BYU’s transfer class brings a wide range of possibilities to the depth chart, but a few names already feel close to locked in. Some of these newcomers are battling for starting jobs right now.
Others are more about giving the Cougars real quality behind the first group. Either way, the floor-ceiling conversation tells the story of where each transfer fits heading into the Utah Tech game.
Two of the clearest cases are on the defensive side and up front. Cade Uluave, a First Team All-ACC selection in 2025, is not coming to BYU for a reserve role.
As long as he is healthy, he will start. Paki Finau also looks set after taking first-team reps at left tackle during Spring Camp, and the expectation is that he keeps that job through Fall Camp and into the season opener against Utah Tech.
The tight end room may be the most interesting place to watch. Roger Saleapaga arrived from Oregon with a reputation as a blocking tight end, but his receiving ability stood out in spring.
BYU does not have proven production at wide receiver, which means Aaron Roderick may lean more on the tight ends than he has in recent years. Even in a cautious projection, Saleapaga should be on the field as Walker Lyons’ backup.
But the spring buzz was strong enough that his ceiling is a co-starting role next to Lyons. If the season began today, Saleapaga would be in the lineup with Lyons, Jojo Phillips, Kyler Kasper, LJ Martin, and Bear Bachmeier at the skill spots.
Lyons, the USC transfer, has been on BYU’s radar for years. The staff had him as a priority target in high school, and now he finally lands in Provo.
He should be one of BYU’s top offensive weapons in 2026. He moves well for his size and is underrated as a blocker, and even in the floor scenario he is still a co-starter at tight end.
The ceiling is higher still: Lyons could win the job outright and command most of the targets. The reason the projection still leans toward a split is simple - Saleapaga impressed that much in spring.
At receiver, Kyler Kasper might be the most intriguing transfer on the roster. The Oregon transfer was a highly regarded recruit, but injuries kept his college production to just 77 receiving yards over four seasons.
BYU needs him to hit quickly, especially after the unexpected departures of Cody Hagen and Parker Kingston. The gap between what Kasper has done and what the Cougars need from him is real.
Still, he should be on the field no matter what, and the projection lands him as a starting wide receiver, even if he is not the top target in the room.
Mississippi State cornerback Jayven Williams brings experience and one year of eligibility, and BYU expects him to matter right away. The Cougars do return Therrian Alexander III and Evan Johnson at corner, but Williams has a path to meaningful snaps.
If he learns the playbook by Fall Camp, he could fill a role similar to the one Mory Bamba played last season, when Bamba logged 396 snaps for the defense. Williams played at a high level in the SEC last year in every game except the Ole Miss game.
At minimum, he should be a backup corner who stays in the two-deep.
Stanford guard Zak Yamauchi is a little harder to pin down because he missed most of Spring Camp with an injury. He started some games as a true freshman at Stanford, and BYU has an open spot at guard for him to compete for.
The problem is that he is not alone in that race. Joe Brown, Sonny Makasini, and others are in the mix, and BYU used multiple guards last season.
If the Cougars rotate again, Yamauchi could be part of that group. If they go with a traditional starting five, his path gets tougher.
Even so, the floor still has him in the two-deep as a backup.
Kansas State linebacker Jake Clifton is another player whose timeline matters. He served a mission between Kansas State and BYU, so he will be less than a year removed from missionary service when the season starts.
That points to a backup linebacker role to open his BYU career. If his body is ready for Power Four football, there is a path to him becoming the fourth linebacker in a deep room.
At worst, he looks like the kind of depth piece who can earn more work as the season goes on.
JR Sia, the Utah State transfer, also profiles as a depth piece for now, though there is a chance his role grows later. He started most games at right tackle last season, but BYU appears set at tackle with Andrew Gentry and Paki Finau projected as the starters.
That means Sia is expected to slide inside to guard, with the option to move back outside if needed. For now, he looks like a backup, but he could work his way into the starting conversation down the road.
That leaves Roger Saleapaga, Jayven Williams, Zak Yamauchi, Cade Uluave, Walker Lyons, Paki Finau, Kyler Kasper, Jake Clifton, and JR Sia as the nine transfers whose floors and ceilings give a pretty clear picture of where BYU stands entering camp. Some are already shaping the starting lineup.
Others are waiting for their chance. But all nine are part of the depth chart conversation now.
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