As usual, I will track BYU's transfer departures and arrivals on this page. It will be updated as transfer announcements happen. I don't expect the 'Departures' section to be especially interesting for the most part, since every starter from the 2025 roster with eligibility left has already publicly re-committed to BYU--that section will likely be filled mostly with role players and end-of-bench guys seeking more snaps or freeing up roster space.
Max Alford, LB - Alford transferred in from Utah State last year, a somewhat under-the-radar prospect who really made an impression on Jay Hill's staff. He showed flashes of why they liked him so much this year, leading the team in tackles against TCU and sacking Devon Dampier in the Holy War. Unfortunately, he never really reached his potential, missing large chunks of the season due to injury. He entered the transfer portal on January 12 and almost immediately committed to Michigan, making him (so far) the only BYU player to follow Jay Hill and Jernaro Gilford to Ann Arbor. On the surface, that might seem like an improbable move, but Alford has two big things going for him--Jay Hill seems to really love his potential, and his uncle, Tony Alford, is Michigan's running backs coach.
Tayvion Beasley, CB - Beasley was another 2025 portal acquisition; he transferred in from San Diego State to provide additional depth in the defensive backfield. He was primarily a safety at his previous schools, but played a lot of nickel for BYU, where he got some rotational snaps throughout the season but was never a big producer. He committed to South Florida on January 10.
Choe Bryant-Strother, LB - I have to be honest, this one makes me a little sad. I've been a believer in Choe Bryant-Strother since he transferred in two years ago. The younger brother of former BYU basketball star Elijah Bryant, Choe initially signed with UCLA before transferring to BYU prior to the 2024 season. However, his career at BYU has been little more than a sysiphic effort to stay healthy, with injuries repeatedly costing him playing time. Finally fully healthy at the start of 2025, he looked great in the Cougars' season opener against Portland State, even recording his first sack at BYU. Unfortunately, he suffered another season-ending injury in that game, and spent the rest of the 2025 season on the bench. I have no idea whether he will ever be able to stay healthy enough to reach his potential, but I certainly wish him the best.
Jake Griffin, OL - Griffin is one of the more prominent contributors on this list; though never a starter, he appeared in eleven games for the Cougars in 2025. A reasonably well-regarded recruit out of high school in 2020, Griffin turned down Indiana, Arizona, UCLA, and Utah to sign with BYU. He then served a mission before enrolling as a true freshman in 2023. He redshirted that season, didn't play at all in 2024, and then got some rotational snaps in 2025. Remarkably, due to the timing of his missionary service, he is only heading into his redshirt junior season despite being a member of the class of 2020! On January 12, Griffin committed to joining his younger brother Jaxon at Arizona.
Pokaiaua Haunga, RB - Haunga's situation is very strange and still somewhat unclear. He initially announced back in August 2025 that he was leaving the BYU football program for personal reasons and transferring to Snow College, but never appears to have actually made that move--he remained officially tied to BYU for NCAA purposes throughout the 2025 season despite not being with the team or enrolled at the university. While his reasons for stepping away are his own business, he now seems ready to actively pursue other opportunities.
McCae Hillstead, QB - McCae Hillstead was a participant in one of the most memorable dramas in the history of BYU football: the Jake Retzlaff lawsuit and associated honor code fallout. Hillstead transferred in from Utah State prior to the 2024 season and spent that year as the third-string quarterback behind Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon. When Retzlaff's sudden, unplanned departure from the program in the summer of 2025 left the starting QB job wide open, many assumed that Hillstead was the natural heir-apparent as the highest-ranking QB from 2024 left on the roster. However, Bear Bachmeier, who had transferred in only a few weeks prior, quickly stole the show and once again pushed Hillstead into a supporting role. Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet were theoretically co-backups in 2025, but it seems likely that if Bear had been unable to go, Hillstead would have assumed the starting job. As it was, though, Bear stayed commendably healthy throughout the season, and Hillstead only ever got a few snaps in a gadget role. On January 8, he announced that he was transferring back to Utah State, where he should be very competitive for the starting job in Bronco Mendenhall's second season.
Sione Hingano, OL - Hingano was recruited by Eric Mateos and Jeff Grimes before serving a mission and enrolling at BYU in 2024. Aaron Roderick and TJ Woods honored his recruitment at the time, but after redshirting his freshman season, he never appeared in a game for the Cougars in 2025. He was fairly buried on the depth chart, and given the influx of offensive line talent that BYU has enjoyed this offseason (see below), I suspect he was probably invited to transfer in order to clear roster space.
