BYU’s roster has changed fast, but the transfer that may matter most is the one coming back home.
Collin Chandler is back in Provo, and the Cougars are counting on him to be more than just another piece. With AJ Dybantsa gone after going No. 1 in the 2026 NBA Draft and Richie Saunders also out of the mix, BYU has lost major firepower.
Robert Wright returns as the headliner among the holdovers, and that gives Kevin Young at least one proven piece to build around. But Chandler might be the swing addition that helps the whole thing settle into place.
Chandler’s path to this point has already been a little unusual. He was originally a Top 30 prospect who committed to BYU in 2022 under Mark Pope.
After a two-year LDS mission, he started his college career at Kentucky, following Pope to the SEC. He spent his first year in a reserve role, then took a clear step forward last season, averaging 9.7 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 41% from 3-point range.
That kind of production is exactly why BYU wanted him back. He’s a 6-5 guard with experience, size and enough shot-making to matter in a backcourt that needs stability.
When he first arrived in Provo, he was one of the most highly regarded recruits the program had landed in years. That has since been surpassed by names like Dybantsa and Bruce Branch III, but Chandler’s value hasn’t changed.
The Cougars are expecting him to slide into a major role and give them real production right away.
And he’s not arriving into a bare cupboard. Branch, a Top 10 recruit and small forward, gives BYU another major weapon.
Dean Rueckert, a 4-star forward, is also in the mix, while the transfer class includes Syracuse forward Tyler Betsey and Clemson forward Jake Wahlin. Dawson Baker is back and healthy, which matters too.
Still, Chandler stands out because of what he can do in combination with Wright and Branch. That trio has the look of another strong core for BYU, even if it doesn’t mirror last season’s Big 3.
The Cougars aren’t likely to get three players averaging 18 points a night the way Dybantsa, Saunders and Wright did a year ago. But if Chandler gives them the kind of steady, efficient guard play they’re hoping for, and if Betsey and Wahlin can provide more behind them, BYU has a chance to keep building on the momentum Young has created.
In Other News...
Bear And Tiger Bachmeier Are Giving BYU Fans A New Reason To Cheer
Bear Bachmeier and Tiger Bachmeier have already given BYU fans plenty to talk about on the field, but on Monday night they are set to show a different side of themselves. The quarterback and receiver will team up with their uncle Don as the Music Bachs for a free concert at the American Fork Amphitheater, part of the Harrington Center for the Arts Concert in the Park series, with a mix of rock and country songs on the bill.
For the Bachmeier family, it is a chance to bring a hobby that has mostly stayed private into a public setting. The brothers have performed before at retirement homes, but this will be their first live show in front of a general audience, which adds a little extra curiosity to a summer event that already has a built-in BYU connection. [Read more 🡒]
Big 12 Suddenly Has A Texas Tech Problem BYU Fans Will Notice
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and Texas Tech administrators have been trying to put the Brendan Sorsby mess behind them, meeting in Fort Worth in an effort to smooth over a dispute that has lingered through the offseason. The episode has already left a mark around the league, with Texas Tech feeling like it was left to absorb the fallout after the conference collectively decided the quarterback would not be allowed to play, and the whole situation has only added to the sense that this is more than a routine eligibility matter.
For BYU fans, the part worth watching is how much this has widened the gap between Texas Tech and the rest of the Big 12. The Red Raiders have gotten public backing from some coaches, including Kalani Sitake, and the tension has spilled into the open in ways the conference would rather avoid. Even with the meeting meant to calm things down, the underlying question remains whether Texas Tech and the league are really on the same page yet. [Read more 🡒]
Big 12 Media Day Brought Two Massive BYU Revelations
Big 12 Media Day gave BYU a little bit of everything, from conference-level concern to a couple of revealing comments from the Cougars own people. Commissioner Brett Yormark addressed the broader climate around league games, while Kalani Sitake was asked to weigh in on the ever-moving playoff conversation and said he is not making the decisions, even if he believes a 24-team field would make the most sense.
The more intriguing BYU nugget came from Bear Bachmeier, who peeled back the curtain on one of the seasons most memorable moments. His touchdown run against Utah looked like a designed burst of improvisation, but Bachmeier said the play did not unfold the way it was supposed to, which makes the clip feel a little different now. For a program that expects every detail to matter in Big 12 play, it was the kind of candid admission that only adds to the curiosity around what BYU has coming next. [Read more 🡒]