Cougar Tracks - Daily BYU Cougars Football, Basketball Podcast

It was a busy Wednesday at the BYU Student Athlete Building, and KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper unpacks all of it.

The biggest headline: Kalani Sitake met with reporters at team photo day and addressed the elephant in the room — his relationship with athletic director Brian Santiago and his recent comments about BYU's resources. After saying on a recent radio interview that BYU has been "given the challenge of doing the most with the least," Sitake was pressed on what that means going forward. His answer was direct: "My agent's going to handle all of that stuff. I'm going to focus on this year's team. As long as I'm the head coach at BYU, I'm going to fight like crazy to make this a premier program." And on his relationship with Santiago? "I'm easy to get along with as long as you take care of our football team."

Mitch breaks down the context — Sitake turning down Penn State last winter, the recent Santiago rumors, the hiring of new deputy AD Marc Hill from Kentucky — and what it all signals about the current state of the BYU athletic department heading into a critical season.

Also on today's episode, Mitch chats with BYU assistant quarterbacks coach Tyler Hughes. The Salt Lake City native joins the Cougars in his first year after a career that includes four NFL seasons with the New England Patriots, a stint as an offensive analyst at Alabama under Kalen DeBoer. Hughes also brings local roots as a former head coach at Bountiful High School and Snow College. In the interview, Hughes discusses working alongside offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick to develop Bear Bachmeier heading into his sophomore campaign, what he's seen from the quarterback room through fall camp, and his journey from the NFL back to the college game.

And to close things out, Mitch recaps Picture Day inside the Indoor Practice Facility. BYU football took a day off from practice as players and coaches gathered for the official team photo on the outdoor practice field before heading inside the IPF. Mitch shares the scene, the vibe, and notes from a midweek break in the second week of camp as the Cougars continue building toward their September 5 opener against Utah Tech.

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Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Big news in the BYU Athletics front office. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper breaks down the hiring of Marc Hill as BYU's new deputy athletic director. Hill arrives in Provo after spending 27 years at the University of Kentucky, where he served as deputy director of athletics since 2019 and was the football sport administrator since 2012.

Hill was widely considered the frontrunner to succeed longtime Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart before the school went with an external hire in J Batt. At Kentucky, Hill helped spearhead major facility projects, including a $130 million football stadium renovation, a $49 million baseball stadium, and a $19 million soccer/softball complex. BYU AD Brian Santiago called Hill "a great fit" who brings "a wealth of experience from the highest level of collegiate athletics." BYU advancement VP Keith Vorkink added that Hill's "experience, leadership and alignment with BYU's values" make him an excellent addition. This hire comes just days after the athletic department had to publicly shut down false rumors about Santiago's job status. Mitch discusses what Hill's arrival means for BYU's administrative infrastructure, Kalani Sitake's desire for additional support at the top, and how this fits into the bigger picture of the program's growth in the Big 12.

Also on today's episode, Mitch sits down with BYU football outside linebackers coach Chad Kauha'aha'a. The veteran defensive coach, a former Utah defensive lineman, was promoted from senior analyst to outside linebackers coach in February after spending two seasons behind the scenes on Kalani Sitake's staff. Kauha'aha'a brings over two decades of coaching experience at programs including USC, UCLA, Wisconsin, Utah, Oregon State, Boise State, UNLV, Utah State, and Weber State. He and Sitake have a long coaching history together, dating back to their time on the same staff at Oregon State and at Utah. In the interview, Coach Kauha'aha'a discusses developing BYU's edge rushers heading into 2026, what he's seen from his outside linebackers group through fall camp, and what it means to be coaching on the field after two years as an analyst.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Rumors spread like wildfire across social media and fan message boards over the weekend that BYU athletic director Brian Santiago could be fired. It wasn't true. But did it add to the speculation? KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper breaks down what happened, how BYU's athletic department took the unusual step of having Associate AD for Communications Jon McBride post directly on CougarBoard to officially shut down the speculation.

Santiago, who was named BYU's athletic director in May 2025 after Tom Holmoe's retirement, was spotted on the sideline at a BYU women's soccer game over the weekend and was at fall camp practice on Monday in a navy blue bucket hat.

Co-worker Tyson Hutchins confirmed BYU created the official message board account earlier this year as a way to meet fans where they are — and called the rumor "ridiculous." In his first year leading the department, BYU finished No. 25 in the Learfield Directors' Cup Standings, the highest-ranked athletic department in the Big 12. Mitch shares his thoughts on the situation.

Mitch shares his observations and notes from BYU football fall camp as the Cougars enter their second week of practice at the Student Athlete Building.

