead both teams and adding a pass breakup on a throw meant for Nacua. That effort made him the sixth-highest graded defender in the NFL in Week 1 by Pro Football Focus.
Nacua finished with five catches for 74 yards on nine targets.
Tyler Allgeier also made his mark, even if the situation around him looked a little different than usual. After four solid seasons in Atlanta, he moved to Arizona over the offseason, only for the team to spend the No. 3 pick on running back Jeremiyah Love.
With Love coming off a preseason injury and the team easing him back, Allgeier handled the heavier workload against the Chargers. He led both teams with 17 carries, producing 61 rushing yards, and added two receptions for nine yards.
It was his highest carry total since October 2024, though that workload should settle into more of a true split once Love is fully back.
Zayne Anderson continued his climb as one of the more reliable BYU products making noise on Sundays. The undrafted safety entered the league in 2021, spent two seasons with the Chiefs, then bounced to the Packers before landing in Miami.
With the Dolphins dealing with plenty of offseason turnover, Anderson opened the year as the starting strong safety. In Miami’s loss in Las Vegas, he recorded five tackles, including one for loss, and broke up a pass.
He looks set to keep seeing plenty of the field for the Dolphins.
In Other News...
BYUs 2-0 Start Has A Breakout Star Fans Didnt See Coming
BYUs 2-0 start has come with an unexpected name popping up everywhere on the stat sheet. Cannon DeVries, the sophomore defensive back, has quickly become one of the Cougars most valuable players, leading the team in tackles while also giving the special teams unit a spark with his work as a kick and punt returner. His impact has stretched across both sides of the ball, and the coaching staff has leaned into his versatility at the nickel position.
The early-season resume already includes a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in the opener, the kind of play that can change momentum for a young team in a hurry. Just as important for BYU, DeVries has looked steady enough in the defensive backfield to keep earning snaps, and teammates have taken notice of how naturally he has fit into a larger role. The bigger question now is how far that emergence can carry him as the schedule toughens and opponents start treating him like a player they have to plan around. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas States Fast Start Faces Its First Real Test Under Collin Klein
BYUs first Big 12 win came in convincing fashion, with Bear Bachmeier throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-17 victory over Arizona. It was the kind of league-opening result that can change the tone around a program quickly, especially with Oklahoma State already notching a defensive win against Oregon and Utah rolling past Idaho and Arkansas. For the Cougars, the early conference picture already has some shape to it, and the results around the league are starting to matter.
Kansas State has also opened strong under Collin Klein, putting together two wins as it heads into a matchup with Tulane. The Wildcats have looked steady in the early going, but this next game is the first real chance to see how that start holds up against a different kind of test. For BYU, it is another reminder that the Big 12 race will be full of moving parts, and that the teams getting off to clean starts are the ones worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Tight End Duo Is Becoming A Real Problem For Defenses
BYUs offense has found something useful early in the season in a tight end room that looks deeper and more dangerous than it has in years. USC transfer Walker Lyons and Oregon transfer Roger Saleapaga II have both flashed as pass catchers and as blockers, giving the Cougars a pair of versatile options who can stay on the field in a variety of looks. Coaches have already pointed to this group as the best tight end unit BYU has had since 2018, and it has the feel of a position that can quietly shape how the offense functions week to week.
What makes the setup even more interesting is that Lyons and Saleapaga are not being treated like an either-or proposition. BYU expects them to play significant roles together, with additional depth behind them helping keep the position fresh and flexible. For a team looking for reliable mismatch options and more physicality at the point of attack, that kind of two-headed threat can be a real headache for defenses trying to sort out who is blocking, who is releasing and where the ball might go next. [Read more 🡒]