Three Roster Upgrades Between BYU and a College Football Playoff Run

BYU defensive end Tausili Akana celebrates a tackle for loss against TCU | BYU Photo

The first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff in the books. BYU had more than just a case to be playing in the playoff - they had a better resume than some of the teams that were playing. But that's not the purpose of this article. Instead, we'll go over three roster upgrades that BYU would need to make to make a deep run in the College Football Playoff.

To be clear, the 2025 version of the BYU football team was already good enough to win a game in the CFP. The Cougars would have a really good chance to beat the likes of Miami, Oklahoma, Alabama, or Texas A&M. However, the games against Texas Tech revealed that there is an elite tier of college football teams that BYU is not ready to beat, at least not consistently.

Here are three roster upgrades that would take BYU from a contender to make the CFP, to a team that could make a deep run.

1. The Defensive Line

The defensive lines of the first-round winners stood out. For example, Miami's defensive ends combined for 18 pressures and 4 sacks. When Jay Hill arrived at BYU as the new defensive coordinator, no position was more talent deficient than the defensive line.

The coaching staff has done a great job of addressing that problem recruiting better talent at that position. It has started to pay off. BYU's most talented defensive linemen were underclassmen this year.

To reach that next level and compete with the best teams in the country, BYU needs some of those young defensive linemen to develop into elite prospects. In this context, elite would be day one or day two picks in the NFL Draft.

The good news for BYU is they have a few players that could develop into that on the roster already. Nusi Taumoepeau was brilliant at times, even as a true freshman. He probably has the best chances to become an elite NFL prospect of the returning players on the roster.

Then there's young defensive ends like Hunter Clegg and Tausili Akana who showed a lot of promise as well. Akana forced multiple interceptions in 2025 by pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Hunter Clegg played a lot of snaps even though he was less than a year removed from missionary service.

Then there is a growing list of defensive linemen that picked BYU over competing P4 offers: Sani Tuala, Kini Fonohema, Sefa Brown, Vil Po'uha, and Kelepi Latu-Finau.

There is more talent on the way as well. BYU is about to add players like Devoux Tuataga, Adney Reid, Lopeti Moala, and Nehemiah Kolone to name a few.

Talent was an issue in the past. It won't be an issue in the future. That's the first big hurdle. Now it's up to BYU's defensive staff to retain and develop those players into NFL prospects.

2. The Offensive Line

BYU's offensive line was certainly good and one of the primary reasons why BYU went 11-1 in the regular season. However, there is still a tier between BYU's offensive line and the elite offensive lines in the country.

Against Texas Tech, Bear Bachmeier was constantly under pressure. While that says more about Texas Tech's defensive line than it does about BYU's offensive line, there is clearly another step that this group can take.

The good news for BYU fans is this need is already being addressed. BYU has recruited some elite offensive linemen in the last few classes.

Bott Mulitalo, Jax Tanner, Ethan Thomason, Alai Kalaniuvalu, and Austin Pay picked BYU over some of the biggest brands in the sport. Then there are players like Andrew Williams and Siosua Latu-Finau that had a host of P4 schools recruiting them as well.

Like the defensive line, the offensive line has talent in the pipeline. However, missions will complicate the matriculation of all the young talent. BYU might need to continue to use the transfer portal for a few more years to build out the offensive line.

3. Game-Breakers at the Skill Positions

In Alabama's win over Oklahoma, Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard made one of the best catches of the college football season. Bernard went up and caught a ball that 98% of receivers would not have caught. That catch setup Alabama's game-sealing touchdown.

All the angles of the INSANE catch from Alabama WR Germie Bernard.

It set up a Crimson Tide TD and 10-point lead over Oklahoma in the fourth quarter.

Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit have the call for ESPN. 🏈🔥🔥🔥🎙️ #CFP pic.twitter.com/756dXecNCW

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 20, 2025

In games against Texas Tech, BYU just didn't have enough high-level skill players to beat Tech's athletes. In games against elite teams in the playoffs, sometimes it just comes down to one-on-one matchups. Germie Bernard won the one-on-one matchup and helped Alabama beat Oklahoma. BYU needs more game-breaking players at the skill positions. That's much easier said than done.

Parker Kingston was that player for BYU at times in 2025. LJ Martin was that player for BYU as well. The Cougars just need to recruit more players with those capabilities, and they need to do it more consistently.

Unfortunately for BYU, that isn't a natural recruiting advantage. BYU will have to be better at identifying and developing players that could become those game-breaking players.

Still, there are players in BYU's pipeline that could become the game-breaking players that BYU needs.

Jaron Pula could became that level of player. So could Brock Harris. Then there's speedsters like Graham Livingston and Legend Glasker that could become what Parker Kingston was for BYU in 2025. Terrance Saryon will bring a different skillset to the wide receiver room as well.

There are ways to find those players for BYU, there just won't be as many obvious targets like there will be in the trenches.d