PROVO, Utah — As BYU's first week of fall camp comes to a close, take a look at the position preview for linebackers on the 2025 squad.
BYU enters the upcoming campaign with an experienced linebacker group, perhaps one of the deepest position groups on the team.
The group is led by linebackers coach Justin Ena, entering his 18th season in coaching and third at BYU. Ena has not only worked with linebackers in his coaching tenure but also defensive line, safeties and served as a defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. He has spent time at Utah, Utah State, San Diego State, Weber State, Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Utah Tech.
Ena spent four years playing linebacker at BYU from 1997-01, earning All-Mountain West honors for three years. He played in 47 games for the Cougars, totaling 266 tackles and 23 tackles for loss. Ena played four seasons in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans.
Headlining the unit are returning starters Isaiah Glasker and Jack Kelly, both having appeared in all 13 games last season and were recently named to the 2025 Butkus Award Watch List.
Glasker, from South Jordan, Utah, recorded at least one tackle in every game, with eight games featuring five or more tackles, totaling 70 on the season. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Glasker was also named Defensive MVP of the Valero Alamo Bowl after recording eight tackles and one interception. The redshirt junior was a Sports Illustrated All-American honorable mention last season.
Kelly returns for his senior season after a 2024 in which he tallied 51 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception. Additionally, the 6-foot-2, 242 pound native of Kearns, Utah started in all 13 games and was named the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year by the College Football Network after transferring from Weber State.
More experience returns in Ace Kaufusi, Siale Esera, Miles Hall and Choe Bryant-Strother. Kaufusi appeared in six games, Esera in five, Hall in eight and Bryant-Strother in nine. Hall and Bryant-Strother each recorded 11 total tackles last season, including seven solo stops. Maika Kaufusi saw action in the Valero Alamo Bowl and is expected to take more reps this season.
Naki Tuakoi, a four-star recruit from Oakland, California joined the team last season, redshirted and will look to take a step forward while newcomers include; Pierson Watson, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound freshman; Tyler Payne, a three-star recruit from Pleasant View, Utah and Berkley Alfrey, a 6-foot, 230-pound athlete from Auburn, Washington.
Max Alford joins the Cougars from Utah State, where he appeared in 16 games with five starts since 2022.