When linebacker Choe Bryant-Strother arrived on BYU’s campus last June after transferring from UCLA, he was slightly surprised by what he found in the Cougars’ linebacker room.

He learned after several player-led practices and team training that he had talent, toughness and speed.

Bryan-Strother, himself a tough, talented and fast three-star recruit out of Atlanta in 2020, was used to being surrounded by three- and four-star recruits and sometimes five-star recruits in Westwood. When he committed to BYU in early June after four seasons at UCLA, he says he wouldn’t have agreed to play for the Cougars if he thought it was anything less than a Power Four program.

Nevertheless, he had some concerns. However, these were quickly dispelled.

“I think the whole team is talented; I mean the linebacker team. So it brings out the best in everybody every day,” Bryant-Strother said at the start of fall camp. “The competition (for starting spots) is intense, but it’s friendly. That brings out the best in guys, and that’s what we do. We all watch film every day, we all do extra work every day and do our best every day.”

Although he didn’t earn a starting spot – those went to Isaiah Glasker, Harrison Taggart and Jack Kelly – Bryant-Strother quickly established himself as a Cougar. The half-brother of former BYU basketball star Elijah Bryant made a tackle for a loss on Southern Illinois’ third possession, bringing down Keontez Lewis four yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Overall, BYU’s linebackers performed well in the 41-13 win over the Salukis, head coach Kalani Sitake said Monday in his weekly press conference. Kelly led the way with five tackles and a quarterback hurry, while Taggart and Glasker each had two takedowns.

Sione Moa, who transferred from Utah State, recorded three tackles after coming off the bench, while Siale Esera, Bryant-Strother and Aisea “Ice” Moa also had tackles.

“Yeah, they (linebackers) did really well,” coach Kalani Sitake said. “There were still some plays to be made, but overall they did some really good things. They’re really comfortable in the system, in the scheme. It was just a lot different to have those guys there that know what they’re doing now, and it’s a night and day difference when you get to spend more time in that system.”

BYU held SIU to 123 rushing yards on 25 attempts. Quarterback DJ Williams accounted for 121 of those yards, escaping the pocket several times for big gains. That’s something the Cougars still need to work on, Sitake said, lamenting some missed tackles and an interception by a BYU linebacker.

“So I think there’s more work to be done with those guys. I like that we rotated and brought in fresh players,” he added. “… So there’s still a lot of guys we can bring in. We think that’s a strong position group for us and a lot of guys have playmaking ability. I’m really happy with the whole front seven.”

In fact, BYU’s starting defensive line, comprised entirely of seniors – Tyler Batty, John Nelson, Blake Mangelson and Logan Lutui – set the tone early, forcing SIU to punt on its first four possessions. Isaiah Bagnah relieved Lutui on the Salukis’ second possession and managed a sack.

“We don’t want to be the thermometer. We want to be the thermostat – we come in and set the tone no matter who we’re playing,” Bagnah said. “Last week, we didn’t know who the starting quarterback was until we came in. At least I didn’t. And that’s why I stressed to the guys and the pitcher that no matter what quarterback comes out, we’re always going to be ourselves and play (according to) our identity.”

BYU’s front seven will be tested more intensely on Friday against SMU, which has several quarterbacks with varying skill sets. And they’re all better passers than Williams. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. MDT at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, and the game will be broadcast by ESPN2.

“We challenged our guys to be physical and get the job done. They did it and I’m really proud of our coaches for putting them in the right position,” Sitake said. “It’s a game. Can they be consistent and do it week in and week out? And can they do it game in and game out? We asked them to be physical. That’s going to serve us well.”

As a linebacker, Glasker may have been a surprise starter for some, but not for those who followed preseason training camp. The former Bingham High receiver is 6-foot-5, has great ball skills and can cover great distances in a hurry.

“Isaiah Glasker is a really good athlete,” said linebackers coach Justin Ena. “He’s a little tough. He’s got a chip on his shoulder. The way he moves, the way he runs, there aren’t many guys I’ve coached that are as good as him. I’m excited to see what he can do in the future, since he’s only a sophomore. The sky’s the limit for him.”

Ena said Ben Bywater, a two-year starter at linebacker who had to retire for health reasons because of nerve damage in his shoulder, helped with the transition by passing the torch for outstanding linebacker play to guys like Glasker, Taggart, Esera and Bryant-Strother.

Esera is recovering from a foot injury that ended his season early last year, but Ena said the former four-star recruit from Timpview High is healthy.

“Siale is fine. He is ready to go. I know he was injured last year. Now he is 100% fit again. I think there are some players who are probably better than him at the moment. But again, the lineup is a living, breathing organism. It can change at any time due to injuries or recovery of players,” Ena said. “The lineup will not stay the same all year.