The bowl game and opponent are different, but for BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker , not much else has changed from the end of 2024 to the end of 2025 in regards to a difficult decision he must make in early January: Declare for the NFL draft, or return to BYU for his final season of college football eligibility?
The short answer is that the 6-foot-5, 240-pound redshirt junior hasn't decided yet as the No. 12 Cougars' showdown with No. 22 Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl approaches.
"Honestly, I am not super sure what I am going to do yet," Glasker told the Deseret News on Wednesday. "We will just have to wait and see."
One decision that wasn't difficult for Glasker to make was whether to play in the Dec. 27 bowl game (1:30 p.m. MST, ABC) or opt out, as some players in his situation tend to do. He's all-in, he said, and never really thought about not playing.
"I feel like it is a good opportunity to get better and just show more film for hopefully the NFL," he said. "Just being able to play with the boys again, it is really exciting."
Another reason is that Glasker feels as healthy as he has since the 24-21 win over Colorado on Sept. 27 when he sprained his ankle against the Buffaloes, but still made the game-sealing interception in the final minutes. He broke his finger in the 26-14 win over Cincinnati , and has been "toughing it out" the past month as that heals.
"Other than that, I feel fine," he said. "Being off this last week and a half has been good and allowed my body to recover."
Glasker chose to be honored on Senior Day and did the Senior Walk with his teammates after the 41-21 win over UCF , giving many the impression that he had played his final game at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Three other juniors with eligibility remaining — defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa , punter Sam Vander Haar and running back LJ Martin — made the same decision.
However, he said that was a "just in case" scenario, suggested by coaches so he would always have that moment if he chose to leave for the NFL.
After he was named Defensive MVP of the Alamo Bowl last December, having made eight tackles and an interception against Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes, Glasker said he wasn't really close to leaving for the NFL, but submitted the paperwork for an evaluation anyway.
"They told me to come back," he said last spring.
Glasker, who began his career at BYU as a safety and was convinced by coach Kalani Sitake to move to linebacker because it would give him his best chance to play professionally, moved onto NFL radars last year when he finished with 70 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions (including a pick-six against Arizona).
Due to the aforementioned injuries, he wasn't quite as productive this season, despite having played in all 13 games to date. He is third on the team with 61 tackles (33 unassisted) and also has three sacks and two interceptions.
"I would say I am pretty happy with how the season has gone," he said. "I feel like we didn't do exactly what we wanted to do, which was to get to the College Football Playoffs. … But getting an opportunity to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl is still something to be grateful for. Really, we have had a great season."
Safeties Faletau Satuala (78) and Tanner Wall (66) lead the Cougars in tackles, but defensive coordinator Jay Hill said that's not necessarily a bad thing. Fellow linebacker Jack Kelly (55) ranks fourth, having played in one fewer game than the top three.
"We use those guys a lot in the run fits, and in this defense, safeties are always going to be close to the top of that. I mean, that could be for a lot of reasons right now," Hill said. "That's (Satuala) just being a playmaker and showing up. I mean, he had a really, really good year, and he's one of our best players, so it doesn't surprise me that he was up there."
Satuala, a sophomore, might be BYU's next surefire pro prospect, after Kelly — who will definitely be playing his final game in Cougar blue on the 27th. On Thursday, Satuala was named a second-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America.
As for Glasker, he said he will lean on his parents — former BYU athletes Stephen (baseball) and Melissa (volleyball) — and older sisters who played college volleyball to help him make the decision.
"I talk to my parents about it all the time," he said. "I feel like it is in my best interest just to wait and see."
Another strong performance in a bowl game against a good opponent — like last year — just might tip the scales.
BYU safety Faletau Satuala (11) celebrates after a play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the Big 12 championship game held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
