Cougar Tracks - Daily BYU Cougars Football, Basketball Podcast

The BYU football team was at the 2026 Fan Fest in Farmington, Utah. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper caught up with linebacker Siale Esera at the Fan Fest and his thoughts on what it means to play for Cougar Nation.

Also in this episode, Mitch shared his takeaways from the Fan Fest.

Other topics discussed include BYU basketball missing out on Michael Ruzic to LSU and BYU football landing a commitment from Granger High defensive lineman Maa'imoa Havili.

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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).

It's hard to believe, but Kalani Sitake has been the head coach of the BYU football program for 10 seasons.

During those 10 years, he's coached some excellent players.

Who are the best?

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper ranks the 10 best players who have played for Sitake.

The list is loaded not only with the best players in the Sitake era but also with some of the best in BYU football history.

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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).

BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake recalled his talks with Penn State to On3's Pete Nakos. In Sitake's commentary, he noted, "It all works out the way it's supposed to." How critical was it for BYU to retain Sitake?

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper explores that. Sitake turning down Penn State led to the Nittany Lions hiring former Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.

Campbell's old employer, ISU, made some headlines when AD Jamie Pollard said the SEC/Big Ten should break away. Would that be a good thing?

Athlon Sports has Bear Bachmeier on the cover of the 2026 preview on the West Coast. They rolled out their preview, and Mitch shared some initial thoughts.

Then, finally, some news and notes from the basketball recruiting trail, as BYU basketball was well-represented at various Live Period events on the circuit over the weekend.

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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).

Along with hosting Cougar Tracks every day, KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper also hosts Cougar Sports Saturday on KSL NewsRadio (Saturdays, Noon-3 pm MT).

Beginning May 16, 2026, a new era of Cougar Sports Saturday will begin as Mitch welcomes his new co-host, Nate Slack.

Get to know Nate in this episode of Cougar Tracks. They discuss Nate's background, his connection to BYU sports, his passion for Cougar Athletics, and they also share thoughts on the upcoming football and men's basketball seasons.

The NFL schedule was released for the 2026 season on Thursday night. It was an opportunity to start planning the ultimate football road trips for the 2026 BYU football season.

Luckily for Cougar fans, there are some solid road opportunities that line up with an NFL game for the upcoming fall.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper broke it all down.

BYU football spring opponent tour continues as Mitch welcomes Henry Greenstein of the Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports to get to know the Kansas Jayhawks.

BYU travels to Lawrence on November 21st this fall.

Then, he closed out this episode of the show with a recruiting update as BYU football offered 2029 quarterback Jake Matsen from American Fork High School.

They also issued an offer to Moa Havili from Granger High School for the class of 2027. The other intriguing recruit to monitor is UCLA signee Weston Port, who is currently serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He announced that he was de-committing from the Bruins and would open up his recruitment.

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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).

May 13 marked the one-year anniversary of Brian Santiago's hiring as BYU's athletics director. How has BYU athletics performed in the first year under Santiago?

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper highlighted the wins and areas for improvement needed in the Santiago era.

Mitch also discussed his visit to Cougar House 14 in Elk Ridge, Utah.

The spring BYU football opponent tour continues as we look at the Baylor Bears. Craig Smoak from 365 Sports, host of The Smoak Show, hopped on the program to discuss the outlook for year seven under Dave Aranda.

Then, finally, will Ryan Smith and the Utah Jazz move up to get BYU star AJ Dybantsa?

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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).

Former BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa is in Chicago at the 2026 NBA draft combine. All eyes are on Dybantsa. Will he emerge as the No. 1 overall pick to the Washington Wizards in the 2026 NBA draft?

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper shared his thoughts and also discussed the commentary from Wizards GM in regards to Dybantsa.

The 2026 BYU football opponent spring tour continues. On this edition, we look at the Utah Utes.

Utah Insider for KSL Sports, Steve Bartle joined the show to give the lowdown on year one under head coach Morgan Scalley.

BYU travels to Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, November 7, 2026.

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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).

On this episode of Cougar Tracks, KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper breaks down the KSL Sports post-spring Big 12 football power rankings for the 2026 season.

Mitch was one of the KSL Sports team members who voted in these power rankings.

Where does BYU football rank? Who is the favorite? And who occupies the No. 16 spot?

Another year of Big 12 football is around the corner.

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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).

BYU football doesn't get blue-chip defensive linemen often on the recruiting trail. In the 2027 class, they have one in Tustin, California, native Jeremiah Williams.

Williams, a four-star prospect who picked BYU over the likes of Arizona State, North Carolina, and UCLA, hopped on with KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper to discuss his commitment to the Cougars.

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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).

College Football coaches have reportedly voiced their support for a 24-team College Football Playoff.

It's a radical idea, but it could work. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper shared his thoughts on the potential for a 24-team Playoff.

An expanded Playoff would likely benefit a program like BYU.

Mitch was out on the recruiting trail earlier this week at a showcase event. He shared some players from the state of Utah, who have BYU interest, and other players who caught his attention.

