Kalani Sitake and the BYU Cougars were in the news earlier this week for past comments the head coach made about resources and “doing the most with the least” as the a Big 12 and College Football Playoff contender.
It comes amid rumors around Brian Santiago and his position as athletic director at BYU, which publicly pushed back against using a popular fan forum called CougarBoard. As fall camp continues and the Cougars prepare for the 2026 season, Sitake answered questions about the hiring of Marc Hill as deputy AD and his thoughts on the situation in Provo.
There’s a lot of eyes on BYU and for good reason.
The Cougars, returning 12 different starters and 22 different FBS starters through the transfer portal, were tapped No. 21 overall by ESPN’s College Football Power Index earlier this summer. The oddsmakers are projecting BYU to net 8.5 to 8.7 wins this year.
Is Bear Bachmeier the Leader?
A year ago, BYU entered the season with some hints about its quarterback job, but plenty of questions following the exit of Jake Retzlaff for Tulane, and the handoff to true freshman Bear Bachmeier. The latter’s debut featured a staggering 3,000-plus passing yards and another 527 yards on the ground, as the Cougars identified their QB1 as the Big 12’s Offensive Freshman of the Year.
LJ Martin is the seasoned rusher behind Bachmeier, who’ll be anchored by arguably one of the deepest offensive lines in the conference with four starters back, including senior Bruce Mitchell. JoJo Phillips will fill the shoes left by leading wideout Parker Kingston, no longer with the team as he continues sorting through legal troubles.
Can Bachmeier take another step forward this fall and become the signal caller BYU needs to make the Big 12 title game?
The Defense Without Jay Hill
BYU returns the numbers, but the man behind the defense, former Sitake staffer Jay Hill, followed Kyle Whittingham to Michigan this offseason for an opportunity to build a program in the Big Ten. Kelly Poppinga, promoted from special teams coordinator, will call the Cougar defense in 2026.
Senior end Bodie Schoonover is back and former Ute Keanu Tanuvasa should fit right in at tackle. BYU features three starters at linebacker – Isaiah Glasker, Siale Esera and Cal transfer Cade Uluave – bringing together a quality front seven. The secondary, too, is in good hands with junior safety Faletau Satuala and two starting corners, Evan Johnson and Therrian Alexander.
BYU finished fifth in the country in red zone conversion percentage (70.4%), and third among Big 12 scoring defenses (3 touchdowns in 2025).
Oct. 17 vs. Notre Dame
It’s a Big 12 schedule with some challenges in the form of Arizona, TCU and Utah, but perhaps the Cougars’ biggest test will be a marquee matchup hosting Notre Dame in Week 6.
The oddsmakers already reflect the Cougars as a 10.5-point favorite entering the contest, but Mark Freeman is out to change some narratives around the Irish following a 10-2 finish and a controversial CFP debate that ultimately saw his program miss the playoffs entirely.
It could be the right midseason test for BYU to win over the voters, or a disastrous home loss potentially keeping the Cougars out of the playoff yet again.
