IRVING, Texas — The Big 12 Conference today announced its annual football postseason awards which included BYU head coach Kalani Sitake as coach of the year as well as 20 Cougar student-athletes on offense, defense and special teams.
Sitake, who signed a long-term contract extension with BYU on Tuesday, was named the Big 12 Chuck Neinas Coach of the Year, while junior running back LJ Martin was honored as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and quarterback Bear Bachmeier was named Offensive Freshman of the Year. Big 12 post-season honors were determined by the league’s 16 head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own players.
SITAKE guided No. 11 ranked BYU to an 11-1 record and a trip to the 2025 Edwards Jones Big 12 Football Championship on Dec. 6 in Arlington, Texas. Under his leadership, the Cougars won 11 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2006 and 2007 seasons. BYU’s 22-3 record and .880 winning percentage over the past two seasons ranks No. 4 overall in college football, just behind Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana. Since 2016, BYU is 83-44 (.654) under Sitake, including double-digit wins in four of the past six seasons.
MARTIN finished the 2025 regular season as the Big 12 statistical leader in rushing yards (1,229), yards per game (102.4) and all-purpose yards (1,453). The 6-2, 220-pound junior was also named a first-team All-Big 12 running back. Nationally, Martin is 10th in all-purpose yards, 12th in rushing yards and 14th in rushing yards per game. Earlier today Martin was named a national semifinalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
BACHMEIER, who was named conference freshman of the week seven times during the regular season, captured the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Award and was also named Big 12 Honorable Mention. The 6-2, 230-pound true freshman quarterback from Murrieta, California, completed 208-of-322 passes for 2,593 yards and 14 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He averaged 216.1 yards per game passing, with an efficiency rating of 144.1. In addition, Bachmeier is second on the team in rushing, with 137 carries for 529 yards and an average of 44.1 yards per game.
In addition to Martin, three other Cougars were named first-team All-Big 12 including junior center Bruce Mitchell, senior linebacker Jack Kelly and senior safety Tanner Wall.
WALL led BYU with four interceptions (second best in the Big 12) and was second on the team with 57 tackles. He is a member of the 2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and is a finalist for both the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy and the Pop Warner College Football Award, as well as a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award.
KELLY, who was third in the Big 12 in sacks (9) and fifth in forced fumbles (2), was on the watch list for both the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Butkus Award. He also received honorable mention honors as Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
MITCHELL, who was also honored by the Big 12 as honorable-mention Offensive Lineman of the Year, was on the midseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy, was the sixth-highest graded center in the country by Pro Football Focus and was twice named to the PFF National Team of the Week.
Two Cougars were named second-team All-Big 12, including senior Will Ferrin, who was also named honorable mention Special Teams Player of the Year, as well as junior Parker Kingston, who received two second team honors as both a wide receiver and punt returner.
In addition, four players were named third-team All-Big 12, led by senior wide receiver Chase Roberts, senior offensive tackle Isaiah Jatta, junior linebacker Isaiah Glasker and sophomore safety Faletau Satuala.
Six additional Cougars were named honorable-mention All-Big 12, including tight end Carsen Ryan, specialist Garrison Grimes, cornerback Evan Johnson and defensive linemen Bodie Schoonover, Keanu Tanuvasa and John Taumoepeau.
Others who received honorable mention recognition for various awards include Andrew Gentry (Offensive Newcomer of the Year), Tausili Akanna (Defensive Newcomer of the Year) and Hunter Clegg (Defensive Freshman of the Year).
For additional information about the 2024 Big 12 Conference football awards visit big12sports.com.