BYU is getting plenty of preseason recognition in the Big 12, and four Cougars have landed on Sports Info Solutions’ preseason all-conference team.
Running back Martin, cornerback Johnson, linebacker Satuala and offensive lineman Mitchell all earned spots after standout 2025 seasons that put them among the league’s most decorated returning players.
Martin, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior from El Paso, Texas, has already built a résumé that keeps growing. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and earned Pro Football Network second-team All-America honors in 2025. He also was a semifinalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and picked up All-Big 12 recognition from the Pro Football Network, Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.
His numbers backed up the hardware. As a junior in 2025, Martin rushed for 1,305 yards, which ranked No. 11 nationally, while his 100.38 yards per game checked in at No.
- He also finished No. 13 nationally with 120 all-purpose yards per game, and his 1,305 rushing yards were the seventh-most in a single season in school history.
Martin has kept stacking honors this offseason, too. He was recently selected Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and was named preseason All-America by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. He also landed on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award.
Johnson, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior from Monterey, Calif., gave BYU a disruptive presence in the secondary last season. He finished 2025 with 47 tackles, including 38 solo stops, along with five interceptions, a sack and seven passes defensed. His five interceptions led BYU and tied for the most in the Big 12.
After the season, Johnson was named SIS First-Team All-Big 12, Pro Football Network Second-Team All-Big 12 and Honorable Mention All-Big 12 by the league. He also earned Jim Thorpe National Defensive Back of the Week honors on Sept.
- More preseason recognition followed when Pro Football & Sports Network ranked him the No. 4 returning cornerback in the country and Phil Steele named him to its 2026 Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team.
Satuala, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior from Bountiful, Utah, was one of BYU’s most complete defenders in 2025. He appeared in all 13 games for the No. 12-ranked Cougars and led the team with 78 tackles and two forced fumbles. He also added three interceptions and 7.5 tackles for loss and was named second-team All-America by the FWAA.
Satuala’s season also brought a long list of conference honors. He earned All-Big 12 recognition and was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week and Lott Trophy Player of the Week for his role in helping BYU beat Iowa State in Ames and move to 8-0 on the season. This offseason, Athlon Sports named him 2026 preseason All-America and All-Big 12, and Phil Steele placed him on its Preseason All-Big 12 First Team.
Mitchell, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound senior from Kamas, Utah, rounds out the group up front. He was recently named Phil Steele Preseason All-America Second Team and Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Third Team. He also made the All-Big 12 Preseason Team and received Preseason All-Big 12 First Team honors from both Phil Steele and Athlon Sports.
As a junior and co-captain in 2025, Mitchell started all 14 games for BYU and anchored the middle of an offense line that helped the Cougars average 31.4 points per game. BYU finished in the top 25 in 10 offensive categories, including time of possession at No. 9, rushing first downs at No. 12, fewest sacks allowed at No. 12, rushing touchdowns at No. 13, rushing plays of 10+ yards at No. 18, total plays of 10+ yards at No. 19, first downs at No. 19, total offensive plays at No. 22, points scored at No. 23 and fewest interceptions at No. 23.
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The roster shuffle also came with some departures and status changes, the kind that can alter how a camp opens even before the first real practice rep is logged. Several players were removed or retired, while others will be accounted for later after stepping away from the program for outside obligations. For a staff trying to sort out roles quickly, those changes matter, because every update to the roster is really an update to the competition. [Read more 🡒]
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BYU Left Tackle Battle Just Got More Interesting This Spring
Paki Finau arrived at BYU with a clear sense of why he wanted to be there. After two seasons at Washington, the transfer offensive lineman made the Cougars his top destination because of his connection with offensive line coach TJ Woods, and once he visited campus and spent time around the team, he was sold on the fit. Since then, Finau has jumped into spring practice and has been working his way into the conversation at left tackle.
The spring competition has only gotten more intriguing as Finau settles in and starts drawing positive feedback from coaches and teammates. BYU knew it was adding a player with experience, but the bigger question now is how quickly he can translate that trust into a real edge in a crowded battle for the spot. The Cougars have options there, and Finau's presence has made the fight for the job one worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]