BYU’s search for answers in the secondary could put Tommy Prassas right in the middle of everything this fall.
The Cougars are heading into August practice with plenty of attention on the players who can shape the 2026 season, and Prassas is one of the names that stands out. At 6-2 and 200 pounds, the redshirt sophomore from Chandler, AZ., enters camp as a defender with real upside - and a chance to matter in a big way if he stays healthy.
That health piece is the key. Prassas arrived in Provo from the Phoenix area just before the 2024 season and immediately turned heads in practice.
Coaches were high on him from the start, and he backed that up by playing in all 13 games as a true freshman. In backup duty, he finished with 20 total tackles and a fumble recovery.
His trajectory pointed even higher entering 2025. Prassas was lined up to take on a bigger job as the team’s primary slot corner, but injuries slowed him down and cut into what he could do.
Now he’s back in the mix for a starting role, and BYU may ask him to do more than one job. The Cougars are replacing Tanner Wall, a two-year starter who served as the quarterback of the defense and was especially important in limiting chunk plays through the air. That’s a tough void to fill, even with Faletau Satuala and Raider Damuni in the safety room.
Satuala brings experience and versatility, though he may not be best suited to handle the full umbrella coverage role on his own. Damuni made clear progress last season and could be ready to provide steadier production in the same system. Prassas gives BYU another option, and maybe a different kind of one.
Coaches talked during spring about using a three-safety look, with Damuni and Prassas handling primary coverage responsibilities. That fits Prassas’ profile. He’s a big hitter, plays with confidence, and already showed he can handle man coverage when he won the open slot corner job before last season.
If he can stay on the field and deliver on that promise, Prassas could end up being one of the more important pieces in BYU’s defense this season.
In Other News...
Bear Bachmeier Now Faces BYUs Biggest 2026 Question
Bear Bachmeiers first season gave BYU exactly what every program hopes to find in a young quarterback: production, poise and a path to the Big 12 Championship game. The freshmans numbers were strong enough to make the conversation about 2026 less about whether he can handle the job and more about whether he can avoid the kind of second-year dip that has tripped up plenty of college passers.
The historical backdrop is encouraging for BYU, at least on paper. Among quarterbacks since 2020 who threw at least 100 passes in both their freshman and sophomore seasons, most either held steady or got better in year two, while a smaller group regressed. The caution flag is that the downturns have often come with bigger changes around the quarterback, especially on the coaching side, so Bachmeiers next step will be watched closely even before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Young Just Raised The Stakes For BYU's Season
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The bigger theme from Young was the direction of the program itself. BYU is leaning into an identity built around development and the NBA, and that message matters as much in recruiting as it does in the locker room. Young pointed to the way former Cougars have moved on to the next level as part of the pitch to the next wave of talent, with players like Egor Demin, AJ Dybantsa and Saunders already shaping how prospects view the program. There is still unfinished business on the roster front, but the stakes around this season are now clearer than ever. [Read more 🡒]