BYU Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill Expects a Few Contributors Back for Kansas State

Casey Lundquist | Sep 18, 2024

Nov 26, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal tight end Benjamin Yurosek (84) scores a touchdown against Brigham Young Cougars defensive back Micah Harper (1) during the second half at Stanford Stadium. / John Hefti-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill met with the media to preview BYU's upcoming game against no. 13 Kansas State. Hill expects to get a few contributors back for the conference opener.

Hill was asked about safety Micah Harper, cornerback Mory Bamba, and defensive end Logan Lutui.

"Micah Harper for sure [will play]," Hill said on Monday. "Logan Lutui for sure [will play]. And Mory looked good today in practice, so I would suspect he will be ready to go too."

Harper hasn't played since the SMU game where he played only five snaps. "[Harper] had some swelling in his knee after the first game, which is not atypical coming off an ACL, and we expect him to play more this game."

Harper is listed as a co-starter at safety and the starting nickel. When healthy, Harper is one BYU's best and most physical players. He hasn't played regularly since 2022. In the weeks leading up to the 2023 season, Harper suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

Logan Lutui, the starting defensive end opposite of Tyler Batty, left the game against Wyoming with an injury. He is expected to be back against Kansas State. Lutui has six total tackles and one quarterback hurry this season.

Mory Bamba was in a back-and-forth battle for a starting cornerback spot during Fall camp. Bamba, at least early on, was the favorite to start opposite of Jakob Robinson. Bamba suffered an injury during the last few weeks of Fall camp and he hasn't played this season. Getting Bamba back into the lineup will boost the depth in BYU's defensive backfield. He is still listed as a co-starter on BYU's depth chart alongside Marque Collins.

The Cougars and the Wildcats kickoff at 8:30 PM Mountain Time on ESPN.