Re-Ranking the Most Impactful BYU Transfers After Spring Camp

Last week, the BYU football program wrapped up 2026 Spring camp. Before camp, we ranked BYU's top transfer portal acquisitions. BYU brought in nine total transfers from the transfer portal that participated in Spring Camp. In this article, we will re-rank the most impactful transfers after spring practices.

9. Zak Yamauchi - OL

Zak Yamauchi started games for Stanford as a freshman. He has future starting potential for the BYU offensive line, but according to offensive line coach TJ Woods, he missed most of Spring Camp due to injury. The Cougars will have some contested battles for the last starting guard spot in the fall, and Yamauchi could factor in, but we didn't get a chance to see it this spring.

8. Jake Clifton - LB

BYU linebacker Jake Clifton at BYU Spring Camp | BYU Photo

Jake Clifton was a star linebacker for Kansas State before leaving to serve a mission. Clifton will provide valuable depth for BYU in 2026 and we expect him to be in the rotation. He had a productive spring. The key for Clifton will be to remain healthy during the offseason and throughout Fall Camp - that's typically the biggest hurdle for returned missionaries.

7. JR Sia - OL

Utah State transfer JR Sia has three years of eligibility remaining after starting 10 games at right tackle for the Aggies in 2025. Sia primarily played right tackle at Utah State, but he played guard throughout Spring Camp. Sia was running with the twos this spring.

6. Jayven Williams - CB

BYU replaced Mory Bamba with a cornerback that played a nearly identical role in the SEC last year. Jayven Williams played exactly the role we expected him to going into camp: the third cornerback behind Evan Johnson and Tre Alexander. BYU is a little thin at cornerback, so Williams could play a critical role in 2026.

First look at Mississippi State transfer Jayven Williams.

Williams is a veteran cornerback with one year of eligibility remaining. pic.twitter.com/ZI3tyhVXmg
— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) March 28, 2026

5. Kyler Kasper - WR

BYU wide receiver Kyler Kasper at Spring Camp | BYU Photo

The wide receiver room was the top question mark going into camp. BYU was needing to replace its top two wide receivers from a season ago. Jojo Phillips looks poised to take over one of those top two spots. The other wide receiver who looks ready to take one of those spots? Oregon transfer Kyler Kasper.

Kasper is a true 6'6 and he consistently ran with the first-team offense this spring. He still needs to develop some more chemistry with Bear Bachmeier as a newcomer, but we expect him to be a starter in 2026.

First look at Oregon transfer Kyle Kasper.

Kasper is all of 6'6 and will be expected to contribute right away. pic.twitter.com/iEQqda9IuB
— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) March 4, 2026

4. Paki Finau - OL

Paki Finau came into Spring Camp and took the lion's share of the first-team reps at left tackle from start to finish. Finau is now expected to be the week one starter at left tackle for BYU in 2026.

Finau appeared in three regular season games as a true freshman at Washington in 2024, preserving his redshirt season. He played consistently for Washington last season, primarily at guard. He also got some reps at right tackle.

Assuming he starts for BYU at left tackle, it would be his first career start at that position.

3. Roger Saleapaga - TE

No incoming transfer was a more pleasant surprise than Roger Salepaga. The former Oregon Duck was primarily used as a run-blocker in Eugene. During Spring Camp, he showed why he was a coveted recruit coming out of high school as a pass-catching tight end.

Aaron Roderick called Saleapaga one of the best players on BYU's team. We expect him to play a lot, and if we had to submit predictions today, we would predict him to start along with Walker Lyons.

Tight end targets have been a consistent theme throughout Spring Camp so far. That continued on Monday with Bear Bachmeier finding Roger Saleapaga for a chunk gain. pic.twitter.com/9czYDsYfjb
— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) March 24, 2026

2. Walker Lyons - TE

We expected Walker Lyons to come in and start right away for BYU. In Spring Camp, he lived up to the hype. Like Salepaga, Aaron Roderick called him one of the best players on the team. Lyons is a matchup problem for defenses at his size and speed.

Raider Damuni told BYU On SI that BYU's tight end duo was more difficult to guard in Spring Camp than any tight end duo they faced in the Big 12 last season.

1. Cade Uluave - LB

Cade Uluave came to BYU as the top linebacker in the transfer portal. Uluave looked the part in Spring Camp. Uluave's speed stood out, as defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga noted.

"I was surprised at how fast he is," Poppinga said. "He's maybe the second fastest guy on our team right now. And we've got some fast guys, really fast guys. I think there's 7 or 8 guys on our team that are 10.6 (100 meter) guys."

During practice, BYU tracks how fast players run during practice. According to Poppinga, Uluave was clocked at 22 miles per hour.

"When you put football pads on all these guys and you get them on the football field, we've clocked Cade in practice at 22 miles an hour. Which is as fast as most of our corners. So I would say I watched this film and I thought he was fast and he looked really fast, but he's faster and more explosive than I thought he was. And so when that guy pulls the trigger in the run game and he comes downhill, I mean it's as quick and as fast as I've seen. And so just really excited to see what he's going to do in games in the Big 12."