The BYU football program is 6-0 and ranked 2nd in the AP Poll. It's the highest BYU has been ranked in the AP poll since 1984. In this article, we're taking some time to reflect on the first half of the season and what I have learned about this BYU football team.
This Team is a National Championship Contender
I wasn't sure I would ever write this, but it's time embrace it: BYU is a legitimate national championship contender. This BYU team proved against Notre Dame that it can compete with any team in the country. The Cougars' win was not a fluke, either. They lost the turnover battle and were in firm control until special teams blunders handed Notre Dame two possessions in BYU territory. Ever after the Fighting Irish had all the momentum and a lead in the fourth quarter, the Cougars made winning plays in the clutch.
This college football season has been defined by parity. The only undefeated team in either the SEC or the Big Ten is UCLA, and the Bruins recently lost their quarterback for the season. The race for a national championship is as wide open as it's ever been, and BYU's case to be a national title contender is as strong as any team in the sport.
BYU can compete in the trenches. They have overcome multiple key injuries already and are starting to get those players back, and they have a quarterback that can win in a myriad of ways. They have the ingredients, but that doesn't mean they have been perfect. In fact, that may be the best news of all: BYU is 6-0 and has not played its best football.
BYU has the best resume in the nation according to ESPN Strength of Record rankings, giving them a chance to not only earn a playoff berth, but earn a good seed if they continue to take care of business. BYU can't start to read its own press clippings - Saturday's game against UCF is a prime example of a trap game. But all evidence suggests this team will respond the right way because that's exactly what they've done at every turn.
The win over Notre Dame opened the door for BYU fans to dream big.
BYU's defensive staff has not skipped a beat
There were a lot of question marks about Jay Hill's departure and how BYU would fill his shoes. He also took Jernaro Gilford with him who was one of the best cornerback coaches in BYU history.
So far, the new defensive staff has not skipped a beat. The first green flag was the offseason recruiting. The staff brought in an excellent 2027 class on the defensive side, the first sign that they could pick up where Jay Hill left off. Through six games, they have passed the on-field test as well. BYU's defense has been creative, disciplined, and disruptive.
In our custom database that filters out FCS games and garbage time, BYU's defense ranks 8th in points per drive, 9th in three-and-out rate, 9th in available yards allowed, 11th in yards per play, and 13th in havoc rate.
By the numbers, this defense has been better than any defense coordinated by Jay Hill. That's not to say Hill couldn't have had similar success with this group - the talent this year is better than it was in those years. But there has been no drop-off between Jay Hill and Kelly Poppinga in terms of schematics, in-game adjustments, and the ability to motivate his players.
Kalani Sitake has a great track record hiring coordinators and Kelly Poppinga is the latest example of that.
Bear Bachmeier is One of the Best Quarterbacks in College Football
If you followed our Fall Camp reports, you know that we were very bullish on Bear Bachmeier coming into the season. We predicted he would take a big step forward as a passer and a processer, but over the last two weeks, he's been ever better than we anticipated.
Bachmeier has become a nightmare to defend. He is making good reads, making throws in tight windows, and if everything breaks down, he can break off chunk-yardage runs. And when it's time to win, Bachmeier carries the offense on his back.
Bear Bachmeier is one of the best quarterbacks in college football.
The Wide Receivers Are a Strength, Not a Weakness
The Cougars had to replace the three wide receivers that played the most last season. We really, really liked what we saw from the BYU wide receivers in Fall Camp, especially what we saw from true freshman Legend Glasker and Oregon transfer Kyler Kasper. However, the skepticism from national analysts was fair since none of them had proven it in games.
Through six games, the wide receivers have been a strength, not a weakness. Legend Glasker is the best deep threat BYU has had in a long time and he is dangerous after the catch. He leads BYU with 444 receiving yards - he is on pace to have the best season by a true freshman wide receiver since Austin Collie.
Kyler Kasper has been excellent and he was great against Notre Dame. Kasper moves like a much smaller wide receiver, and he also knows how to use his 6'6 frame to box out defensive backs.
Jojo Phillips is much more reliable than he was last year and we believe there is more to Phillips' game that he hasn't shown quite yet. He is capable of more production but right now, he is the third option.
Fesi Sitake has done well to get this group ready. They already passed their toughest test of the season. They won't see a secondary as talented as the Notre Dame secondary the rest of the regular season.
And the cherry on top? True freshman Jaron Pula was banged up in Fall Camp and never had a chance to crack the wide receiver rotation. He is a future star.
