BYU football safety Faletau Satuala suffered offseason injury
Jun 15, 2026, 4:43 PM | Updated: 8:58 pm
PROVO – One of the top defensive players on the BYU football team in 2026 is recovering from an injury.
Star safety Faletau Satuala suffered an injury to his right foot during summer offseason workouts. The Bountiful native currently has a hard cast on the injured foot and is on crutches.
Satuala’s injury was first reported by Jay Drew of the Deseret News and has since been confirmed by KSL Sports. Deseret News cited an eight-week timeline for Satuala, which could cause Satuala to miss part of the preseason training camp that begins on August 5.
A BYU spokesperson had no comment on Satuala’s injury.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake doesn’t comment on injuries unless they are season-ending.
The expectation right now is that Satuala’s absence would be during training camp practices.
As far as games are concerned, BYU opens the season against FCS opponent Utah Tech, which could be a spot that gives Satuala an extra week, if needed, before an important Big 12 matchup in week two against Arizona on September 12.
Leading up to the Arizona game, BYU will have to follow the Big 12 Conference’s availability report protocol for league games.
Satuala recorded a team-high 84 tackles and had three interceptions in his breakout sophomore campaign last year. The former four-star recruit earned Second Team All-American recognition last season from the Football Writers Association of America.
Retaining Satuala was a key element to BYU football building out its defense in 2026, under first-year defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga.
Sizing up the safety position for BYU football in 2026
Some of BYU’s top options in the event of a potential Satuala absence include returning starter Raider Damuni, who is preparing for his senior season.
Damuni had 19 tackles and an interception last year and was a starter ahead of Satuala before suffering an injury against Arizona last October that sidelined him for three weeks, opening the door for Satuala to become a permanent starter on the backend of BYU’s defense.
BYU also brings back redshirt-sophomore Tommy Prassas, who could play either the boundary or field safety spots. He could also play the nickel safety spot, a position he took on last year before dealing with injuries, to give BYU a three-safety look.
A pair of versatile in-state players, Jarrin Kalama and Cannon DeVries, are also in the mix. DeVries switched back to safety after spending last season at cornerback.
BYU also has talented four-star freshman Kennan Pula from Lone Peak High, who competed in the spring, and Fort Worth, Texas native Antonio “TJ” Johnson joins in the summer.
The BYU football team reports to preseason camp on August 4.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
