ARLINGTON, Tex. — The Big 12 released its season awards and all-conference team members on Thursday, and BYU took home some notable hardware.
LJ Martin was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year, Bear Bachmeier won Offensive Freshman of the Year, and newly extended head coach Kalani Sitake was voted the Big 12 Coach of the Year.
While those are three big-time awards for a Cougar team that wasn't even a part of a conference four years ago, there were some players that were ranked too low, or left off entirely from the all-Big 12 teams.
Who were the most notable BYU players missing from the all-Big 12 teams?
Isaiah Glasker, LB
What he got: Third team
What he could have got: Second team
Glasker's third team honors hurt when you realize that there are four linebacker spots for each team. Are there really eight linebackers in the Big 12 better — or who had better seasons — than Glasker?
The other half of BYU's nationally revered linebacker duo, Jack Kelly, made the first team, which is a no-brainer. Kelly did have a better season than Glasker, racking up 12.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks, compared to Glasker's 8.5 and three.
Glasker's stats as a whole took a dip from 2024, and the second half of that season seemed he would be a sure-fire selection for the first team in 2025. However, second team seems more fitting for his play this season.
His importance to one of the nation's top defenses cannot be overstated. While the numbers don't pop off like they did last year, he is much better suited to be on second team. Third just seems too low for how good and impactful Glasker really is.
Carsen Ryan, TE
What he got: Honorable Mention
What he could have got: Third team
The fact that a BYU tight end got any praise in the postseason conference awards should be viewed as a success.
After a few years of subpar tight end play, Carsen Ryan was a perfect fit for BYU's offense, and BYU's offense was a perfect fit for him.
Joe Royer from Cincinnati got the third team nod ahead of Ryan, even though Ryan's stats are similar, if not slightly better.
| Carsen Ryan | Joe Royer | |
| Receptions | 35 | 29 |
| Yards | 472 | 416 |
| Touchdowns | 3 | 4 |
Their stats are essentially a coin flip for which you'd rather have. In this case, siding with the No. 11 team in the country would have been the right choice.
Ryan has been a safety net for Bachmeier during his freshman campaign, and has been one of the best blockers on the team. He is one of the unsung heroes for the playoff hopeful Cougars, and it's a shame that he didn't get rewarded for it.
Bear Bachmeier, QB
What he got: Honorable mention
What he could have got: Third team
A true freshman quarterback getting an honorable mention is a victory in itself. Bachmeier's freshman season was nothing short of incredible.
Looking at the stats however, the case for Bachmeier to make the list over Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby (second team) and Utah's Devon Dampier (third team) is a hard one to make.
| Brendan Sorsby | Devon Dampier | Bear Bachmeier | |
| Completion % | 61.6% | 63.7 | 64.6% |
| Pass yards | 2,800 | 2,180 | 2,593 |
| Pass touchdowns | 27 | 22 | 14 |
| Interceptions | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Rush yards | 580 | 687 | 529 |
| Rush touchdowns | 9 | 7 | 11 |
What is holding him back is the low amount of passing touchdowns, and BYU's overall lean towards a run-game with first-team member LJ Martin.
Bachmeier has lead three fourth quarter comebacks against Colorado, Arizona and Utah. He was one of the most clutch players in the Big 12 conference by far.
The case for Bachmeier is his fourth-quarter heroics and overall steadiness for a team who finished higher than all the other all-Big 12 quarterbacks.