There is no argument that BYU has assembled a “Freshman Five” unlike any other group in program history. The star-studded class includes newly crowned Big 12 champion Jane Hedengren (cross country); projected NBA top pick AJ Dybantsa (basketball); USA U-19 national team standout Suli Davis (women’s volleyball); undefeated quarterback Bear Bachmeier (football) and Golf Channel’s top four recruit Kihei Akina (men’s golf).
That group may very well change the course of BYU history, but there is a handful of “Super Sophomores” that warrant headlines of their own — including another unique “Sophomore Five” that anchor their respective rosters.
Delaney Gibb is back with preseason First Team All-Big 12 accolades after earning the conference’s Freshman of the Year honors in women’s basketball. The dynamic guard from Raymond, Alberta, Canada, averaged a BYU freshman-record 17.40 points in her debut season. Gibb also led the Canadian Senior National Team to a bronze medal at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup. Gibb scored 12 points in BYU’s 91-57 season-opening win against Coastal Carolina Wednesday at the Marriott Center.
Faletau Satuala is turning heads for BYU football. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound safety leads the No. 7 Cougars in tackles (53), tackles for loss (6.5), and forced fumbles (2). The Bountiful native also has two interceptions, including a 40-yard pick-six in BYU’s 41-27 victory at Iowa State. On Saturday, Satuala will lead the Cougars into their first top-10 clash in program history when BYU takes on No. 8 Texas Tech in Lubbock (10 a.m., ABC)
When Kevin Young landed Rob Wright III from the transfer portal to be his point guard — the national pundits starting lauding BYU as a Final Four candidate. The former Baylor star earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team after dishing out a program freshman record 148 assists. Slicing between the likes of Richie Saunders and Dybantsa, Wright gives the Cougars a three-headed monster to contend with. In his BYU debut, the lightning quick guard scored 14 points in the Cougars’ 71-66 victory against Villanova Monday in Las Vegas. The Cougars host Holy Cross on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN+).
Alex Bower is the fourth Bower sister (Morgan, Whitney and Eden) to suit up for Heather Olmstead’s volleyball program and before they arrived on campus, their mother, Caroline played four seasons for the legendary Elaine Michalis.
Despite contending in a conference where seven teams are ranked in the top 25, including BYU (No. 21), Bower leads everybody with 940 assists. The Nampa, Idaho, setter has started all 24 matches for the youthful Cougars, who lost at Arizona 3-1 on Wednesday. BYU is at No. 8 Arizona State on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN+).
Unlike the other four, Ilove’a Brittingham still has a few months before her sophomore season begins for Gordon Eakin and the softball program — but her expectations are already here. The 5-foot-9 power hitter from Nipomo, California, belted 21 home runs and drove in 69 runs as she earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 honors during her debut season.
These five sensational athletes aren’t the only sophomore game changers on campus and there are plenty of talented juniors and seniors competing alongside them. It takes a healthy mix to create the depth needed to contend both in the Big 12 and on the national stage.
But that’s also what makes BYU’s freshman phenoms so intriguing. The Cougars are already built to be good without them — but with likes of Hedengren, Dybantsa, Davis, Akina, Bachmeier and the others, they can dream big — really big.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.