Tucker Kelleher, TE - Kelleher was a well-regarded 2025 tight end recruit out of Georgia who signed with BYU over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, South Carolina , Boston College, NC State, and Arkansas. However, after a true freshman season where he never saw the field or even appeared on a gameday depth chart, and with incoming transfers Walker Lyons and Roger Saleapaga expected to take the lion's share of tight end reps in 2026 and leave the rest of the room in roughly the same spot, Kelleher likely left to seek more playing time.
Dominique McKenzie, WR - Dom McKenzie is one of a pair of twin brothers, the sons of former BYU legend Brian McKenzie, who have both struggled to carve out niches for themselves at BYU. Dom got a little playing time against Portland State this year, and he made the most of it, ripping off a 41-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep that really showcased his blazing speed. Unfortunately, speed was about all he had going for him, and he remained buried on the depth chart throughout the season. He signed with San Jose State on January 7.
Marcus McKenzie, CB - Marcus McKenzie has had an absolutely cursed BYU career since enrolling here with his twin brother, Dominique. He got significant playing time on special teams as a true freshman in 2023, establishing himself as the best punt return gunner on the roster and recording a highlight-reel forced fumble against SUU. I even named him the Surprise of the Year in my 2023 end-of-season awards. However, he missed the final six games of that season and the entire 2024 season with injuries, and after finally returning healthy for 2025, he struggled to regain his spot in the rotation and continued dealing with nagging injury issues. Just about nothing has gone right for Marcus since the midpoint of the 2023 season, and it's hard to blame him for looking elsewhere, especially given how much talent there is in the BYU secondary right now. He committed to Utah State on January 9.
Sani Tuala, DE - Tuala is an intriguing player. He had never played organized football before joining the team at Citrus College, a junior college in California (which also produced KJ Perry, a current redshirt on the BYU basketball team who was the #1 JUCO basketball prospect in the nation). While at Citrus, Tuala, who had grown up playing basketball and rugby, appeared in nine games as a defensive end and played well enough to earn some serious attention as a JUCO transfer. He was recruited by Oklahoma, Washington, Cal, Houston, and Utah before signing with BYU for the 2024 season. He only appeared in two games for the Cougars--the 2024 Alamo Bowl against Colorado, and the 2025 Portland State game--and he recorded no statistics.
Ikinasio Tupou, OL - Tupou is another casualty of the brilliant transfer class the Cougars have brought in to bolster the O-line. A high three-star recruit out of Palo Alto, Tupou turned down Tennessee, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, Cal, and Utah to sign with BYU in the class of 2024. However, after redshirting his freshman season, he never cracked a gameday roster in 2025. The Cougars have so much depth on the O-line at this point that his odds of getting playing time did not look good, and his departure may be a space-clearing move by the staff.
Lamason Waller III, WR - Waller is a very interesting and somewhat mysterious case. He was a highly sought-after four-star recruit ranked by 247Sports as the #30 overall player from California in the class of 2025, and BYU had to out-compete Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Utah--among several other P4 programs--to secure his services. He was one of the Cougars' major headline signees in the class of 2025 and was expected to compete for snaps immediately as a true freshman. However, he struggled with injuries, only dressing for the UCF game and never actually taking the field for the Cougars. Most baffling of all, on January 12, he announced his commitment to SUU. I have no idea how such a talented and highly-recruited prospect went from being a potential star at BYU to transferring to an FCS program so quickly, but I hope that he can get healthy and enjoy a productive career.
Jake Clifton, LB - Clifton won't be the transfer linebacker that BYU fans talk about this offseason--he committed one day after the #1 linebacker in the portal (see below)--but he's a very nice pickup who will compete for snaps immediately. Clifton was a three-star prospect out of Oklahoma who committed to Kansas State over a smattering of other P4 offers back in 2022. However, during his freshman season, his life took a surprise turn when he decided to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then, following the 2023 season, he decided to serve a mission. He comes to BYU with three years of eligibility left, and while he probably won't start right away, he will likely get rotational snaps and be in a prime position to win a starting role when stars like Cade Uluave and Isaiah Glasker graduate.
Paki Finau, OL - Finau is a really nice pickup who started four games on the interior O-line for Washington this year as a redshirt freshman. He was a four-star prospect out of high school in the class of 2024, and turned down Oregon, Miami, Nebraska, Florida State, BYU, and Utah to sign with Washington. The Cougars had several gaping holes to fill on the line this year thanks to Isaiah Jatta, Weylin Lapuaho, and Austin Leausa all graduating, and Finau should certainly compete for a starting job immediately.
