BYU Safety Micah Harper Gives Injury Update Before 2024 Season
Jun 25, 2024, 2:11 PM | Updated: 2:14 pm
PROVO, Utah – BYU football is getting a boost on the backend of its defense this season with the return of Micah Harper.
Harper suffered an ACL injury last August during fall camp. It was the second ACL injury of his BYU career.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Harper last played in a game in 2022. During that season, he had 62 tackles, three pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.
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Micah Harper is 100% ready for the 2024 BYU football season
He’s looking to have a greater impact on BYU’s defense in 2024. Harper told KSL Sports this week that he will be ready for the start of fall camp at the end of July.
“So I’m clear to go. I’m 100% right now. I’m full go. Doc gave me the OK, and I’ll be good to go on July 31,” Harper said to KSL Sports.
The recent BYU graduate, entering his fifth year in Provo, wants to send a message that injuries don’t need to define someone’s story.
“My expectations for myself is just to pick up where I left off the last time I played in the New Mexico Bowl. I want to show everybody, my family and myself, and I want to prove to everybody that I’m healthy again. Or even just people who are going through injuries. You can go through a major injury and it’s not the end of the world. You can come back stronger than you did when you left the field.”
Looking forward to playing in Jay Hill’s defense
Harper has yet to play in a game under defensive coordinator/safeties coach Jay Hill. The Chandler, Arizona native is looking forward to that opportunity.
“So excited. I’ve been excited [to play in Jay Hill’s defense] since he got here,” Harper said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get to play last year, but I played many practices for him. … I loved every second of it.”
The hard-hitting Harper rejoins a safety unit that boasts a lot of game experience after injuries to Harper, Talan Alfrey, and Tanner Wall last season. Harper projects to be at the top of the group, along with versatile athlete Talan Alfrey.
BYU also has true freshman Tommy Prassas, who was a standout performer in spring practices. Then four-star freshman Faletau Satuala joins the mix this fall.
“The safeties did amazing last year,” Harper said. “It took the entire safety unit to produce and do what we did last year. We have a very deep group, probably one of the deepest on the team, honestly. Everybody played minutes, everybody made plays, and the plays that we didn’t make, at the end of the day, are learning lessons. Hopefully, this year, I’ll be able to contribute as well to what they did.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
