PROVO — Just a week into fall camp, BYU has lost a tight end to injury.
Tight ends coach Steve Clark said Wednesday that redshirt freshman Hank Tuipulotu has re-injured the ACL in his knee.
“It was non-contact,” Clark told ESPN 960. “We’re assessing him right now but it looks like we won’t have him. It’s really hard because of how well he was playing. The first three or four practices, he was one of the most explosive players we had in the offense.”
Tuipulotu suffered an ACL injury last September before undergoing season-ending surgery.
Tuipulotu, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound native of Fort Mill, South Carolina, is the son of former BYU running back Peter Tuipulotu.
Meanwhile, another tight end, senior Moroni Laulu-Pututau, who missed most of last season with a season-ending knee injury, has not been practicing due to academic issues and hasn’t been cleared yet to practice.
Fortunately for the Cougars, they return their leading receiver the past two seasons — tight end Matt Bushman.
Other tight ends in camp include Joe Tukuafu, Darius McFarland, Carter Wheat, Isaac Rex, Kyle Griffitts and Alema Pilimai.