Game week is here! BYU football reveals captains + What's trending up entering the season

The wait is over — BYU Football game week is officially here. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper opens today's show buzzing with energy as No. 14 BYU enters the final countdown to Saturday's season opener against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium (6 p.m. MT, ESPN+). After a 12-2 campaign in 2025, this is one of the most anticipated season openers in BYU's modern era, and Mitch sets the table for what's ahead. First up, Kalani Sitake revealed the 2026 Team Leadership Council on Monday morning — a 20-member group voted on by the players, featuring eight captains and 12 co-captains. Returning as captains for the second straight year are running back LJ Martin and defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa. Joining them on offense are sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier, senior center Bruce Mitchell, and Oregon transfer tight end Roger Saleapaga II. The defensive captain group rounds out with linebacker Isaiah Glasker, Cal transfer linebacker Cade Uluave, and cornerback Evan Johnson. The transfers earning captain nods before playing a single snap as Cougars is a notable storyline, and Mitch breaks down what it says about the locker room culture. The 12 co-captains include repeat selections Raider Damuni and Andrew Gentry, plus standouts like Walker Lyons, Jojo Phillips, Bodie Schoonover, Therrian Alexander III, Hunter Clegg, and kicker Matthias Dunn. Mitch also makes the case to get an invite to Influencer Night in 2027 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The uniform combo for week one also dropped Monday, and BYU is going with an all-royal-blue helmet, royal-blue jersey, and white pants for the opener — the first time this combination has been worn in the Big 12 era. BYU also shifted to a weekly uniform reveal approach this season instead of releasing all 12 combos before kickoff. A new Entrata sponsorship patch will also make its debut on the jerseys. To close out the show, Mitch runs through the Cougar Stock Exchange — who's trending up and who's trending down heading into the opener. What are the reasons you should be excited for BYU football in 2026? Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes. Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT). Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609 YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh Download the KSL Sports app Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US  iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593 Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper. Want more coverage of BYU sports? Take us with you wherever you go. Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.