BIG 12 FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 4 OF 16
2026 Season Snapshot • Provo, Utah
12-2, Big 12 runner-up
BIG 12
Live schedule, lines and results for BYU.
Loading schedule…
HEAD COACH
Kalani Sitake — 11th season at BYU
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
83–44 at BYU (.654)
A former Cougar player under legendary coach LaVell Edwards, now the first ex-Edwards player to lead the program. Delivered BYU's best two-year stretch in decades: 23-4 combined in 2024-25, a Big 12 title-game appearance, and two Power 4 bowl wins (Alamo Bowl 2024, Pop-Tarts Bowl 2025). Named 2025 Big 12 Coach of the Year.
BYU ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 12-2, a program-best under Sitake, capped by a Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Georgia Tech and a No. 11 final AP ranking. BYU's only two losses came in the regular season and the Big 12 Championship Game to eventual conference champion Texas Tech.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$9.0M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
$10–15M+ (est., above rev-
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
The Royal Blue
share) Coach salary per On3 (long-term extension signed Dec. 2, 2025, reported at $9-9.5M/yr after Sitake turned down a reported ~$10M/yr offer from Penn State). NIL figure per On3's Pete Nakos: the extension included a commitment to $10-15M in NIL funding above revenue sharing. The Royal Blue, launched 2022, is BYU's officially licensed collective.
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Aaron Roderick — 6th season • Power spread
Built the offense around Bachmeier's true sophomore breakout (3,033 pass yds, 15 TD, plus a BYU-record 11 rushing TDs). Anonymous Big 12 coordinators quoted this preseason say Bachmeier "got better as a thrower as the year went on" — real, trackable in-season growth entering year two.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Kelly Poppinga • 1st season • Multiple
Promoted from special teams coordinator after Jay Hill left for Michigan alongside Kyle Whittingham. A genuine scheme-continuity question on a defense that was the backbone of BYU's 2025 breakthrough, even with 11 total returning starters skewed toward the defensive side.
2025 RECORD
12–2, Big 12 runner-up
Pop-Tarts Bowl: W 25-21 vs. Georgia Tech. Lost the Big 12 Championship Game to Texas Tech, the eventual CFP participant — BYU's only losses in 2025 both came to the conference's best team.
HOME FIELD
LaVell Edwards Stadium
Natural grass, Provo. Named for the coach who built the program Sitake now leads; BYU's 23-4 two-year stretch has made it one of the most electric home environments in the Big 12 heading into a season with CFP-or-bust expectations.
| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Bear Bachmeier | Soph | ★★★★★ | Four-star signee; 2025 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year and the first true freshman to start BYU's season opener (3,033 pass yds, 15 TD, plus a BYU-record 11 rushing TDs). Named to ESPN's "top returning quarterbacks" list for 2026. |
| RB1 | LJ Martin | Sr | ★★★★★ | Four-star signee; reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and preseason favorite to repeat, BYU's leading rusher for three straight seasons and on pace to become the program's all-time rushing leader in 2026. |
| WR1 | Jojo Phillips | — | ★★★★★ | Leading returning receiver in a room both beat writers and opposing Big 12 coordinators have flagged as a real question mark for 2026. |
| WR2 | Kyler Kasper | — | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER Oregon transfer and former four-star (6'6", 212 lbs); has dealt with injuries in his career but BYU believes he has real upside as a size mismatch for opposing corners. |
| TE1 | Roger Saliapaga | — | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER Four-star signee (Orem HS, Utah). Oregon transfer who was underused as a receiver behind two first-round-pick tight ends there; expected to be a real fixture in BYU's passing attack in 2026. |
| TE2 | Walker Lyons | — | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER USC transfer (20 catches, 223 yds there in 2025); joins Saliapaga at the top of a retooled tight end room after Carsen Ryan's departure. |
Four-star signee; 2025 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year and the first true freshman to start BYU's season opener (3,033 pass yds, 15 TD, plus a BYU-record 11 rushing TDs). Named to ESPN's "top returning quarterbacks" list for 2026.
Four-star signee; reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and preseason favorite to repeat, BYU's leading rusher for three straight seasons and on pace to become the program's all-time rushing leader in 2026.
Leading returning receiver in a room both beat writers and opposing Big 12 coordinators have flagged as a real question mark for 2026.
Oregon transfer and former four-star (6'6", 212 lbs); has dealt with injuries in his career but BYU believes he has real upside as a size mismatch for opposing corners.
Four-star signee (Orem HS, Utah). Oregon transfer who was underused as a receiver behind two first-round-pick tight ends there; expected to be a real fixture in BYU's passing attack in 2026.
USC transfer (20 catches, 223 yds there in 2025); joins Saliapaga at the top of a retooled tight end room after Carsen Ryan's departure.
| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line under real financial investment | OL | — | ★★★★★ | Protecting a fifth-year, record-setting QB behind BYU's real, program-wide financial commitment; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed closer to Week 1. |
Protecting a fifth-year, record-setting QB behind BYU's real, program-wide financial commitment; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed closer to Week 1.
| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| 21 returning four-star recruits | DL | Roughly half of BYU's projected 21 former four-star roster pieces play on the defensive side per program- tracking estimates — genuine talent depth even amid the DC change from Hill to Poppinga. |
Roughly half of BYU's projected 21 former four-star roster pieces play on the defensive side per program- tracking estimates — genuine talent depth even amid the DC change from Hill to Poppinga.
| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raider Damuni | S | ★★★★★ | Three-star signee (Timpview HS, Provo, Utah; No. 41 recruit nationally). Senior safety and a 2026 nominee for the AFCA/Allstate Good Works Team alongside Sitake; a veteran anchor for a defense replacing its coordinator. |
Three-star signee (Timpview HS, Provo, Utah; No. 41 recruit nationally). Senior safety and a 2026 nominee for the AFCA/Allstate Good Works Team alongside Sitake; a veteran anchor for a defense replacing its coordinator.
2025 ATS
10-4
71.4% cover rate — 4th of 82
2025 Straight up
12-2
Point differential +172
Scoring environment
50.6
Combined points per game — 51st highest of 82
Home / road ATS
5-1 · 4-2
Totals 6-8 O/U (4-2 home, 2-4 road)
Points scored / allowed
31.4 per game scored (22nd) · 19.1 allowed (15th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +12.3 (16th) · Strength of schedule +5.8
SRS power rating
+14.9
7th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+7.5
17th of 82
Defensive SRS
+8.5
14th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
+12.3 · 16th of 82
Against the spread
10-4 (71.4%) · 4th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
50.6 · 51st of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Saved Just J research for BYU.
Sitake turned down a larger offer from Penn State to stay, and BYU responded with a $9M+ salary plus a $10-15M NIL commitment — the program's clearest all-in bet yet after 23 wins in two seasons.
Bear Bachmeier (Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year) and LJ Martin (reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, preseason favorite again) both return — a rare backfield duo with this level of proven production and zero turnover.
Beat writers and opposing Big 12 coordinators both flag BYU's receivers as a concern entering 2026, even with Bachmeier and Martin drawing extra defensive attention — a live "who steps up" spot.
Two proven Power 4 transfers were brought in specifically to protect a QB/RB duo already producing at an elite level — a real point of program strength heading into 2026.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.
