Five Bold Predictions for BYU's 2025 Season

We made it, folks. BYU plays a football game this week. This is a time of joy and excitement. Message board posts are firing from the four corners of the Big 12 as just about everyone believes this is the year for their team. It’s beautiful. It's what America is all about. In that spirit, it’s time for our own bold predictions of what this BYU team can be. But first, let's review.

Last season we made 5 bold predictions that in some cases weren’t bold enough.

We predicted:

1. BYU would finish top 50 in yards per play (they finished 42nd).

2. Tyler Batty and Jack Kelly would combine for at least 13 sacks (not quite but they did both finish in the top five in the Big12 in QB hurries so close enough)

3. BYU will return at least one punt or kickoff for a touchdown (They had 5 combined).

4. BYU's starting QB will account for 30 total TDs (They finished with 26)

5. BYU finishes .500 or better at home (They finished 5-1)

What do we learn from this exercise? This year we must go bigger. Bolder. Dream so ambitiously that these predictions seem like biased delusion until they reveal in December that the authors at BYU on SI are, in fact, ball knowers. So here we go. Five more bold predictions for the 2025 season.

1. BYU will go undefeated at home

BYU Football Lavell Edwards Stadium — BYU Photo

BYU has finished undefeated at home twice since 2008 (2015 & 2020). The time has come for that to change. BYU is expected to be double-digit favorites in 4 of their 6 home games. This prediction gets real bold when you consider it involves beating both Utah and TCU, two teams that have been no stranger to winning in Lavell Edwards Stadium over the last 20 years. While both opponents pose unique challenges, BYU’s defense in front of their home crowd will be enough to keep BYU in every game they are in. LJ Martin and Bear Bachmeier will take care of the rest.

2. Bear Bachmeier finishes the season with a passer rating above 140

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier in Fall Camp | BYU Photo

This prediction might be meaningless without context. Last season, the average true freshman QB finished the season with a passer rating of about 132. Jake Retzlaff finished at 136. For Bear Bachmeier to finish above 140 means that we are predicting that BYU’s quarterback play is better this year than last year, and there is reason to hope for that. Bachmeier was exceptional in camp at protecting the football against a defense that led the nation in interceptions last season. Bachmeier threw one interception across all media observation windows of camp and none in BYU’s two scrimmages. He also demonstrated big-play capability like Retzlaff during those same windows.

While BYU will play exceptional pass defenses in Utah, Iowa State, and TCU, the remaining teams allowed an average pass efficiency rating of 144.4 last season, which would be 97th nationally. BYU fans shouldn’t expect a true freshman to light the world on fire, but this bold prediction states that Bear is no ordinary true freshman, and BYU’s schedule will provide opportunities to prove that.

3. BYU produces three All-Americans

BYU kicker Will Ferrin celebrates with fans after making game-winning kick against Utah | BYU Photo

Will Ferrin, Parker Kingston, Isaiah Glasker. If the nation doesn’t know their names now, they will. Will Ferrin has already been named to multiple preseason All-American teams, but Parker Kingston was the nation's most electric punt returner a season ago and will receive that recognition this year. Isaiah Glasker is not as well known nationally, but will be impossible to ignore if this BYU defense repeats last year's performance for a second year in a row. Mark it down, BYU will be back in the All-American game this season.

4. LJ Martin cracks the top 10 all-time rushing leaders at BYU

Play of the day was a long run from LJ Martin. The play was whistled dead but Martin had a chance to go the distance. pic.twitter.com/gmxh42G9RQ
— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) August 5, 2025

LJ Martin needs 1,156 yards to pass Pete Van Valkenburg for 10th all time for rushing yards at BYU. To accomplish that, LJ will need to average 5.8 yards per carry with around 16 carries per game. Martin has demonstrated exceptional patience and vision but only averages 5.0 yards per carry in his career due to a lack of breakaway speed shown thus far. Martin was 19th out of 21 eligible Big12 running backs in percentage of yards from breakaway’s last season. Martin was also dealing with an ankle injury most of the season that hampered his ability to pull away from opposing secondaries. That all seemed to be fixed this offseason. Martin had multiple big runs in Fall Camp including a 60-yard TD run in which he pulled away from former Utah state 100-meter finalist Canon Devries. In short, LJ Martin will be the bell cow of this offense, and cement himself as an all-time great at BYU during his junior season.

5. BYU’s defense finishes top 10 in yards per play allowed

BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker against Arizona State | BYU Photo

BYU finished no higher than 84th in yards per play defense from 2021-2023 before rocketing up to 19th in 2024 with largely the same talent. Now that Jay Hill’s more talented recruits are beginning to find footing in BYU’s system, we predict another step forward into the top 10. The middle of BYU’s defense should be among the best in the conference and will face only two top 35 offenses this season according to SP+. If BYU’s young cornerback and edge talent grows up quickly, BYU might not allow more than 300 yards of offense until week 8.

Bonus: BYU finishes the season in Arlington

BYU flag against Colorado in the Alamo Bowl | BYU Photo

Why not BYU? Essentially this same BYU roster finished a pooch punt away from the Big 12 championship game last season with average QB play and an injured LJ Martin. What can they do with good QB play and a healthy Martin? BYU has the easiest schedule in the conference. They are expected to be favored in 10 games before the predictive models even know what BYU’s QB play will look like. On paper, BYU has two objectives: win the games you should win and split ISU, TCU, Utah, and TTU. Do that, and BYU will finish this season the way last season should have.