Reaction to BYU's ranking in preseason Coaches Poll | Under-the-radar players to watch in camp
KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper reacts to the Cougars landing at No. 15 in the 2026 US LBM Coaches Poll — their highest preseason coaches ranking in years and a significant jump from the No. 23 slot they occupied entering the 2025 season. BYU is the second-highest ranked Big 12 team behind No. 12 Texas Tech, with Utah slotting in at No. 21 and Houston at No. 24. Mitch breaks down what the ranking signals about national perception of the program after a 12-2 season, a Big 12 Championship Game appearance, and a Pop-Tarts Bowl victory — and whether No. 15 is too high, too low, or just right for a team that finished No. 12 in the final coaches poll a year ago.
With the AP Top 25 preseason poll still two weeks away, Mitch discusses where BYU could land there given that composite projections have the Cougars around No. 13 nationally. He also examines what preseason poll positioning means for BYU's College Football Playoff math come November, and how Kalani Sitake's staff plans to manage the highest expectations in program history without letting them become a distraction.
Then, as players report for fall camp meetings and equipment fittings today with on-field practices beginning Wednesday, Mitch spotlights the under-the-radar names he's most intrigued to watch during media observation periods this August: Siosiua Latu-Finau, Bott Mulitalo, Trevin Ostler, Devoux Tuataga, Maverick McManus, Adney Reid, TJ Johnson, Cole Shuman, Rayden Heintz, and Brody Laga.
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