# BROTHERHOOD: BYU Cougars SOARING Under Kalani Sitake, Eyeing College Football Playoff & Big 12 Glory | Kelly Poppinga's Two Defensive KPI's | Kevin Young's 'No-Brainer' Decision About Jaxon Kohler

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-cougars-daily-podcast-on-byu-cougars-football-basketball-935433/brotherhood-byu-cougars-soaring-under-kalani-sitake-eyeing-college-football-playoff-big-12-glory-kelly-poppinga-s-two-defensive-kpi-s-kevin-young-s-no-brainer-decision-about-jaxon-kohler
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-cougars-daily-podcast-on-byu-cougars-football-basketball-935433/brotherhood-byu-cougars-soaring-under-kalani-sitake-eyeing-college-football-playoff-big-12-glory-kelly-poppinga-s-two-defensive-kpi-s-kevin-young-s-no-brainer-decision-about-jaxon-kohler.md
Podcast: [Locked On Cougars - Daily Podcast On BYU Cougars Football & Basketball](https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-cougars-daily-podcast-on-byu-cougars-football-basketball-935433)
Published: 2026-09-23T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-cougars/
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdrl.fm/63a296/lockedon.simplecastaudio.com/df3adc55-2f40-437c-852e-1d8b8122e2c6/episodes/9b90b2d7-6d82-4b7e-8e8f-3cb5ff571a67/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=df3adc55-2f40-437c-852e-1d8b8122e2c6&awEpisodeId=9b90b2d7-6d82-4b7e-8e8f-3cb5ff571a67&feed=DzohBBeS
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/locked-on-cougars-daily-podcast-on-byu-cougars-football-basketball-935433/episodes/brotherhood-byu-cougars-soaring-under-kalani-sitake-eyeing-college-football-playoff-big-12-glory-kelly-poppinga-s-two-defensive-kpi-s-kevin-young-s-no-brainer-decision-about-jaxon-kohler
Duration seconds: 1705

## Resource

BYU football has stormed into the nation’s top 10 with a flawless 3-0 start, positioning themselves as legitimate College Football Playoff contenders and setting the Big 12 title firmly in their sights. With Kalani Sitake’s “brotherhood” culture stronger than ever, BYU’s locker room unity and on-field chemistry are translating into dominant performances and enviable consistency. Veteran leadership is at the core, with stars like Cannon DeVries exceeding expectations on special teams and defense, while electrifying newcomer Legend Glasker on pace to break freshman receiving records set by the likes of Cody Hoffman and Austin Collie. Can BYU keep this explosive pace when the schedule toughens, or will stiffer competition expose lingering issues? Jake Hatch breaks down the BYU Cougars’ path to early-season dominance, providing exclusive insights from the sidelines and pointing to the program’s unprecedented 26 wins over their last 30 games. He reveals how Sitake has not only crafted a family-like atmosphere but structured a veteran roster primed for a “payoff year.” The episode spotlights two major areas for improvement as stressed by defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga: minimizing ill-timed penalties and tightening up red zone defense. These focal points were painfully evident in the Colorado State game, where backups surrendered critical late touchdowns. With showdowns against TCU and Notre Dame looming, will BYU’s defense rise to the challenge and convert Poppinga’s sharp attention to detail into measurable on-field results? Shifting to roundball, the conversation takes an intriguing turn as BYU men’s basketball coach Kevin Young declares it a “no-brainer” to bring All-Big Ten talent Jaxon Kohler into Provo. With heavy hitters like Kentucky and Arkansas vying for the…

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