The Loyal Cougars Podcast | For BYU Cougars Sports Fans

Jake Edmonds and Jake Hatch break down a loaded Loyal Cougars episode, starting with the latest NBA Draft lottery buzz around AJ Dybantsa. Will the Washington Wizards take him No. 1 overall? Would BYU fans rather see him land with the Utah Jazz? And what would it take for Utah to trade up?

Then, BYU and Utah State are officially renewing their basketball rivalry with a two-game series — but is BYU avoiding Logan, or just playing the power-conference leverage game? We dive into the contract details, ticket split, rivalry takes, and some BYU-Utah State trivia.

Plus, the Top 20 in 20 countdown continues with No. 16: Paki Finau, BYU’s projected starting left tackle and a major piece of the Cougars’ offensive line in 2026.

Topics include:

AJ Dybantsa NBA Draft lottery projections

Wizards vs. Jazz fit for AJ

BYU vs. Utah State basketball series details

Is BYU “too good” to play in Logan?

BYU-Utah State rivalry trivia

Top 20 in 20: Paki Finau

BYU football offensive line preview

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LJ Martin is already climbing BYU’s all-time rushing list — but what would it actually take for him to become the greatest BYU running back ever? Jake and Tosh debate where LJ ranks among Cougar legends like Jamaal Williams, Harvey Unga, Luke Staley, Tyler Allgeier, Curtis Brown and more.

We also break down Bear Bachmeier’s place in BYU QB history, debate the best QB/RB duos the Cougars have ever had, and continue the Football 20 in 20 countdown with players No. 18 and No. 17.

Plus: AJ Dybantsa enters the 2026 NBA Draft, whether BYU should ever retire his jersey, and the latest on BYU basketball’s search for a big man — including Michael Ruzic, Luigi Suigo, Marcio Santos, Momo Faye and Egor Ryzhov.

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Jake Wahlin joins the Loyal Cougars Podcast to talk about his football journey from Utah to Clemson and now BYU. He shares what he learned at each stop, why he ultimately decided to transfer to BYU, and what he hopes to accomplish as a Cougar.

We dive into his mindset, his goals for the upcoming season, and what BYU fans can expect from him as he begins this next chapter in Provo.

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BYU got a big transfer portal win with Rob Wright returning, but the Cougars still have major questions in the frontcourt. In this episode of the Loyal Cougars Podcast, we break down the good and bad from BYU’s latest roster movement, what’s still missing at the 4 and 5, and whether Cougar fans should actually thank Mark Pope for how things played out with Rob.

We also dive into BYU’s reported matchup with San Diego State, whether Utah State has a real reason to be upset, and debate who BYU’s top rivals are right now outside of Utah. Then we wrap it up with a football 20-in-20 spotlight and a look back at a classic CougarBoard-era prediction.

In this episode:

- BYU transfer portal updates

- Rob Wright’s return and what it means

- The Cougars’ biggest roster problem

- BYU vs. San Diego State reaction

- Does Utah State have a legit gripe?

- Who are BYU’s top 3 rivals today?

- Start, Bench, Cut: rivalry edition

- Football 20 in 20

- This week in CougarBoard history

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#BYU #BYUBasketball #BYUFootball #Cougars #TransferPortal #Big12 #LoyalCougars #CougarBoard

The latest BYU football and basketball storylines are front and center in this episode of the Loyal Cougars Podcast.

We break down BYU’s biggest transfer portal losses and additions, grade the Cougars’ basketball portal haul so far, and debate whether the future is brighter for BYU football or BYU basketball. Also, introducing the BYU Football Top 20 countdown where we list the top 20 players on BYU's roster every week until the season kicks off against Utah Tech.

Plus, we revisit some classic CougarBoard history and old recruiting takes that still make BYU fans laugh.

In this episode:

- BYU basketball transfer portal winners and losses

- Who BYU should build around next

- Brighter future: BYU football or BYU basketball?

- BYU Football Top 20: No. 20

- This week in CougarBoard history

#BYU #BYUFootball #BYUBasketball #Cougars #Big12 #TransferPortal #CollegeFootball #CollegeBasketball

In this episode of The Loyal Cougars Podcast, we break down the latest Big 12 championship odds by FanDuel, whether Texas Tech deserves to be the heavy favorite, and why BYU might have a real path back to the conference title game.

