BYU Lands in Top 15 of Preseason AP Poll

The Cougars will go into the season with their highest preseason ranking since 1985

BYU CB Tre Alexander against Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship | BYU Photo

On Monday morning, the Associated Press unveiled the preseason top 25 rankings. BYU debuted in the ranks at no. 14, the second highest Big 12 team in the rankings behind only Texas Tech (12). No. 14 is the highest preseason ranking for BYU since the 1985 season when BYU was coming off a national championship. The Cougars are tied at 14th with USC.

In total, four Big 12 teams cracked the top 25: Texas Tech (12), BYU (14), Utah (21), and Houston (23). Of the Big 12 teams in the preaseson top 25, BYU is only scheduled to play Utah in the regular season. Other Big 12 teams receiving votes include Arizona (29th), TCU (30th), and Oklahoma State (34th). BYU plays Arizona and TCU to kickoff conference play.

Arizona will likely be just outside the top 25 when they come to Provo in week two. Most notably, Notre Dame will start the season inside the top five. There is a very real chance that the Fighting Irish could be ranked no. 1 or no. 2 when they come to Provo in October.

Below is the full AP preaseason top 25.

1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Georgia
4. Notre Dame
5. Texas
6. Indiana
7. Miami
8. Texas A&M
9. Ole Miss
10. Oklahoma
11. LSU
12. Texas Tech
13. Alabama
14. BYU, USC
15. None (Tie above)
16. Michigan
17. Washington
18. Penn State
19. SMU
20. Tennessee
21. Utah
22. Iowa
23. Houston
24. Louisville
25. Missouri

Who Leapfrogged BYU?

BYU finished the 2025 season ranked no. 11 in the AP Poll. In other words, there were three schools that leapfrogged BYU in the rankings over the offseason. All three of them are bluebloods that typically receive the benefit of the doubt in preseason rankings.

1. Texas - #5

The Longhorns lost three games in the 2025 regular season, including a bad loss to Florida. The Longhorns finished the season 12th in the AP Poll, one spot behind BYU. They leapfrogged BYU, and a handful of other teams for that matter, and will start the season in the top five.

2. Oklahoma - #10

Oklahoma limped into the College Football Playoff last year and lost to Alabama at home in the first round. The Tide advanced to the quarterfinals where they were blown out by Indiana. The Sooners' brand still carries a lot of weight, so they jumped inside the top 10 to start the season.

3. LSU - #11

LSU was bad last season. However, they made the splashiest hire of the offseason by hiring Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss. The voters expect LSU to be a College Football Playoff contender in Kiffin's first season.

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