BYU Cougars 2023 Season Preview

BYU looks to build off an 8-5 record in 2022, which culminated in a nail-biting win at the New Mexico Bowl against SMU. The BYU Cougars will make their debut in the Big 12 conference in 2023, after previously being an Independent team. The conference realignment sees BYU joining the Big 12 along with Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF, ushering in a notable transformation in the college football landscape.

Guided by the leadership of head coach Kilani Sitake, the squad boasts 15 returning starters, with eight on the offensive side and seven on the defensive front. In terms of recruiting, BYU holds a national rank of 66th for 2023 and has made noteworthy strides in the transfer portal.

The addition of quarterback Kedon Slovis from Pittsburgh and running back Aidan Robbins from UNLV, is poised to inject fresh veteran energy on the offensive side of the ball. The Cougars face a tall order in maintaining their offensive prowess from last year, as the team averaged 31.3 points per game (44th in the country).

The Cougars defense will be in the spotlight after a demanding 2022 season. Despite the return of seven starters, the 2023 schedule presents a more rigorous lineup of opponents compared to the previous year. BYU gave up 29.8 points per game (86th in the country) last year. The addition of consistent powerhouse teams in the Big 12 like Oklahoma, Texas, and others have the potential to really expose this Cougars defense unless they're able to make improvements from last year.

BYU are currently seen as longshots to win the Big 12 in 2023 with consensus odds of +8000.