Locked On Cougars - Daily Podcast On BYU Cougars Football & Basketball

Big 12 basketball faces a national spotlight battle as top contenders like Houston, Texas Tech, BYU, and Oklahoma State chase March Madness glory. Is ESPN shortchanging the conference’s exposure in favor of SEC and ACC teams? The Big 12 Squad breaks down the league’s elite depth, impact freshmen, and which teams have the firepower to cut down the nets. From Power Poll shake-ups to rankings drama,...

The BYU Cougars have positioned themselves as Texas Tech’s primary threat atop the Big 12, but can Bear Bachmeier deliver a season for the ages and dethrone the defending champs? Locked On hosts Spencer McLaughlin, Jake Hatch, and Christian Rauh debate whether BYU’s roster—coming off a 12-2 mark and led by Bachmeier’s dynamic quarterback play—has the staying power to challenge the Red Raiders, esp...

The BYU Cougars football program faces its second consecutive offseason rocked by serious allegations, as wide receiver Parker Kingston has been arrested on suspicion of felony rape. This sobering development stems from an alleged incident in February 2025, with Kingston now being held without bail following an investigation by the St. George Police Department and charges from the Washington Count...

The BYU Cougars snapped a four-game losing streak in dramatic fashion with a 99-94 victory over the Baylor Bears, as freshman star AJ Dybantsa delivers a historic, all-around performance that has NBA Draft analysts taking notice. Is this gritty win the turning point for BYU basketball's season, mirroring last year’s surge after the West Virginia game? Host Jake Hatch draws compelling parallels bet...

All eyes are on Foster Pavilion as Rob Wright returns to Baylor—not as a Bear, but as a key playmaker for BYU. Will the prodigal son’s homecoming be a spark for the Cougars or fuel for Baylor’s passionate fans? Cam Stuart and Jake Hatch tackle the drama of this high-stakes College Basketball matchup, exploring the ripple effects of Wright’s controversial transfer. The conversation dives into the h...

The BYU men's basketball program is at a crossroads after dropping four straight Big 12 matchups, including a gut-wrenching loss to Houston. Can Kevin Young’s squad turn things around with a renewed focus on simple fundamentals such as free throw accuracy and defensive rebounding? Despite standout scoring performances from AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright, the team’s struggles with perimeter defense, of...

The Big 12 spotlight shines on a classic “Cat Fight” as the Houston Cougars look to continue their dominance over a reeling BYU Cougars squad grappling with a confidence crisis. Locked On Cougars’ Jake Hatch and Locked On Coogs’ Parker Ainsworth team up for a crossover packed with must-hear insight, starting with Houston’s recent ascent to No. 8 in the country and BYU’s struggles during a tough th...

The BYU men's basketball program finds itself at the center of controversy after head coach Kevin Young calls out Oklahoma State fans for derogatory chants during a heated Big 12 matchup. Jake Hatch breaks down the fallout, questioning whether Young simply misheard the crowd or if the chants were yet another example of problematic fan behavior targeting Brigham Young University and its Latter-day...

Arizona Wildcats surge past Big 12 rivals, prompting bold claims—are they college basketball's greatest team since the 1970s? With Drake Toll and top Locked On experts, the Big 12 squad dissects Arizona’s unmatched roster strength, balanced offense, and dominance on both ends of the floor. Insights include matchup nightmares posed by star freshmen, how positional size advantages shake up results,...

The BYU men's basketball program faces a decisive moment as their third straight defeat—falling 99-92 to the Oklahoma State Cowboys—signals a program at the brink. Defensive breakdowns, most glaringly the 52 points surrendered in the paint, trump even AJ Dybantsa’s explosive 36-point performance and solid outings from Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III. Jake Hatch scrutinizes whether BYU’s defe...

Is this the class that takes BYU Football to the top of the Big 12? On today’s episode of Locked On Cougars, host Jake Hatch provides a comprehensive reaction to National Signing Day 2026. As the BYU Cougars solidify a roster designed for the modern era of the College Football Playoff (CFP) , we go inside the comments from the men building the program. Kalani Sitake’s Vision for the 2026 Class We...

The BYU Cougars football program raises the bar on National Signing Day, delivering the best recruiting class in program history—and affirming that top-25 talent is now the expectation for Kalani Sitake’s squad in the Big 12 era. Jake Hatch breaks down why this marks a turning point for BYU’s competitiveness and national relevance, spotlighting the arrival of high-upside prospects like Ryder Lyons...

