Lehi Sports
Lehi stars shine bright in BYU debuts
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
It didn’t take long for Lehi High School’s former football stars to have an impact in their new uniforms at BYU. Together, true freshmen wide receiver Legend Glasker and running back Devaughn Eka provided four touchdowns in their Cougar debuts as part of a 63-7 win over Utah Tech on Saturday (Sept. 5).
The duo graduated early after finishing the football season last year and enrolled at BYU immediately so they could participate in spring practice. Both earned praise for their efforts then and during fall camp as well. Glasker was listed as the starting No. 2 receiver going into this contest.
The ESPN announcers calling the game quickly picked up on Glasker’s interesting first name and pronounced his contributions “legendary.”
He scored the first touchdown of the season for the Cougars, a 9-yard rush less than two minutes into the game. He added another one on his second touch of the afternoon early in the second quarter, this time on a 26-yard reception from sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier.
Later in the period, Bachmeier connected with him again for a third touchdown, this one for 33 yards, with 7:47 remaining to the break. He finished with three catches on three tries for 65 yards and had two carries for 16 yards as well.
Here’s more on what he accomplished according to BYU’s official player notes:
- The freshman wideout tallied three touchdowns in the first half. It’s the first time that a Cougar receiver has posted a three-score game since Puka Nacua against Arkansas in 2022. The last BYU true freshman with three or more touchdowns was Jamaal Williams (who had four) at Georgia Tech on Oct. 27, 2012.
- Glasker is also the first BYU player with three touchdowns in a half since WR/TE Keanu Hill, also against Utah Tech, back in 2022.
- He is the first true freshman (in NCAA DI) to score on his first two career touches since the 2024 season, when Decker DeGraaf (Washington) and Ryan Coleman-Williams (Alabama) both did so.
In the postgame news conference, head Coach Kalani Sitake said, “I told you guys: ‘don’t worry about our receiver room.’ Fesi knows what he’s doing there. He saw the capabilities of Legend Glasker and what he can do, and not just Legend but the entire receiver room.
“Glasker was able to make a lot of plays tonight, but there is a lot of talent all over the place in that room, so I am really proud of the way they blocked more than anything.
“We didn’t need them to do much in the pass game, but we know we can if we need to. We saw a lot of future stars play tonight, not necessarily household names, but you’ll get used to hearing their names with time,” he said.
Glasker was also tabbed for postgame comments. “Coming into the game, I really wanted to score,” he said. “So, I mean, three was a surprise, but before the game I just said it was in God’s hands, and that’s what he wanted to happen for me, so I’m blessed.
“The people around me, the coaches and the players, they bought into me a lot, and they trust me. So I feel like when they entrusted me, I can just really go out there and do this with their trust. I feel like I can do anything,” he continued.
As for his connection with Bachmeier, he said, “Bear is just so smart, and I feel like his smarts help me do better on the field, just looking at the defense and seeing what he wants me to do.”
On questions about the receivers, he added, “I mean, man, the potential is there. We have so many guys that can just do great things on the field. We have so much size and speed. We just have everything you could think of in a wide receiver room. We have a lot of depth in the room.”
Glasker’s Pioneer teammate also turned some heads. Although Eka didn’t start, he ended up as the leading rusher of the night with eight carries for 59 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown at the 14:07 mark of the fourth quarter that was the final score of the game for the Cougars.
He hurdled over a would-be tackler on his first carry. “First run ever he jumped over somebody,” Glasker said. “I mean, that’s just what he does, and I can’t wait to see him break one for very long. He’s going to do it. I believe in him.”
Eka had some words to say about Glasker too. “I knew he played like that. It wasn’t anything new to me, but it’s great for everybody else to see it. He’s just too fast. He’s a dog. So it was great seeing him go out there and have a day like that,” Eka said.
As for his own performance, he said, “Every time I went in, I tried to do as much as I can and do everything I can. It was a great feeling today. Going in without being touched is great too, but making a play like that, and having to put your body on the line is great.”
He had some praise for his other teammates as well. “We showed that no matter who you put in we can go in and make a play. Journee Tonga, he came in and got a touchdown. Anybody you put in can really go out and show,” Eka concluded.
Former Falcon Tausili Akana, who transferred to BYU from Texas during the winter, also made his presence felt by recording his first fumble recovery for the Cougars playing defensive end.