The spring football tour of BYU opponents in 2026 continues. Today, we look at the new-look Iowa State Cyclones.

Jake Brend from CycloneFanatic.com hopped on the show to discuss what spring produced for year one in the Jimmy Rogers era in Ames.

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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).

BYU basketball announced a two-game series with in-state rival Utah State. It will be the first meeting between the two programs since 2021.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper shares his thoughts on the rivalry returning and some memories of the BYU-Utah State basketball series.

Mitch also dives into some early 2027 projections from Bart Torvik for Big 12 basketball. BYU checks into the middle of the pack as they continue to search for a center. The Big 12 looks like it could take a slight step back next year. Could BYU climb to the upper-crust?

Then, finally, the BYU football opponent spring tour continues. On this episode, we look at Arizona State with Damon Allred of ArizonaSports.com. Allredy is a co-host of the State of the Sun Devils podcast and is an Arizona State reporter.

BYU football will host Arizona State on Saturday, October 31 in Provo. It's the first meeting between the two programs since a memorable clash in 2024 in Tempe.

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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).

BYU football picked up a commitment from New Jersey native Ryan Wooten Jr., a cornerback in the class of 2027.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper broke down the commitment and his reaction to this addition in BYU's 2027 class.

The spring football opponent tour rolls on as we break down the UCF Knights in 2026 with Chris Boyle of the Daytona Beach News-Journal. 

It's year two for head coach Scott Frost in Orlando. What are the big takeaways for the Knights coming out of spring practices?

BYU travels to UCF on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

Then, finally, BYU basketball missed out on Obinna Ekezie Jr. analysis of the recruiting miss, where Kevin Young moves forward, and resetting the roster for the 2026-27 season.

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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).

We kick off the month of May with news around BYU basketball as AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders were invited to the NBA draft combine.

Everyone knew Dybantsa, the potential No. 1 pick, would go to the combine, but Saunders, coming off a season-ending injury, speaks to the interest in the former BYU star.

Mitch also dives into the former BYU players who have found new landing spots in the transfer portal.

Then on the flip side, he looks at the future BYU basketball players, as one recruiting service has the Cougars 2026 recruiting class in the top-10.

The BYU football spring opponent tour rolls on. On this episode, Mitch chats with Eric Hansen of Blue & Gold, part of the On3 network, to get a breakdown of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2026.

BYU hosts Notre Dame for the first time in Provo since 2004, when the Irish travel to LES on Saturday, October 17.

It's a matchup of the highest-ranked non-Playoff teams last season.

Then, finally, Mitch closes out the show giving his television and kickoff time predictions for early-season and weeknight games for BYU football in 2026.

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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).

The recruiting trail is busy for BYU sports these days. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper breaks down the latest for basketball and football on the trail, which includes the football staff making an in-home visit to quarterback Brody Rudnicki.

BYU football spring tour continues as we look at the TCU Horned Frogs entering the 2026 season. To get a better idea of the Horned Frogs this upcoming year, Mitch was joined by J.D. Andress of TCU on Sports Illustrated to break it down. BYU travels to TCU on Saturday, October 3.

Then, finally, Mitch caught up with Cal transfer linebacker Cade Uluave at the end of spring practices. Uluave looks ahead to the upcoming 2026 season.

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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).

BYU football is up to three commitments in the class of 2027, with the latest being Jeremiah Williams from Tustin, California.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper shared his thoughts on the recruiting trail for the Cougars.

He also discussed a quarterback who BYU offered for the class of 2028.

BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa rolled out a new signature logo in partnership with Nike. What are your thoughts on the logo?

Then, finally, there are reports that the NCAA Tournament is set to expand to 76 teams starting with the 2026-27 season.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing for college basketball?

Mitch weighs in on the conversation and plays a soundbite from NCAA President Charlie Baker, who was asked by Mitch what the association gains from expanding the tournament.

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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).

On this episode of the Cougar Tracks Podcast, KSL Sports BYU Insider MitchHarper breaks down the potential fallout from the gambling scandal involving Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby and what it could mean for BYU football's chances to win the 2026 Big 12 title.

Mitch also continues the 2026 BYU Spring Football Opponent Tour with a look at former WAC and MWC rival Colorado State.

Kevin Lytle from The Coloradoan joined Mitch to discuss the Rams in 2026 as they get set to kick off year one of the Jim Mora era in their transition to the Pac-12 Conference.

To wrap things up, Mitch broke down the potential top prospects from the BYU football program for the 2027 NFL Draft.

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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).

BYU basketball hosted five-star center in the class of 2027 Obinna Ekezie Jr. over the weekend on an official visit.

Then on Monday, Ekezie put out his top five schools with BYU being in the mix.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper shared his thoughts on Ekezie Jr., the possibility of reclassifying, and BYU's continued search for a center.

AJ Dybantsa expressed a heartfelt goodbye message to BYU on his personal LinkedIn page, days after officially declaring for the 2026 NBA draft.

Finally, BYU football produced two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft with Jack Kelly to the New York Giants and Carsen Ryan to the Cleveland Browns.