We also dive into:

- AJ Dybantsa’s huge week, including his Julius Erving Award win, All-America honors, and the massive NBA/stay-or-go conversation

- How close this BYU basketball team really was to national-title level

- BYU women’s basketball making a historic run to the WBIT championship game

- Jane Hedengren smashing the NCAA 10,000m record and what her rise means for BYU track

- The latest on Trump's NCAA executive order and what it could mean for college sports

If you care about BYU football, BYU basketball, recruiting, and Cougar headlines, this episode is packed.

Subscribe for more BYU coverage, reaction, and analysis from The Loyal Cougars Podcast.

#BYU #BYUFootball #BYUBasketball #Big12 #AJDybantsa #JaneHedengren #LoyalCougars #CougarBoard

BYU fans, we’ve got a loaded episode of the Loyal Cougars Podcast.

This week we break down the growing frustration around BYU football tickets and whether the current system is rewarding loyalty or pricing fans out. We also talk about Notre Dame getting a bigger ticket allotment, dive into our BYU spring camp stock watch, and discuss who we’re buying, selling, and holding heading into the season.

On the basketball side, we look at whether BYU men’s hoops really needs a “Big 3,” explore transfer portal options and possible fits, and give some love to BYU women’s basketball after a huge WBIT run as they prepare for Kansas in the semifinals.

In this episode:

- BYU football ticket controversy

- Is BYU pricing out loyal fans?

- Notre Dame ticket allotment debate

- BYU spring camp stock watch

- Men’s basketball transfer portal targets

- Does the BYU “Big 3” model work?

- Women’s basketball WBIT semifinal run

Subscribe for more BYU football and basketball coverage, and join the conversation in the comments.

BYU’s tournament run is over, and we’re breaking down everything that went wrong in the loss to Texas.

Jake Edmonds and Tosh Mackintosh dive into the numbers behind BYU’s rough performance, the biggest weaknesses the game exposed, and whether Texas’ win over Gonzaga changes how fans should view the loss. They also discuss AJ’s huge performance and what it means for his NBA draft stock.

Then the conversation turns to the offseason: what BYU needs to fix, what kind of roster additions could make the biggest impact, and the top changes we want to see before next season tips off.

In this episode:

- BYU vs. Texas breakdown

- The biggest issues exposed in the loss

- AJ’s NBA draft outlook

- Offseason wish list for next season

- What BYU needs to add in the backcourt and frontcourt

- Defensive identity and coaching questions

- BYU's impact on Kyle Whittingham's decision to leave for Michigan

Subscribe for more BYU football and basketball coverage from the Loyal Cougars Podcast.

BYU is heading to the NCAA Tournament as a 6-seed, but history hasn’t always been kind to teams on that line. Is the 6-seed cursed, or can the Cougars break the trend this year?

On this episode of the Loyal Cougars Podcast, we break down BYU’s tournament draw and what the path could look like in March Madness. The Cougars will face the winner of the First Four matchup between Texas and NC State. We preview both teams and discuss which opponent BYU matches up better against.

From roster strengths to key players and style of play, we dive into what makes each potential matchup dangerous and where BYU could have the advantage.

#BYU #BYUBasketball #MarchMadness #GoCougs #LoyalCougarsPodcast

AJ Dybantsa teasing a possible return to BYU next season. Are we buying it? We dive into the growing speculation and what it could mean for the Cougars moving forward.

We also break down BYU’s big win over Texas Tech, what changed defensively in the second half, and why do fans of other schools care so much about the court storming?

Plus, we get into the latest BYU football storylines, including:

- LJ Martin’s decision to return after advice from Jamaal Williams

- Bear Bachmeier landing on Bill Connelly’s top 15 Power Conference QB rankings

- Early spring camp standouts, which includes a former Orem stand-out tight end

If you’re a BYU fan, this episode has everything from hoops momentum to football optimism, and plenty of reason to talk about what could be next in Provo.