BYU’s Robert Wright III is already drawing national attention before the 2026-27 season tips off.
The 6-foot-1 guard was named a preseason All-American by the Blue Ribbon Yearbook, landing on the publication’s first team as the lone Big 12 player to make that group. He joins Florida’s Thomas Haugh, Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., UConn’s Braylon Mullins and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner on the first team.
Wright is back in Provo for his second season after putting together a big year in 2025-26. He averaged 18.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field, 41.0 percent from 3-point range and 82.1 percent from the free throw line. He also buried a career-high 57 3-pointers, including the buzzer-beater at Madison Square Garden that lifted BYU past Clemson in the Jimmy V Classic.
His scoring punch showed up night after night. Wright scored in double figures in 32 of his 35 starts, posted 13 games with at least 20 points and reached 30 or more twice. On Feb. 16, 2026, he was named Dickie V’s National Player of the Week after averaging 34.5 points in wins over Baylor and Colorado.
That stretch included a career night against the Buffaloes, when Wright poured in 39 points in an overtime win. He finished 12-of-16 from the floor, 4-of-4 from deep and 11-of-13 at the line.
He also made his mark as a playmaker. Wright recorded a pair of point-assist double-doubles, including a 10-point, 11-assist outing in BYU’s 98-70 win over No.
23 Wisconsin at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. That 28-point win was the third-largest by BYU over a ranked opponent in program history.
In Big 12 play, Wright earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors after averaging 20.4 points, 3.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. He closed league play with four straight 20-point games, capped by a 27-point performance in the Cougars’ Senior night win over No. 10 Texas Tech.
BYU opens the 2026-27 season on Friday, Oct. 16, with an exhibition against Nebraska at the Marriott Center. Tip time and TV information will be announced later.
In Other News...
BYU Fans Just Earned Praise Cougar Supporters Will Love
BYUs home crowd picked up some unexpected praise after the recent game at LaVell Edwards Stadium, this time from Les Fifita, the father of Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita. After the Wildcats visit to Provo, he publicly thanked BYU fans for the kindness and hospitality his family experienced, describing a game-day atmosphere that went well beyond the usual back-and-forth of a high-profile college football matchup.
Fifita said BYU supporters welcomed his family, offered food and drinks, and treated them with respect throughout the event. He also tied the experience to something bigger than one Saturday afternoon, saying it shaped how he thinks about running a youth football league, a reminder that the reputation of a fan base can travel well beyond the stadium. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Is Suddenly In A Big 12 Conversation Fans Will Love
BYUs strong start has put the Cougars in a familiar but still noteworthy spot for this early stretch of the season: part of the broader Big 12 conversation while bigger-name programs keep soaking up the national spotlight. LSUs emphatic win over Clemson and Texas comeback at Ohio State have dominated the headlines, and even Alabamas physical showing against Kentucky has drawn more attention than most of the teams quietly building momentum. In that kind of crowded landscape, BYU has managed to keep itself in the mix with a start that deserves a little more notice.
The challenge now is whether the Cougars can turn that early traction into the kind of resume that forces the rest of the Big 12 to take them seriously. Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami have all spent time in the same category of teams off to strong openings but not yet fully embraced by the larger national discussion. For BYU, the next few weeks will go a long way toward showing whether this is just a good start or the beginning of a much louder conference race. [Read more 🡒]
Bear Bachmeier Is Putting BYU In Rare Quarterback Company
Bear Bachmeiers start at BYU has already put him in rare company, with his 14-2 record through 16 starts matching the mark former quarterback Brandon Doman posted at the same point in his own college career. The comparison is more than a curiosity, too, because Doman sees the same steady traits in Bachmeier that helped define his own run in Provo, pointing to his leadership, composure and consistency as signs of a quarterback who has settled into the offense with confidence.
The broader conversation around Bachmeier also has a familiar BYU feel because of the way he has paired with LJ Martin to give the Cougars a productive offensive tandem. It is the kind of quarterback-run game combination that invites memories of Domans era with Luke Staley, and it is part of why Bachmeiers place in program history is beginning to draw attention even with plenty of season still ahead. [Read more 🡒]