Eye on the Y: Key players decide to stay in Provo.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars coach Kalani Sitake puts his hand on Brigham Young Cougars defensive end Ephraim Asiata during a game at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
When former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham set his sights on BYU, it was touch and go in Provo.
Michigan’s new coach, who had already purged most of Utah’s offensive staff, had plans to select some of BYU’s top defensive players.
BYU coach Kalani Sitake knew it was coming.
But that didn’t make it any less terrifying.
“When [Whittingham takes a job]he has a network that he goes to to put together a squad,” Sitake said. “That’s how football works.
In the end, Sitake limited the fallout.
Whittingham brought defensive coordinator Jay Hill and cornerbacks coach Jernar Gilford with him to Ann Arbor. These are big losses, but things could have been worse.
Perhaps most impressively, Sitake kept his entire offensive staff in place after Whittingham. Utah was rumored to pursue Aaron Roderick after its offensive coordinator left for Michigan.
But BYU’s offensive coordinator stayed put, and Utah had to settle for Utah State’s Kevin McGiven.
There could be more personnel changes in the coming days due to natural attrition and shuffling to make room for new hires. Linebackers coach Justin Ena may be one of those losses.
But in Whittingham-related departures, Sitake had only two casualties.
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Redoing the roster
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars safety Faletau Satuala (11) tries to tackle Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Bryce Farrell (11) during a game last season.
Before BYU can add to the transfer portal, it has to deal with losses.
The Cougars were preparing for some big names to possibly head east to Michigan and follow Hill.
But again, BYU stayed strong in the transfer portal.
All the star players on defense opted to stay put, including safety Faletau Satual.
Right now, the only player of note on the portal is backup quarterback McCae Hillstead.
Professional problem?
BYU center Abdullah Ahmed shoots a free throw against Eastern Washington during the first half of an NCAA basketball game Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)
A little basketball before we go.
BYU began its Big 12 campaign the way an NBA team prepares for its regular season stretch — by adding a key player to the roster.
Coach Kevin Young signed former G Leaguer Abdullah Ahmed, most recently with the New York Knicks organization, to prepare for the NCAA Tournament.
That drew a lot of criticism from coaches like Arkansas’ John Calipari and Michigan’s Tom Izzo.
Young defended the move, saying it could actually be good for the sport.
Either way, BYU is off to a 13-1 start and ranked in the top 10 in the nation. They just beat Kansas State on the road and will travel to Salt Lake to face Utah on Saturday.
Ahmed played 11 minutes against the Wildcats and scored four points with two rebounds and two assists.
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