BYU's Pass Rush Has Turned the Corner
We were waiting to see whether BYU's pass rush could turn a corner and generate consistent pressure against good teams. Early signs show that BYU's pass rush has taken the step that BYU fans have been anticipating for a long, long time. After BYU took a two-score lead against Arizona, the pass rush took over and sacked Noah Fifita on back-to-back plays to seal the victory.
That was the first time this season that we saw the pass rush take over a game. Against TCU, the pass rush controlled the game from start to finish. Against Iowa State, Jaylen Raynor was under so much pressure that Iowa State's offense was stuck in mud for three quarters.
BYU's pass rush has positively impacted every game against P4 competition. Before Notre Dame, BYU ranked 10th in pressure rate (P4 vs P4 only). After facing a very good Notre Dame offensive line, the Cougars dropped to 37th in pressure rate. We expect BYU to slowly climb those rankings in the back half of the season.
The Cougars won the pressure battle against Notre Dame and it impacted CJ Carr's accuracy. The best defenses in college football generate consistent pressure, and BYU is starting to show signs that it can generate consistent pressure.
TJ Woods Deserves His Flowers
How good has TJ Woods been for BYU? Since he arrived, BYU's rushing attack has been one of the best in college football. BYU rushed for more yards against Notre Dame than any other team the Fighting Irish have faced this season, and the Cougars did it without its top two running backs.
Earlier this year, Woods identified Paki Finau in the transfer portal who had never been a full-time starter. Finau not only won the starting job, he has been one of the best left tackles in the Big 12 in his first year at BYU.
Veteran offensive tackle Andrew Gentry suffered an injury in the third game of the year, and true freshman Bott Mulitalo has quickly replaced his production. Mulitalo is making notable progress every week, and he was great against Notre Dame. He didn't allow a pressure against a Fighting Irish defensive line that ranked first in college football in pressure rate.
BYU ranks second in college football in pressure rate allowed. Take a bow, TJ Woods.
BYU Nailed the Transfer Portal
The early returns on BYU's transfer class are outstanding. Cade Uluave was the highest-rated linebacker in the transfer portal, and he has lived up that ranking. He's been phenomenal.
We already talked about Paki Finau. Finau has been a revelation at left tackle - he's been one of BYU's most consistent players.
Kyler Kasper has been everything BYU hoped he would be when they signed him out of Oregon.
BYU's duo of transfer tight ends have been dynamic in both the run game and the pass game. They have combined for over 300 receiving yards and are only scratching the surface of what they can do for this BYU offense. The Walker Lyons we saw in Fall Camp was the Walker Lyons that we saw against Notre Dame.
Jake Clifton has been impactful as well. When Isaiah Glasker suffered an injury against TCU, Clifton stepped into the lineup and BYU's defense didn't skip a beat.
We can't forget cornerback Jayven Williams. Williams has been sticky in coverage and elavated the physicality of BYU's secondary.
BYU signed nine transfers and seven have been impactful. In terms of hit rate, that's about as good as it gets in the transfer portal era. BYU's scouting deparment is doing something right.
BYU's Record-Setting Class if Living Up to the Hype
BYU signed a record-setting 2026 recruiting class, and only a portion of them enrolled right away. The rest deferred their enrollment to serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The players that enrolled right away have delivered on the hype so far. Legend Glasker is already at the top of every scouting report, Bott Mulitalo may never give up the starting right tackle spot, Braxton Lindsey is in the defensive rotation, and Kennan Pula is slowly getting more and more reps at safety.
BYU is also getting contributions from true freshmen running backs Journee Tonga and Devaughn Eka. There is a youth movement at BYU in the middle of a 6-0 start. BYU is laying a foundation to sustain the success it is enjoying this season.
BYU Hasn't Showed the Best Version of Itself
In 2024, BYU showed the best version of itself against Colorado. In 2025, it was the TCU game where BYU showcased its potential. We still haven't seen the best version of this BYU football team.
Whether it was penalties against Arizona or special teams miscues against Notre Dame, BYU hasn't played a clean game yet. This team will be incredibly hard to beat once they clean up the fixable mistakes. And the good news for BYU fans is, when it comes to self-inflicted mistakes, they are trending in the right direction.
The rushing attack was dominant before the LJ Martin injury and the passing attack has picked up the slack in his absence. When the offense gets Martin back, it's fun to imagine how hard they could be to stop.
The best is yet to come for BYU in 2026.
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