BYU football is tied with USC as No. 14 in the nation according to the AP preseason poll.
Last season, BYU finished as the No. 11 team in the country, barely missing out on the Top 10 despite its PopTarts bowl win over Georgia Tech. This is the second-highest BYU has ranked in the preseason poll. The highest ever was in 1985 when BYU started the season ranked No. 10 overall.
The No. 14 preseason ranking raises already high expectations. The Cougars retained quarterback Bear Bachmeier and running back LJ Martin, who are expected to be a dominant duo.
As a true freshman, Bachmeier led BYU to its first conference championship game appearance since 1998 and broke the record for single-season rushing touchdowns for a quarterback with 11. Now with a full season under his belt, the sophomore is looking to take his team to the next level.
Martin finished the season with over 1,300 rushing yards and was a large part of the BYU offense. This year, he has the opportunity to surpass Jamaal Williams and break BYU’s all-time rushing record. Martin was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year last season and was named this year’s Big 12 preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Around the Big 12, Texas Tech enters this year’s preseason poll ranked No. 12, its second-highest ranking since 1977. The Red Raiders are the favorite to repeat as Big 12 champions this season.
The Utah Utes enter the season as the No. 21 team in the country after finishing No. 14 in last year’s final poll. The Houston Cougars are not far behind the Utes, coming in at No. 23, one spot behind its No. 22 finish in the 2025 season.
Arizona and TCU also received votes but fell short of being featured on the list.