The BYU Cougars doubled down on their championship ambitions as Kalani Sitake aggressively overhauls his coaching staff and delivers the strongest recruiting class in school history. With Big 12 title and College Football Playoff aspirations on the line, are the Cougars finally poised to break through in 2026? Jake Hatch provides an in-depth look at Sitake’s off-season masterstrokes, spotlighting...

The BYU Cougars completed their defensive coaching staff with three vital moves, setting the stage for a high-stakes 2026 campaign. Can Kalani Sitake's new hires—highlighted by Chad Kauha’ha’a's promotion to outside linebackers and edges coach—elevate BYU’s pass rush and recruiting game to new heights? After producing the program's highest sack total in a decade, Kauha’ha’a's expertise and energy...

The BYU Cougars are at a crossroads as Kevin Young’s men’s basketball squad faces mounting pressure in the Big 12. After back-to-back losses to Kansas and Arizona, Jake Hatch delivers an unfiltered analysis of what’s holding BYU back from true contender status. The Cougars have yet to notch a signature win in conference play, and the troubling lack of defensive consistency continues to haunt their...

Can #13 BYU basketball find a way to start faster on the road? On today’s episode of Locked On Cougars, host Jake Hatch breaks down a polarizing 90-82 loss for the BYU Cougars against the #14 Kansas Jayhawks at the historic Allen Fieldhouse. While the final score suggests a competitive Big 12 battle, the story of this game was written in the first twenty minutes. The Richie Saunders Leap We lead o...

The BYU Cougars seize the national spotlight with a high-stakes clash against the Kansas Jayhawks in Phog Allen Fieldhouse, but all eyes are on the electrifying matchup between AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson—two players battling not just for victory, but for dominance at the very top of the 2026 NBA Draft board. As scouts and college basketball fans prepare for this heavily anticipated contest, q...

Big 12 basketball faces unexpected backlash as ESPN’s Joe Lunardi slashes conference bracketology rankings, raising questions about media bias and the future of NCAA selection. Is the Big 12’s dominance being overlooked in favor of SEC propaganda? The local experts debate Lunardi’s projections, the impact on teams like Kansas, Houston, BYU, and Arizona, and how perception shapes both tournament se...

The BYU Cougars have positioned themselves as serious College Football Playoff contenders—can this be the year they crash the big stage? Hosts Jake Hatch and Brian Smith go all-in on the Cougars’ prospects, identifying Bear Bachmeier’s growth at quarterback and the return of standout linebacker Isaiah Glasker as pivotal factors. This episode offers sharp insight into BYU’s off-season moves, includ...

The BYU Cougars’ pursuit of a deep March Madness run hits a critical juncture as Jake Hatch issues a compelling call: the path forward demands a “we first” mentality on the basketball court. The Arizona matchup exposed both roster flaws and the corrosive “disease of me,” as game-changing stars AJ Dybantsa, Robert Wright III, and Richie Saunders too often chased individual moments instead of unifie...

A temporary restraining order has allowed Charles Bediako to return to Alabama. The decision has sparked controversy across the college basketball landscape. We lost one of 3 remaining undefeated teams on Tuesday night when shorthanded (5)Nebraska lost at (3)Michigan after leading for 36:00. Purdue has now lost 3 straight - what's happening to the Boilermakers? The Locked On College Basketball Squ...

The BYU Cougars’ perimeter defense gets exposed as Arizona’s Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley torch the scoreboard—can BYU adapt in time for a March Madness run, or will signature wins continue to slip away? Jake Hatch breaks down the heart-stopping 86-83 loss the BYU basketball squad suffered against No. 1 Arizona, dissecting both the positives of their late rally and the negatives of letting el...

AJ Dybantsa and the BYU Cougars face their biggest test yet as they welcome No. 1 Arizona to the Marriott Center. With all eyes on Provo for this marquee Big Monday matchup, can BYU capitalize on Dybantsa’s electric 43-point outing against Utah and stage another unforgettable upset on their home court? Jake Hatch breaks down the keys to the game—from the potential impact of lineup changes involvin...

The Holy War on the hardwood just delivered a masterpiece in Provo. No. 13 BYU took down Utah 91–78 in a game that felt less like a standard rivalry and more like a coronation for the future of Cougar basketball.  The Dybantsa Dynasty Begins  If there was any doubt about AJ Dybantsa’s status as the top prospect in the country, he silenced it with a historic 43-point explosion. Breaking Danny Ainge...

The College Football Playoff (CFP) has officially confirmed it will maintain the 12-team format for the upcoming 2026 season . While the stability of the bracket is set, the outlook for BYU Football is increasingly urgent. On today’s episode of Locked On Cougars , we discuss why the "status quo" in the CFP is actually a major hurdle for a program that has spent the last two years on the outside lo...