Kyler Kasper, WR - Kasper is a significant acquisition for the Cougars, who lose Chase Roberts to graduation this offseason and are in serious need of receiver depth. Kasper was a four-star recruit to Oregon in the class of 2022, turning down a who's who of P4 offers to sign with the Ducks. However, in four seasons with Oregon, Kasper has suffered two season-ending injuries and has played only a handful of snaps. This means that he still has two years of eligibility remaining--he is a fifth-year junior! Kasper should compete immediately for the remaining vacant starting wide receiver spot--Parker Kingston has probably locked down one of the two, but JoJo Philips and Cody Hagen haven't quite shown starting chops yet, so the other job is likely wide open.
Walker Lyons, TE - Walker Lyons was initially a big fish that got away from BYU. The older brother of the Cougars' signature 2026 QB signee, Ryder Lyons, Walker was the #9 tight end in his class according to 247Sports and very nearly committed to BYU (and took what might be the greatest official visit photo in program history) before ultimately choosing USC instead. Lyons was a prominent role player for USC in 2025 and was listed as a four-star transfer prospect. He should be a strong candidate to replace graduating star Carsen Ryan as BYU's starting tight end. This is yet another very big win for Aaron Roderick and tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride, who signed Ryan out of the portal last year and landed a commitment from five-star prospect Brock Harris in the class of 2026.
Roger Saleapaga, TE - I'll be honest, I did not expect the BYU coaching staff to pursue another starting-caliber tight end in the portal after Walker Lyons committed, but Roger Saleapaga was apparently too good to pass up. Saleapaga has close ties to the BYU program--his older brother, Keanu, played defensive end for the Cougars from 2017-2020. Roger was a heavily recruited high school prospect who turned down a laundry list of P4 offers, including names like Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, to sign with Oregon out of high school. He redshirted his freshman season in 2024 and played sparingly for the Ducks in 2025, though he did catch a pass in the Peach Bowl against Indiana. Somewhat buried on Oregon's depth chart behind a cadre of talented older players, Saleapaga should be positioned to get more playing time at BYU. I'm not sure he will beat out the more experienced Walker Lyons for the TE1 job, but his talent is undeniable.
Jr Sia, OL - Jr Sia is a redshirt junior out of Utah State who started at right tackle for the Aggies in 2025. He is another candidate to start immediately for the Cougars, and whether or not he does, he will certainly get rotational snaps. It's an enormous win for TJ Woods to bring in three starting-caliber offensive linemen in this cycle. The line was solid but unspectacular last year, and should take a significant step forward in 2026.
Cade Uluave, LB - It's not an exaggeration to say that Cade Uluave is the biggest transfer portal win for the BYU defense since the portal's inception. Rated as a 94 overall transfer prospect and the #1 linebacker in the portal according to 247Sports, Uluave was a superstar at Cal in 2025--a First Team All-ACC performer and the second-highest graded pass rusher among linebackers according to PFF. He is NFL-bound after this season and had his choice of transfer destinations, and in that regard, BYU may have gotten a little lucky--all reports indicated that he was about to commit to Michigan, but then he suddenly pivoted to BYU. This may have been the result of a bizarre University of Michigan policy that requires graduates to earn 60 credits on campus (as opposed to transferring them in)--a policy which, in practice, makes it exceedingly difficult for juniors to transfer into Michigan's program. Regardless of how it happened, though, this is a gigantic win for BYU. Kelly Poppinga's first major recruiting victory as defensive coordinator is also one of the most prominent signings in program history. Uluave essentially replaces Jack Kelly in the lineup, and is likely an upgrade from him, which is frankly an astonshing thing to say considering how phenomenal Kelly was over his two seasons at BYU. On a defense loaded with returning stars, Cade Uluave has a very good chance to be better than them all.
Jayven Williams, CB - Williams has taken a circuitous route to BYU--he began his collegiate career at Kennesaw State in 2022, playing three seasons (including a redshirt year) for the Owls before transferring to Mississippi State for the 2025 season. He was a rotational player for the Bulldogs as a redshirt junior, appearing in eleven games and recording an interception in an upset win over then-12th-ranked Arizona State. In a cornerbacks room that loses seniors Mory Bamba and Jayden Dunlap to graduation, and hasn't enjoyed the services of a really good dedicated nickel since Kamden Garrett, Williams has the chance to contribute significantly for the Cougars in his final season of eligibility.
Zak Yamauchi, OL - Yamauchi is the third and final major O-line recruit the Cougars have acquired in the portal this offseason, and, like the other two, will at least compete for a starting job. He actually played sparingly for Stanford against BYU in 2025 before going on to start three games at guard for the Cardinal later in the season. The BYU staff has done an outstanding job of reloading an offensive line unit that lost three major contributors this offseason, replacing three graduates and a transferring backup with three guys who could all plausibly start in 2026.