BYU’s roster news came in waves, and the biggest one for the men’s basketball team is finally in the books: the Cougars have landed a center.
Jakub Urbaniak, a 6-foot-9 big man from Poland, is officially headed to BYU for the 2026-27 season. Head coach Kevin Young made clear what the staff sees in him.
“We’re excited to add Jakub to our team,” Cougar head coach Kevin Young said. “He brings size, skill, athleticism, and experience.
All things we were looking to add. He will fit in well with the way we want to play because of his versatility on both ends of the floor.
We love his motor and competitiveness. We look forward to getting him on campus.”
Urbaniak arrives after playing last season with WKS Slask Wroclaw, where he put together a strong first run in the Polish Basketball League. He averaged 9.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 55.0 percent from the field. He also posted three double-doubles, including a 13-point, 12-rebound outing in a win over Dziki Warszawa, when he hit 6 of 7 shots.
His work extended into EuroCup play as well. In 18 appearances in 2025-26, Urbaniak averaged 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds, scored in double figures four times and turned in a 17-point performance in a 92-81 win over Hamburg Towers. He also grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against Aris BC, with six coming on the offensive glass.
Before that, Urbaniak had a big 2023-24 season with CB Gran Canaria. He appeared in 26 of his 29 games that year and averaged 15.2 points and 7.7 rebounds.
He logged seven double-doubles for the Granca, including an 18-point, 19-rebound game in which 15 of those boards came on the defensive glass. He also set a career high with 32 points in a win over Pajarraco CB Santfeliuenc, shooting 10 of 14 from the floor and 3 of 7 from 3-point range.
Urbaniak also has already broken into the Polish National Team setup. He made his debut earlier this year in an 84-82 win over Latvia on Feb. 27 in the first round of the FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers. Nine days later, he went 4 of 4 from the field and scored 11 points in a 123-77 win over Austria.
His national-team background goes back to the youth level, too. At the 2023 FIBU U20 European Championships, he averaged 8.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. In the knockout rounds, he put together back-to-back double-doubles and finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds in a 71-62 win over Estonia.
BYU still has a couple of roster spots to fill, and one name in the mix is former Skyridge and Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler, who is seeking a fifth year of eligibility through several lawsuits against the NCAA. Kohler has already reportedly been in contact with Young and has also met with the Kentucky coaching staff, including former BYU head man Mark Pope, via Zoom.
On the football side, BYU running back LJ Martin picked up another preseason honor. The reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year was named Sporting News second-team Preseason All-America.
Martin, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior from El Paso, Texas, rushed for 1,305 yards in 2025, good for No. 11 nationally. He also ranked No. 12 in average yards per game at 100.38 and No. 13 in all-purpose yards per game at 120.0. His 1,305 rushing yards were the seventh-most in school history for a single season.
Martin’s postseason haul from 2025 was already stacked. He was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Big 12 running back, and he also picked up Pro Football Network second-team All-America honors. He was a semifinalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and earned All-Big 12 recognition from Pro Football Network, Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.
He’s already been piling up preseason recognition, too. Martin was recently selected as the 2026 Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and has been named preseason All-America by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. He is also a candidate for the Maxwell Award and has been picked preseason All-Big 12 by Phil Steele, Athlon Sports and Sports Info Solutions.
BYU tight end Walker Lyons also landed on a national watch list, earning a spot on the 2026 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List. The award goes annually to the best tight end in college football.
Lyons, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound junior from Folsom, California, was one of 43 tight ends on the list and one of five from the Big 12. He joined BYU for the 2026 season after playing 23 games over two seasons at USC.
In 2025, he played in 12 games and caught 20 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. As a true freshman in 2024, he appeared in 11 games with three starts and had six catches for 36 yards.
His recruiting profile was just as strong. Lyons was a four-star prospect out of Folsom High School and was ranked by ESPN as the No. 2 tight end in the country, while Rivals had him No. 4 and 247Sports had him No.
- He also played in the 2023 Under Armour All-American game and was honored as the All-American Bowl’s Man of the Year for his community service and athletic distinction.
After high school, Lyons served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Norway from 2022-24 before enrolling at UCS.
BYU center Bruce Mitchell was also recognized, landing on the Rimington Trophy Watch List for a second straight year. The award is given to the nation’s top center in NCAA Division I football.
Mitchell, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound senior from Kamas, was recently named Phil Steele Preseason All-America Second Team and Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Third Team. He was also selected to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team and received preseason All-Big 12 honors from Phil Steele, Athlon Sports and Sports Info Solutions.
As a co-captain in 2025, Mitchell started all 14 games as a junior after taking over for three-time Rimington Trophy Watchlist honoree Connor Pay. He anchored an offensive line that helped BYU average 31.4 points per game and rank 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-plus yards at No. 18, total plays of 10-plus 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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