'Let's go high-five': Saturday a tribute to BYU seniors that elevated ambling program to contender

PROVO — No. 11 BYU has everything in front of it as it wraps up the 2025 regular season Saturday against UCF (11 a.m. MST, ESPN2).

The Cougars can clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a win, and can even find themselves in Arlington with a handful of tiebreaker scenarios with a loss.

But for at least 18 players in the program, this weekend's game will be the most important of their career.

That's because the Cougars (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) will honor 18 seniors playing their final game at LaVell Edwards Stadium with pregame "senior day" festivities and one final walk across the field following the contest.

And for one sixth-year senior whose career isn't ending anywhere near where he thought it might, it's one last core memory with a special young fan.

That would be Logan Lutui, the redshirt senior from Hunter High who will go through senior ceremonies a second time after initially thinking his career might be over a year ago.

After every game, the Cougars take a lap around the edge of the field, a way to say "thank you" to the largest stadium crowd in the Big 12. Each time, Lutui's 3-year-old son, Ezekiel, will run to his dad, jump on his shoulders, and ask to join him.

"That's something I look forward to every home game for the past few years," Lutui said Monday after his defensive line teammates earned consecutive defensive line of the week honors by the Big 12. "He actually looks forward to it, too.

"Every game day, he runs up to me and I think he's going to say 'good job, Dad.' But he says, 'let's go high-five.' It's a fun experience, and will be one of the core memories of playing here at BYU."

So one more core memory with Ziggy, who was born in 2022 — shortly before Lutui and his wife, Selai, decided to transfer to BYU.

Before that, Lutui was a 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive lineman who played in 24 games with four starts at Weber State. After initially struggling with injuries and his role on the defense, he developed into a full-time starter for the Cougars, starting all 11 games of the season and totaling 41 tackles, four tackles for loss and an interception in Jay Hill's 4-3 defense.

Lutui is part of a senior class that has seen a bit of everything out of BYU — from players who committed to the one-time FBS independent, transitioned to a 5-7 team in the Cougars' first season in the Big 12, to the College Football Playoff contenders of the past two seasons.

BYU coach Kalani Sitake cited leadership and "overall buy-in" as trademarks of the seniors.

"They've had a lot of wins, and they ushered us into the Big 12 and had a lot of success the last couple of years," said Sitake, who added the group has helped set program records for GPAs and academic progress, as well. "We've just got to finish it strong for them."

Then there's the on-field success, which includes back-to-back double-digit win seasons and wins in 21 of their last 24 games.

Select underclassmen may be honored as well, including juniors and those eligible for the NFL draft who opt out of their final years of eligibility for a shot at the pros. Names to consider are running back LJ Martin and linebacker Isaiah Glasker, who both have eligibility remaining — if they so choose.

"Worst case scenario," Sitake said, "is they get two blankets."

Being at BYU and contending for Big 12 and national honors is something that still feels "surreal" to Lutui, who talks about it a lot with his wife, whose father Jack Damuni is on Sitake's support staff.

"It's pretty surreal to be here at BYU, where we're a top-10 team in the nation, Big 12 contenders, all that recognition; it's pretty crazy to see that's where we're at here," he said. "I wouldn't be able to say that is what I envisioned my freshman year at Weber State. But I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father and what he's blessed me with, all these opportunities and doors opened in my life to lead me where I'm at today."

"Surreal" was another word used by offensive lineman Austin Leausa, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound guard from West Jordan who started 17 of the past 22 games at BYU after three seasons with Southern Utah.

But it's also where he hoped to end up, even for the former FCS standout who initially transferred to Utah State in 2022 but didn't play in any games.

"We're super excited and happy for the future," said Leausa, who has rotated at right guard and right tackle as a senior.

"BYU has definitely been everything that I could have dreamt of," he added. "I've always wanted to be at BYU since I was a little kid who grew up coming to the games. Just being here has been such a surreal experience, not only for me, but for my wife and my two daughters. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them."

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