Mitch weighed in on the fits for those two former BYU football players as they get opportunities in the league.

Then, finally, the spring football tour continues as we look at the Arizona Wildcats in 2026 with Justin Spears of the Arizona Daily Star. BYU hosts the Wildcats on Saturday, September 12, 2026, in a week two Big 12 Conference showdown.

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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).

The NCAA Transfer Portal window for men's college basketball is officially closed. It was a wild two weeks. What did we learn about BYU basketball from the portal window?

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper shares his thoughts, plus breaks down where the roster currently stands.

BYU has a powerhouse program within the athletic department, the Cheer Team. Mitch caught up with BYU Cheer Head Coach Jocelyn Allan to discuss her squad's National Championship victory in the Game Day Division IA in Daytona Beach, Florida. It's the second consecutive year BYU Cheer has won a National Championship.

Then, finally, you'll hear an interview Mitch had with BYU senior linebacker Isaiah Glasker. The senior decided to run it back for one final season with the Cougars.

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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).

The NFL draft kicks off on Thursday and runs through Saturday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. How many BYU football players will hear their name called?

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper dives into that.

The top candidates to be selected appear to be LB Jack Kelly, WR Chase Roberts, and DBs Mory Bamba and Tanner Wall.

One NFL General Manager discussed the age of prospects and how his franchise views that in preparing for a draft class. BYU wide receiver Chase Roberts enters the draft process at the age of 25 years old.

Finally, Mitch closes out this episode of the podcast by kicking off the spring football opponent tour.

BYU opens the 2026 season against the Utah Tech Trailblazers, who are moving to the Big Sky Conference this fall.

Mitch caught up with Devin Dixon, Host of "The Drive" on The Fan in St. George, to discuss the outlook for the 2026 Trailblazers, who roll into Provo on Saturday, September 5.

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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).

BYU football quarterback Bear Bachmeier enters his sophomore season with the Cougars.

The reigning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year discussed how his life has changed since arriving at BYU less than a year ago.

He also went into how this offense will change in 2026. Also, in this episode of Cougar Tracks, KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper discussed BYU basketball's pursuit of a front-court player and the need to get a big man.

He also looked at recent trends in terms of size for Final Four teams over the past four years.

Then, finally, Mitch attended the Under Armour Next Camp at West High School with some of the top high school football players in the state and the region. He shared some observations and recruiting tidbits.

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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).

After securing a signing from Rob Wright III to withdraw from the Transfer Portal and landing Collin Chandler and Jake Wahlin, BYU basketball continues to build out the roster for the 2026-27 season.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper breaks down the latest with roster construction for the Cougars as they gear up for year three under head coach Kevin Young.

BYU football recruiting is heating up for the class of 2027. Mitch shares some updates on the recruiting trail. He also discussed the uncommitted prospects BYU has offered, who he is high on in the class of 2027.

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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).

BYU basketball gets Rob Wright III to return out of the Transfer Portal, spurning the Kentucky Wildcats in the process. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper broke down the return of Wright to BYU and what it means for the Cougars in 2027. BYU also received a commitment from Clemson Tigers transfer Jake Wahlin. Mitch broke down that addition as Wahlin returns home to Provo. Then, finally, breaking down where the roster stands for the 2026-27 season after these moves.

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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).

BYU basketball picked up a commitment from Syracuse transfer forward Tyler Betsey. The Windsor, Connecticut native was a former Top-50 recruit in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper breaks down the commitment. He also discussed the official signing of Kentucky transfer Collin Chandler to BYU.

Then, the latest portal possibilities and options for BYU basketball in the 2026 cycle.

On the football front, there's a new billboard featuring head coach Kalani Sitake that you'll see when driving Northbound on I-15.

Finally, Mitch caught up with BYU star cornerback Evan Johnson as he prepares for his final year as a Cougar.

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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).

BYU basketball picked up its first transfer portal commitment of the 2026 cycle over the weekend when Kentucky combo guard Collin Chandler announced he's returning "home" to play for BYU.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper shares his thoughts on Chandler committing to BYU.

A total of eight BYU players have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, the latest being Aleksej Kostic.

Also, could BYU get Rob Wright III to exit the portal and come back to Provo? He's on a visit to Kentucky right now.

Then, Mitch looks at potential portal prospects as portal activity continues at a fast pace.

Finally, on the BYU football front, a conversation with captain and star defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa, who is returning for one final season in 2026.

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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).

Spring football is in the rearview mirror for BYU football. Coming up will be summer conditioning, followed by Fall Camp.

To get a sense of who the top players are in the program right now, KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper shared his post-spring depth chart projection for the 2026 season.

Harper broke down the offense, defense, and special teams units coming out of spring practices.

Mitch also discussed the Big 12 Conference moving Saturday games to weeknights. BYU football's game against Iowa State was moved to a Friday night.

Then, finally, the latest in basketball transfer portal talk as former BYU player Xavion Staton finds a new landing spot. And all eyes on the decision from Collin Chandler.

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).