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BYU football knows it has to smother opposing quarterbacks, beginning with Arizona's Noah Fifita in Week 2. Nusi Taumoepeau will be an important part of that larger effort. Sports Illustrated is optimistic about Taumoepeau and what he can do for the Cougars in 2026:
"Nusi Taumoepeau suffered an injury during Fall Camp that forced him to missed the first four games of the 2025 season," SI wrote. "When Taumoepeau returned to the lineup, he still wasn't fully healthy. He underwent surgery after the season to repair the injury he suffered in Fall Camp. Despite not being fully healthy and joining the program over the Summer as a true freshman, Taumoepeau led the BYU defense in pressure rate. What is pressure rate? It is the number of quarterback pressures generated over the number of pass rush attempts.
"In other words, no BYU player was better at putting quarterbacks under pressure per snap than Nusi Taumoepeau. Can he replicate that at scale in 2026? That remains to be seen, but we expect him to go from a freshman showing flashes to one of BYU's best defenders this season. Taumoeapeau has the potential to be a star pass rusher in BYU's defense."
BYU doesn't need players to be spectacular this season. It needs everyone to make real-world improvements from 2025. If everyone is raising his game to a modest extent, that's better than a few players being rock stars while the vast majority of the roster is ordinary. (The exception: Bear Bachmeier. If he is spectacular, that probably covers up other limitations.) If Nusi Taumoepeau takes a few steps forward, BYU won't take any steps backward as a team.
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This article originally appeared on BYU Cougars Wire: A healthy Nusi Taumoepeau could be difference-maker for BYU defense
