Brigham Young’s football program arrives at the 2026 season riding the momentum of two straight 11-win years and the belief within the program that this could be the year it clears the next major hurdle. The immediate objective remains familiar: win through the regular season and return to the Big 12 championship game. Last year the Cougars reached that stage but were beaten decisively, managing just a single touchdown in a lopsided loss to Texas Tech. A victory in the conference title game this fall would secure BYU’s first-ever berth in the College Football Playoff, a milestone the program has not yet achieved.
National preseason assessments, however, have the Cougars pegged as legitimate contenders but not frontrunners. One prominent preseason tiering placed BYU in a second grouping of title contenders and assigned a 100-1 probability for the team to win a national championship. That projection separates the field into a top tier of a dozen teams and a second tier that includes several traditional powers. In that second grouping, BYU sits behind programs such as Oklahoma, Michigan, USC, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, Washington and Auburn. The Red Raiders, who beat BYU in last year’s Big 12 title game, were listed among the dozen teams in the top tier.
Those national rankings underscore a broad skepticism about BYU’s odds to claim a national title, and in some quarters even to make the four-team playoff. The projection cited uncertainty surrounding Texas Tech — the squad that ended BYU’s championship hopes last season — as a developing storyline that could affect the conference pecking order. At the same time, the same preseason work acknowledged internal reasons BYU should not be overlooked: continuity at quarterback, a productive rushing attack and a defense anchored by experienced playmakers.
At the center of BYU’s hopes is Bear Bachmeier, who returns as the starter for his second full season. Having a quarterback with a year’s experience leading the offense figures to be a stabilizing factor, especially in a league where continuity can translate to better in-game decision-making and fewer early-season growing pains. The running game also provides reason for optimism. LJ Martin, who has emerged as a dependable and explosive ballcarrier, gives the offense a secondary dimension that can open up passing lanes and control tempo. Defensively, cornerback Evan Johnson has stood out as a consistent presence, and the unit as a whole has the look of a team that can force opponents into mistakes and shorten games when necessary.
BYU players, mascot and the team's head coach celebrate together on the field after a game, illustrating the roster unity as BYU enters the 2026 season labeled a tier-2 title contender.
Head coach Kalani Sitake has been tasked with building sustained depth and culture since his arrival, and the roster he’s assembled has produced two straight 11-win campaigns — the foundation for raising expectations this season. Sitake’s ability to blend experienced returners with newer contributors will be watched closely, especially in conference play where the margins between advancement and an early exit can be narrow. The coaching staff’s decisions on rotations, situational play-calling and preparation for high-stakes games will be scrutinized as BYU chases not only a Big 12 crown but a place among the country’s elite.
A BYU ballcarrier hurdles a defender during a game, highlighting the team's explosiveness as it prepares for the 2026 season in which it has been called a tier-2 title contender.
Beyond individual talent, the Cougars’ pathway to the playoff is straightforward on paper: earn another conference title and they would secure an automatic route to the College Football Playoff conversation. That was the prize on the line last season, and it will be again — except that the margin for error has shrunk. Opponents across the Big 12 have been upgraded in recent years, and the league’s depth means BYU will need to navigate a demanding schedule without extended slumps. Still, the combination of a returning starting quarterback, a dynamic runner and a defense led by recognized playmakers gives BYU the tools to make a sustained run.
The national tiering that placed BYU in the second group also highlighted several programs ahead of the Cougars as more likely to compete for a title. While the list is a reminder that Arizona’s representatives in national title conversations often come from programs with longer recent histories of postseason success, BYU’s back-to-back double-digit win seasons have shifted perceptions. The projection’s authors noted that if the question is simply making the playoff rather than winning a national championship, BYU should draw more attention — partly because Texas Tech’s situation appears unsettled and because BYU’s roster construction under Sitake suggests the program can contend for conference supremacy year after year.
Where this preseason assessment leaves BYU is in a familiar but precarious spot: widely respected within college football as a dangerous opponent on any given weekend, yet not yet the consensus pick to break through to the sport’s highest rung. The Cougars enter 2026 with both the internal belief and the external skepticism that often accompanies programs on the cusp. With key contributors back and a coaching staff that has shown it can win in the Big 12, BYU’s season will likely be defined by how it responds to pressure moments — from divisional matchups to the conference title stage. If the team can replicate or improve on its recent regular-season form, a trip to the playoff would no longer be mere conjecture; it would be an earned milestone aligned with the program’s stated ambitions.
Don’t be surprised, then, if BYU meets or exceeds those tempered expectations. The national projections place them as a tier-two contender and long-shot to claim the national title, but the combination of returning leadership on offense, a standout running game and a defense with playmakers provides a plausible blueprint for another deep postseason run.