The last time Kalani Sitake found himself in this position, it ended in a letdown.

Back in 2022, Sitake had his BYU football program humming after two consecutive 10-win seasons. A third looked inevitable. Instead, the year was filled with disappointment as his Cougars lost four straight games, fired a coordinator and barely made a bowl game.

Even with an NFL quarterback and a veteran defense that season, sustaining success proved difficult.

But this time around, after 23 wins in the last two years, Sitake thinks he’s added the tools necessary to avoid another letdown.

He’s armed with more resources and a massive contract extension that pays his staff Big 12 money. He has a roster that’s benefited from four years of Power Four recruiting and the depth that comes with it. He’s beaten his in-state rival, Utah, three straight times and is fresh off a Big 12 title game appearance.

In Provo, there’s a different feeling these days. Success is no longer a flash in the pan. A crash isn’t lurking around the corner anymore.

But that doesn’t mean this season will be without challenges.

Here are three questions the Cougars must answer to get back to Arlington and make their College Football Playoff debut.

Who will join Bear’s pack?

Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier became a Big 12 sensation for his heroics last year.

He earned the nickname “Air Bear” for hurdling defenders and dragging BYU to wins over Utah, Iowa State and even Georgia Tech.

Bachmeier played so far beyond his years that he brought BYU to the Big 12 title game and a 12-win season.

But for the Cougars to make the College Football Playoff, they need to find Bachmeier some help.

The formula Texas Tech used to beat BYU wasn’t hard to decipher. The Red Raiders hounded Bachmeier with relentless pressure and dared any receivers to get open. If they could shake free, BYU had chances to make them pay. But Texas Tech’s bet was right: the Cougars didn’t have enough weapons around Bachmeier to make it work.

The problem is, the receiver room might be even more depleted this year.

BYU lost Chase Roberts, its most productive outside weapon, and Parker Kingston was removed from the team. Cody Hagen, a once-heralded recruit, retired from football because he couldn’t stay healthy.

So who’s left?

Well, Jojo Phillips is the obvious answer. His 6-foot-5 frame looks the part of an elite receiver, and the speed is there. But too often he’s been injured or struggled to live up to expectations. Phillips had the best game of his career in the Pop-Tarts Bowls against Georgia Tech last December. BYU’s coaching staff believes that’s the player who will show up in 2026. But is that wishful thinking?

We will see, but they need it to be true. Because if Phillips isn’t that player, the options around Bachmeier get very thin.

Kyler Kasper transferred in from Oregon, but hasn’t played a snap at BYU. Tei Nacua came in with Hagen, and happens to be the brother of NFL star Puka Nacua. But people have been mentioning Tei Nacua’s name for years without much production to show for it.

BYU’s staff has confidence somebody will step up. They said somebody from that room always does. But last year the receivers weren’t good enough.

The Bear needs his pack.

Will Kelly Poppinga change BYU’s defense?

The engine of BYU’s last two years was the defensive side of the ball.

After 2022’s disaster, Sitake replaced his longtime defensive coordinator, Ilaisa Tuiaki, with Jay Hill. And Hill quickly transformed the Cougars from one of the worst defenses in the country to one of the Big 12’s most feared turnover machines. It worked so well that Hill landed a job at Michigan and might be on track to become a Power Four head coach.

But with Hill gone, can Sitake’s program sustain the defensive success?

To do so, Sitake kept his coordinator hire in-house with Kelly Poppinga, who learned Hill’s play-calling style over the last three years. His mandate is simple: change as little as possible.

During spring camp, Sitake spent extra time with Poppinga to get through the growing pains. He needs this transition to be seamless.

The good news is Poppinga will have plenty of continuity from a personnel perspective. Some feared that Hill would take all of BYU’s best players with him to Ann Arbor. Instead, every starter stayed.

Isaiah Glasker will anchor the linebackers and Evan Johnson will be a lockdown corner. Poppinga added the top linebacker in the transfer portal — Cade Uluave from Cal — to keep the Cougars’ most integral position loaded with talent.

The biggest issue for Poppinga is that he won’t have much time to ease into the job. Arizona is coming to Provo in Week 2 and Notre Dame is on the schedule in October. Last year, BYU’s non-conference was a joke. This time around, the Cougars need to play well early.

LJ Martin and who?

Bachmeier may be BYU’s most exciting player. The defense may be the Cougars’ most important unit.

But BYU’s best player? That’s reserved for running back LJ Martin.

The reigning Big 12 offensive player of the year, Martin returned for his senior season to chase a playoff berth.

Statistically, he can’t do much more than last year. He had 1,300 rushing yards on 236 attempts. Both of those led the league. He added 12 rushing touchdowns.

BYU asked so much of their running back last year that Martin eventually wore down. He was hurt for a November game against Texas Tech and the Cougars had no secondary option to run the ball. While BYU had more issues than Martin that day, it only highlighted a glaring deficiency in the running back depth.

So who can give him some help?

This offseason, BYU didn’t make any big moves to help him out. Instead it is banking on players like Sione Moa, a breakout star in 2024, to bring the reinforcements. Moa is a great player when healthy but nearly lost his leg due to an injury last year against Colorado.

Maybe DeVaughn Eka can be a breakout star. Or Preston Rex, a converted defensive player?

But there are no foolproof options.