True freshman wide receiver Legend Glasker continued to flash with the first-team offense, catching a deep ball from Bear Bachmeier during the media observation window. The tight end duo of Walker Lyons and Roger Saleapaga is emerging as a focal point of BYU's 12-personnel packages, with both making plays in team drills. Kelly Poppinga is settling into his first fall camp as defensive coordinator, and Kalani Sitake has praised the overall team speed as a noticeable improvement from a year ago. Mitch unpacks what he's seeing on both sides of the ball as BYU prepares for a season opener against Utah Tech on September 5.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

BYU football offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga, and defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa spoke to the media after day five of fall camp practice at the Student Athlete Building in Provo, Utah, on August 10, 2026.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT).

Who will be the backup quarterback behind Bear Bachmeier this season? BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick provides an update.

This is a news update that aired on KSL NewsRadio. You can listen to the daily Cougar Tracks updates on KSL NewsRadio at 5:55 a.m., 7:55 a.m, 3:55 p.m., and 5:55 p.m. on 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, and the KSL NewsRadio app.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT).

BYU football fall camp is rolling, and KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper kicks off today's episode with the question on every Cougar fan's mind: Will Bear Bachmeier run the ball less in 2026? After rushing for 527 yards and 11 touchdowns as a true freshman last season, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick gave some insight that there might be less running from the star quarterback.

Mitch breaks down what that means for the offensive game plan and whether Bear can balance protecting himself while still being a threat with his legs.

Next up, Cosmo the Cougar has finally been inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026, with the announcement coming live on Good Morning America. With three Guinness World Records, a 2020 National Mascot Championship, and viral stunts that routinely break the internet, the real question is: what took so long? Cosmo is only the second Utah-based mascot to enter the Hall of Fame, joining the Jazz Bear, who was inducted 20 years ago in 2006. Mitch discusses why this honor was long overdue.

In a quick-hitter segment, former BYU star and No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa predicted what he thinks his NBA 2K27 rating should be — an 80 overall. The game's developers landed him at a 79. Close, but not quite. The Washington Wizards rookie led the nation in scoring at BYU with 25.5 points per game last season. On the NFL front, former BYU safety Tanner Wall has been signed by the Miami Dolphins after being waived by the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this week. The All-Big 12 First Team honoree recorded 147 career tackles and seven interceptions in 45 games as a Cougar. Mitch shares his thoughts on Wall's path to sticking on an NFL roster.

And finally, BYU star running back LJ Martin is officially back on the practice field for fall camp after undergoing shoulder surgery last December. The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, who rushed for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025, was cleared for full participation in June and said he's motivated and excited to be competing again. Mitch discusses what a healthy LJ Martin means for BYU's Big 12 title hopes.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

BYU star running back LJ Martin is healthy and ready to roll for his senior season.

This is a news update that aired on KSL NewsRadio. You can listen to the daily Cougar Tracks updates on KSL NewsRadio at 5:55 a.m., 7:55 a.m, 3:55 p.m., and 5:55 p.m. on 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, and the KSL NewsRadio app.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT).

As BYU football opens fall camp this week, KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper breaks down the expectations for first-year defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga. With Jay Hill now at Michigan, "K-Pop" inherits a defense that ranked sixth nationally in returning production and helped BYU go 23-4 over the past two seasons. Poppinga discussed the influence of learning the defense under Hill and the experiences that have prepared him for this moment — 18 years of coaching that trace all the way back to a defensive internship under Bronco Mendenhall. Mitch dives into what that means for BYU in 2026, how much continuity BYU fans should expect, and where Poppinga plans to add his own flavor with a talented and deep roster on that side of the ball.

On the offensive side of the ball, Mitch dives into the wide receivers with Fesi Sitake. Who will emerge as WR1? The leaders, the young guys, Sitake gives insight into his room in a one-on-one conversation with Mitch.

Also on today's episode, Mitch discusses BYU basketball, where the Cougars concluded summer practices. They also officially announced the signing of 6-foot-9 Polish center Jakub Urbaniak. The 23-year-old big man averaged 8.9 points and 5.7 rebounds across the EuroCup and PLK last season for Slask Wroclaw and brings FIBA national team experience with Poland. Head coach Kevin Young called Urbaniak a versatile player on both ends of the floor, praising his motor and competitiveness. With BYU still carrying two open roster spots, Mitch explores what Urbaniak's signing means for the Cougars' frontcourt and what Kevin Young may still have in the works before the 2026-27 season tips off.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

BYU football is officially back.

The Cougars kicked off fall camp practice on Wednesday at the Student Athlete Building.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper was on the scene. He shared his observations and thoughts from camp.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

BYU football running back LJ Martin and linebacker Isaiah Glasker spoke to the media following day one of fall camp practice at the Student-Athlete Building in Provo, Utah, on August 5, 2026.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube and X every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).