Contender #16

BYU

Big 12 · 2026 preseason baseline

Projection

75.5

SP+ preseason

+15.5

Returning prod.

64%

Recruiting

64%

2026 portal cycle

Inside a standard deviation of zero.

+0.45z

talent-weighted z-score

applied: +0.09 pts

Top gains

  • 4★ LBCade Uluave from California
  • 4★ TEWalker Lyons from USC
  • 4★ TERoger Saleapaga II from Oregon

Top losses

  • 3★ QBMcCae Hillstead to Utah State
  • 3★ EDGEChoe Bryant-Strother
  • 3★ RBPokaiaua Haunga

Portal moves are weighted by recruiting stars, position (QB and skill positions weighted higher), and eligibility. Withdrawn entrants are excluded. The z-score is normalized across teams appearing in the 2026 portal cycle. See the full portal leaderboard →

2025 season · final grade

The 2025 season, graded.

B CeilingB

Ahead of the projection.

Realized SP+ +15.9 · SP+ rank #18

Projection

63.3

Realized

72.7

Δ

+9.4

Δ grade

B

Ceiling SECONDARY

B

Projection vs realized

Realized 72.7 Projection 63.3

The yellow tick is BYU's August 13, 2025 preseason SP+ rating (+9.3) — the last preseason release before Week 1, from Bill Connelly / ESPN. The dark bar is the final 2025 SP+ (Connelly, post-championship). Both mapped to the 0–100 scale by score = 50 + SP+ × (50/35), clamped [1, 99]. The gap between them is Δ: +9.4. Δ banded A through F gives the letter grade.

What the grade means

A B means BYU finished between 8 and 20 points above the projection (Δ +9.4). Ahead of the projection, and on purpose.

Ceiling grade: B · secondary lens · 26% of upside headroom used. Δ divided by the room BYU had to move (upside if Δ is positive, downside if negative). Ceiling normalizes for projection height: a projection-90 team has 10 points of upside room, a projection-50 team has 50.

The letter grade always records the same relationship: realized minus projection, banded A through F. A team can sit in the Elite tier and still receive a D. LSU in 2025 is that case.

Read the methodology →

Offense (2025)

33.9

SP+ offensive rating

Defense (2025)

18.8

SP+ defensive rating (lower = better)

Nat'l SP+ rank

#18

Final 2025 SP+ ranking

2025 portal cycle (context)

Net negative on talent-weighted flow.

−2.85z

talent-weighted z-score

Top gains

  • 3★ QBBear Bachmeier from Stanford
  • 3★ EDGETausili Akana from Texas
  • 3★ EDGEAnisi Purcell from Southern Utah

Top losses

  • 4★ QBJake Retzlaff
  • 4★ WRKeelan Marion to Miami
  • 4★ TEJackson Bowers to Oregon State

Portal moves are weighted by recruiting stars, position (QB and skill positions weighted higher), and eligibility. Withdrawn entrants are excluded. The z-score is normalized across teams appearing in the 2025 portal cycle (context).

Returning production (2025): 87% of prior-year PPA back on the field (Bill Connelly's percentPPA metric via CFBD). This is a narrative reference — the 2025 grade itself is Δ vs preseason SP+ only.