BYU strong safety Micah Harper out for the season with ACL injury, says he will return in 2024

BYU will enter its first football season in the Big 12 without one of its best defensive players.

Projected starting strong safety Micah Harper suffered a serious knee injury, perhaps a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in last Saturday’s scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium and will not be available to play in 2023.

Rumors have raged for five days that the 5-foot-10, 192-pound sophomore from Chandler, Arizona, had suffered the injury, but BYU coaches would not acknowledge it last Tuesday at a media availability event.

However, Harper made the announcement on Twitter Thursday morning, saying his career is “to be continued in 2024.”

After a standout freshman year in 2020 when he earned a starting cornerback spot, he suffered an ACL injury in spring camp of 2021 and was forced to miss the entire 2021 season.

Last season, he finished as BYU’s third-leading tackler with 62 stops. He also had three pass breakups and forced two fumbles.

Harper’s father, Kenny, was a standout defensive back for the University of Hawaii. Micah Harper was named to the Phil Steele All-Independent Second Team after the 2022 season.

He is known as an outstanding open-field tackler who excels in run support.

The loss is a big one for BYU, which has been counting on Harper and senior free safety Malik Moore to form one of the best back line tandems in the Big 12.

Sophomore Talan Alfrey is likely the heir apparent to Harper’s starting strong safety spot, although safeties coach and defensive coordinator Jay Hill said after Saturday’s scrimmage that there are six or seven guys who could see time.

Other safeties on BYU’s roster include converted receiver Preston Rex, Utah State transfer Crew Wakley, promising freshman Raider Damuni, redshirt freshman Chika Ebunoha, freshman Ty Burke, freshman Petey Tuipulotu and redshirt sophomores Tanner Wall and Ethan Slade.

Harper told the Deseret News in March that he was as heavy as he’s been in his life (192 pounds) but that it was “good weight” that made him a better tackler and stronger.

“I am a little bigger, but I am keeping the speed I’ve always had,” he said.