Between the players BYU has retained, and the players it’s added via the transfer portal, there is much to like about the Cougars in 2026.
Not halfway through the first month of 2026, BYU is already licking its chops for September. A flurry of signings from the transfer portal to start the week beefed up the offensive line and secured a prized replacement for departing linebacker Jack Kelly.
As successful as the portal additions appear to be, how the Cougars have managed to keep their roster intact may be even more impressive.
“I think since the bowl game, it’s the roster retention, which has been amazing. That’s a big story,” Deseret News BYU beat writer Jay Drew told the “Y’s Guys” podcast this week. “Just the fact that all these guys, so far, the key ones, are coming back is amazing in this day and age of the transfer portal and NIL especially.”
Every impact player from 2025, including quarterback Bear Bachmeier, running back LJ Martin, linebacker Isaiah Glasker and corner Evan Johnson are returning for another season.
Drew, the 2025 Utah Sportswriter of the Year, has worked both beats, covering the Cougars and the Utes. His reservoir of insights sparked an entertaining Q&A session on the “Y’s Guys.”
Q: Kyle Whittingham’s departure to Michigan and taking BYU’s Jay Hill, Jernaro Gilford and most of his Utah staff with him. Did that surprise you?
Drew: It did surprise me a little bit. I thought, this might be a little unfair, but I thought Kyle worried a little more about what we would call his legacy, or how he will be remembered at Utah. I think he maybe went from them building a statue for him at one point to now, there is a good section of that fanbase that is really, really mad at Kyle and deservedly so. He took a lot and not just coaches. Now we are seeing pretty good players going there as well. That surprised me just how aggressive Kyle has been.
Q: As the lightning rod in the BYU-Utah series for several decades, what does Whittingham’s departure do to the rivalry moving forward?
Drew: I think it changes. It might take some of the vinegar out of it. It might soften it a little bit. Morgan Scalley, I think we saw some of his personality at his introductory press conference and the other night at the Utah-BYU game where he took the mic and was talking. I think he is a little more publicly fiery than Kyle Whittingham was. How that plays out in terms of the rivalry remains to be seen. ... For one thing, Morgan is not afraid to mention the letters BYU, which we didn’t hear from Kyle in the last 20 years or so. I think Morgan is going to embrace it more. I don’t think he is going to be afraid when someone brings up Bear Bachmeier to give us his honest opinion. I think he’ll be more open in that way and I think it will create a pretty fun dynamic.
Q: What did you think about Morgan Scalley’s speech to the Huntsman Center crowd on Saturday night and the BYU fans drowning him out with a “Let’s Go Cougars” chant. It feels like Utah could have picked a different night to put him out there?
Drew: That was my thought exactly when I saw him walk out and bring out his assistant coaches. I thought, of all nights, didn’t they do their homework? Didn’t they realize how many BYU fans would be here. I wasn’t surprised. Frankly, if the tables were turned, I would expect the same thing in Provo if a bunch of Utah fans were there. That’s obviously not going to happen in the near future with the way BYU is selling out their building, but, yeah, I just think it goes down as part of the rivalry lore. I don’t think people should be offended by it. If they are, just remind them of some of the chants the Utah students were saying before and during the game directed at Kennard Davis and BYU in general. All is fair in love and war and rivalries — in my opinion. I thought (Morgan) handled it well. In the long run, it’s just going to be remembered and laughed about.
Q: What do you think of the Kelly Poppinga promotion to BYU’s defensive coordinator and the formation of his staff?
Drew: I think it’s the right call. Kelly has been around the defense for a couple of years and heavily involved not only as special teams coordinator but as the rush ends coach. I think it keeps some continuity. Everything I’ve heard is that Kalani is going to be a little more involved with the defense, maybe in the first couple of years to keep that going. I think Demario Warren is a really good hire. Kelly is a real personable guy. So was Jay Hill. I think he will slide into that really well.
Q: How important is it that Gary Andersen remained on the BYU staff?
Drew: He knows this defense. He was basically the mentor to Jay Hill and others. I think it was important to keep him. I think a lot of people thought he might follow Kyle to Michigan. If you can keep Gary, that’s almost like having another head coach around or another defensive coordinator around.
Q: The Cougars get LJ Martin back for his senior season. What does he mean for their chances at a Big 12 championship?
Drew: That’s huge. He’s got a chance to become one of the all-time leading ball carriers at BYU. We saw the difference that he made when he was healthy. If LJ had gone, they would really have had to go to the portal. Not that Sione Moa isn’t a good back, but he’s had health issues. LJ is a cut above. He’s not the fastest back, not the biggest back, although he’s pretty big, but has incredible vision. I just marveled at how he could find holes. He’s an excellent (pass) catcher out of the backfield and he picks up blitzes really well. He has pretty much the complete package and that was absolutely huge to get him back.
Q: Where does a Bear-Martin combo rank among the Big 12 and how lethal of a combination do you think that can become?
Drew: It’s got to be up there at the top. I can’t think of a more dominant duo coming back intact at one school than Bear and LJ. That’s a really good place to start for Aaron Roderick going into next year.
Q: How valuable do you think USC transfer Walker Lyons will be at the tight end spot?
Drew: Huge get. Absolutely. Getting Lyons was huge. They almost got him a few years ago. The tight end is back in BYU’s offense. There were a couple of years after Isaac Rex, that it kind of slipped a little bit, of course Isaac wasn’t full strength the last couple years of his career, but Carsen Ryan brought it back and it really looks in good shape right now.
Q: Considering the current state of the program, where would you rank the Cougars in your preseason poll — nationally and in the Big 12?
Drew: You have got to go Texas Tech No. 1. I would probably put them third. If I was an AP voter, I’d put them between 10 and 15. Probably put them around 10.
Q: It feels like, marching into this offseason with Kalani’s extension and what they have retained and what they are getting, can you remember a more optimistic time for BYU football fans?
Drew: I really can’t, when you think about it. I think when you ask BYU fans now, Bear Bachmeier or Jake Retzlaff? I think Bear has the higher ceiling. I think Bear has a chance to play in the pros. It all goes back to the quarterback. When you have a good quarterback coming back, expectations are high. They have the surrounding pieces. I think they need to find a good replacement for Chase Roberts. I think all the ingredients are piling up and this roster retention has just been amazing to watch. I don’t know who is in charge of that, Kalani, obviously, the general manager, and all these other people, Justin Anderson, they ought to be commended. To keep this team intact as much as possible has been impressive.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.
Category: General Sports
