Head coach Kalani Sitake’s BYU Cougars couldn’t secure the Big 12 championship in the 2025 season, but the team had a magnificent campaign with a 12-2 overall record. As spring practice gets underway, there is a growing sense of energy and optimism around the program, with expectations for the 2026 season continuing to build.
How Kalani Sitake Is Building a Big 12 Powerhouse at BYU
On Episode 721 of “Josh Pate’s College Football Show,” Pate took a closer look at how both the Big 12 and ACC scenarios are changing, with a particular focus on identifying new contenders. BYU stood out as a serious challenger, especially to a Texas Tech team that currently sits near the top of the conference hierarchy.
“I think about Kalani Sitake who had an offer to leave and chose to stay and what that can do to the moral fiber,” Pate said (4:30). “I don’t know just the energy level of a program and then also Bear Bachmeier rather being back and knowing that you had two shots at Texas Tech last year and it ended up not being competitive either time and just sitting on that for months and months and months.
“That can do something to a program. That can be something that can do something to your competitive spirit and your competitive character. Who knows?”
A major reason for optimism is the return of Bachmeier, who has now firmly secured the starting role. He threw for 3,033 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 11 rushing scores as a true freshman in 2025. He earned an 84.2 grade in the PFSN College Football QB Impact Metric and is expected to take another step forward after recovering from an ankle injury that limited him during the Big 12 Championship Game.
The quarterback room is deeper than in previous years, featuring Ryder Lyons, one of the highest-rated recruits in BYU history who signed with the 2026 class. LJ Martin is returning for his senior season, while the Cougars also secured top-rated transfers.
Sitake himself has expressed strong confidence in the group following spring practices.
“I feel really good about the program and the leadership on the team,” Sitake said, via the Deseret News. “In order for you to have great leaders, you have to have people that are willing to follow. We have a really good dynamic on the team.
“I give a lot of credit for that to the player retention and surviving the portal because it’s a great family, and the reason why it’s a great family is because of the young men in our program and the leadership that we have.”
BYU will have several opportunities to prove its legitimacy on a national stage, as early home games against Arizona on Sept. 12 and Notre Dame on Oct. 17 will serve as important measuring sticks. A late-season game against Utah on Nov. 7 is expected to have massive implications for the Big 12 title race.
