As BYU looks ahead to the 2026 season, expectations around the program continue to rise. In a recent interview with KSL Sports, a YouTube beat coverage channel dedicated to BYU athletics, head coach Kalani Sitake offered an in-depth look at how he views the Cougars’ roster, particularly the depth behind star quarterback Bear Bachmeier and star running back LJ Martin.
Those two positions were major talking points, and Sitake didn’t shy away from the challenges BYU faced last season or the optimism he has for the future.
BYU Football’s Depth Was Tested Throughout the 2025 Season
Sitake first addressed the running back room, where BYU’s depth was tested more than anticipated a year ago. Sione Moa, who was expected to be the primary backup to LJ Martin, suffered an injury that kept him out for much of the season.
That forced the Cougars to dig three or four players deep when Martin dealt with bumps and bruises of his own. But Sitake is optimistic.
“Yeah, I feel good about the depth behind LJ. The difficult part is that LJ got hurt, and so did Sione Moa. So now that taps into your depth, and then you’ve got to look at other guys that are playing. I mean, Eno Nawahine played for us there, but we were able to see the emergence of Jovesa Damuni. Preston Rex. We have some other guys who can play in that position. So there’s a lot of quality there.
The key is to get LJ back healthy and ready to roll, and he’ll get there. So we’ve done that, and we’ve also added some guys from high school. I mean, Devaughn’s going to be really good there, too. And then Jovesa had a really good bowl game. So I think they’re capable. They have a great coach in Harvey [Unga] and a great coordinator in A-Rod [Aaron Roderick]. So, I feel like the depth will be good. ”
While Sitake emphasized his belief in those backs’ talent, he acknowledged that some may not have been fully ready for the roles they were thrust into.
“It’s always hard when you lose your top two guys. And the other side of that is how fast we bring Sione back because we have an opportunity to redshirt him. So that’s what we did with him. He’ll go back to being a sophomore for us, so that’s good. We just have to get him healthy, and he’ll be there by August. The key is that he’s got experience already.”
That reality made Martin’s workload even more significant. The junior proved to be a true bell-cow back, someone who could run between the tackles, catch out of the backfield, and handle pass-protection responsibilities. When you have a player who completes, it’s hard to take him out of the game.
Martin finished the season with 236 rushing attempts, eighth most in the country, and ranked sixth nationally in rushing yards with 1,305, while also adding 255 receiving yards. He was the engine of the BYU offense and one of the most productive backs in the nation.
The return of Moa in 2026 should help balance that workload, allowing Martin to stay fresher over the course of the season while strengthening the Cougars’ depth at the position.
On quarterback depth behind Bear: “Treyson Bourguet has always been solid for us there. Obviously, we wanted a lot of the reps for Bear so we could get him to develop and come along. But Enoch Watson is going to be really good for us there too. So, maybe room for one more quarterback on the roster. I really feel good about those three and what their capabilities are.”
Now that Bachmeier is entering his second season as the starter and is far more comfortable in the system, Sitake noted that reps can be distributed more evenly in practice. That should allow the coaching staff to continue developing depth while maintaining confidence in the offense if called upon.
Of course, most BYU fans are hoping they won’t see much of a backup quarterback in 2026, and for good reason. Bachmeier’s freshman campaign was outstanding. He posted a PFSN CFB QB impact grade of 84.2, ranking 30th nationally among all quarterbacks in 2025, and helped lead BYU to the 28th-graded offense in the country by PFSN’s metrics.
There’s no hiding the expectations surrounding this Cougars team. With a proven star at quarterback, one of the nation’s most productive running backs, and improved depth at key positions, BYU appears poised to take the next step the program has been building toward.
Sitake understands the pressure, but his message was clear: the talent is there, the experience is growing, and the foundation has been laid. Now it’s about turning that promise into results when the 2026 season kicks off.
