An undrafted safety who has already played for three franchises, carving out a niche as a reliable tackler off waivers.
Thomas Harper is a safety who transferred from Oklahoma State to Notre Dame for his final college season before going undrafted in 2024. Since then he has bounced from the Chargers to the Raiders and now to the Lions via waiver claims, posting a career-high tackle total in his first year in Detroit.
Path to the league
Harper played four seasons at Oklahoma State from 2019 to 2022, developing from a special teams contributor into a starter and totaling 93 tackles there. He transferred to Notre Dame for his final season in 2023, appearing in 11 games and recording 39 tackles, six tackles for loss, three passes defended and two sacks. He went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Career highlights
After being waived by the Chargers at final cuts in 2024, Harper was claimed off waivers by the Las Vegas Raiders, where he appeared in 15 games in 2024 with 26 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble. He was waived by Las Vegas in August 2025.
2025 season recap
The Detroit Lions claimed Harper off waivers on August 29, 2025, and he became a contributor in their secondary, appearing in 12 games and recording a career-high 37 tackles, five pass deflections and a fumble recovery.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Thomas Harper (American football)
- Pro Football Reference: Thomas Harper
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
12 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | lions | 12 | 37 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 2024 | raiders | 15 | 26 | 13 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Safety
- