Boise State football’s top tackler out for rest of season with torn ACL

The Boise State defense already was besieged with injuries, and Monday brought word of yet another.

Boise State sophomore linebacker Riley Whimpey tore an ACL on Saturday against BYU and is out for the season, coach Bryan Harsin announced.

Whimpey was leading the team in tackles with 55, 42 of which came in the last five games. He had seven tackles in the 21-16 win and was hurt attempting a tackle on a punt return in the fourth quarter.

“It stinks about Riley ... the last month or so, three weeks, Riley was really coming along and was having another outstanding game the other night,” Boise State defensive coordinator Andy Avalos said.

It is the latest injury for a Boise State defense ravaged by them — the Broncos had two starters (David Moa and DeAndre Pierce) already out for the year. Pierce and Whimpey were leading Boise State in tackles when their season-ending injuries occurred.

Starting nose tackle Sonatane Lui has not played the last three games, and Moa’s replacement at defensive tackle, Chase Hatada, did not play Saturday against BYU. Third cornerback Jalen Walker, who started twice for senior Tyler Horton when he had a knee injury in September, had missed three consecutive games, but played against BYU.

From his playing days in the early 2000s to now this, his seventh year on the Broncos’ staff, Avalos hasn’t seen anything quite like it.

“No, I can’t say I have — but beginning of the year, you try to prepare and get as many guys ready as possible, not knowing what’s going to happen, what’s going to hit,” Avalos said.

Harsin also said redshirt freshman defensive end Aisa Kelemete tore an ACL in practice last week. He had yet to play in a game this season. True freshman cornerback Tyric LeBeauf tore an ACL in September.

Replacing Whimpey won’t fall on just one linebacker’s shoulders, though senior Blake Whitlock and redshirt freshman Zeke Noa figure to be heavily involved.

“Riley was playing really well, he was playing hard up to when he got hurt ... other guys will step up,” Harsin said, adding “I never ask ‘when is enough enough?’ You don’t do that. It’s unfortunate, but we’re not the only team in America that has guys hurt.”

WALEED PICKS BRONCOS OVER POWER FIVE OFFERS

The Broncos picked up their first wide receiver commitment of the 2019 class Sunday.

Khyheem Waleed, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound wide receiver from Casteel High in Queen Creek, Ariz., committed to the Broncos over offers from Oregon, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, UCLA, Iowa State and multiple others.

Waleed has 25 catches for 447 yards and four touchdowns this season. He had 14 catches, but scored eight touchdowns last season as a junior. In the past two years, he’s averaging 20.6 yards per reception.

QUICK HITS

Boise State reported that 29,000 tickets were out for Friday’s game as of Monday morning. ... The Broncos are 31-9 all-time in regular-season Friday games. ... Fresno State is currently favored, the first time Boise State has been a home underdog since the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl and the first time in the regular season since Sept. 8, 2001, against Washington State. ... Ranked 16th in the AP Top 25, Fresno State is tied with Oregon in 2009 as the highest-ranked visitor to Albertsons Stadium. ... Boise State is No. 4 in the nation with 3.44 sacks per game, Fresno State is No. 3 with 0.56 sacks allowed per game. ... Harsin does not elaborate on injuries that are not season-ending, so provided no further insight into junior receiver John Hightower, who left Saturday’s game.

No. 16 FRESNO STATE AT BOISE STATE

When: 8:15 p.m. Friday

Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,387; FieldTurf)

TV: ESPN2 (Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison, Alyssa Lang)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: BSU 7-2, 4-1 (won 21-16 vs. BYU on Saturday); Fresno State 8-1, 5-0 (won 48-3 at UNLV on Saturday)

Series: Boise State leads 14-6 (Broncos won 17-14 on Dec. 2, 2017, in Mountain West championship)

Vegas line: Fresno State by 3

Weather: High 30s, clear

Tickets: Office on the west side of Albertsons Stadium, visit BroncoSports.com/tickets or call 208-426-4737.

This story was originally published November 5, 2018 at 1:12 PM.