Junior safety Faletau Satuala was running a shuttle drill with some of his teammates at BYU's Indoor Practice Facility last June when he felt something pop in his right foot.
"At first, I thought it was no big deal," he said. "I thought I had just stepped funny. And then I tried to take another step, and I was like, 'Oh, it's kind of a weird feeling.'"
Then he took his cleat off, and "that's when I really felt it," he said.
One of the best players on BYU's defense, which had high hopes for the 2026 season with almost every key contributor from the 2025 season returning with the exception of linebacker Jack Kelly and safety Tanner Wall, was suddenly staring at months of rehabilitation and a possible delayed start to the season.
Satuala immediately went in for X-rays, and on June 5 he underwent surgery. Doctors told him he would be in a cast and/or protective boot for about eight weeks, but that playing in the opener against Utah Tech on Sept. 5 was still a possibility.
"I never lost hope," he said. "It was always high hopes. They told me that the surgery usually goes really well and recovery prospects are high if you just stick to the rehab plan. I just trusted them throughout the process and everything worked out."
Satuala, a former four-star recruit from Bountiful High who was coming off a solid sophomore season, missed the first couple of weeks of preseason training camp, but slowly worked his way back into the lineup. He was able to play in the 63-7 win over Utah Tech and made one tackle before the starters gave way to the backups in the blowout.
A week later, against Arizona, he made seven tackles, including a tackle for loss, in BYU's 28-17 win over the Wildcats and looked like the same player who led the team in total tackles in 2025, with 84. He was a third-team All-Big 12 selection in 2025.
Satuala's pick-six against Iowa State was one of the biggest plays of the season as the Cougars went 12-2 and just missed making the College Football Playoff.
He credits BYU's athletic trainers and strength and conditioning staff for helping him get back as quickly as he did.
"The staff here is amazing and (trainers) were just coming in every day and making sure I was working," he said. "Our staff is so good about all that stuff and just helping us get back.
"They push you to the point where you are getting good work in, but not too hard where you are going to hurt yourself again. They were really smart about it."
Defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga said Wednesday that Satuala has picked up where he left off last year.
BYU safety Faletau Satuala (11) celebrates after a play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the Big 12 championship game held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
"I think he's in a great spot," Poppinga said. "I thought he played really well in the Arizona game. He probably didn't get as much action in the Colorado State game, but I thought he was really solid in the Arizona game.
"He's come back great. I haven't seen any issues from him. He looks faster and more physical than he's ever been."
Satuala's rapid return was needed, because fellow safety Raider Damuni sustained an injury in the first half of the Utah Tech game and has been sidelined ever since. Head coach Kalani Sitake said Tuesday night during his coaches' show that Damuni should be back soon. Still, the senior was listed as unavailable for Saturday's game against TCU (5 p.m. MDT, ESPN) in Wednesday night's Big 12-mandated availability report.
In Damuni's absence, Cannon DeVries and Tommy Prassas have picked up the slack. DeVries is tied with linebacker Cade Uluave for most tackles on the team, with 14. Prassas has nine.
"It was really sad when Raider went down," Satuala said. "I have been playing next to that dude for quite a while. But I trusted that the next guys were going to step up, like Tommy Prassas. I came in to BYU with Tommy, and he's a great dude. He can ball and he is really smart."
Poppinga said Satuala has responded well since Damuni went down.
"We're doing a little bit more with him than we have in the past, and that's just (because) of him knowing the defense better and being in the system longer," Poppinga said.
Off the field, it was a busy summer for the Satuala family of Bountiful. Lakepa Satuala, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete, committed to follow in his brother's footsteps and pledged to play for BYU as part of the Cougars' 2027 signing class.
And just before preseason training camp began, Faletau became engaged to BYU track and field hurdler Remy Romney , who is the younger sister of former BYU football players Gunner, Baylor and Tate Romney.
"Yeah, it has been interesting," Faletau said. "The injury altered a few plans, but I wouldn't say it erased any of my goals. I am just trying to play football and compete and make plays and put the emphasis on the team, and winning as a team. The injury has really helped me focus on helping the team more, and doing my job on every play."
BYU safety Faletau Satuala reacts after a play during the Cougars ' victory over Arizona on Saturday, Sept. 12, in Provo. | Aaron Cornia, BYU Photo
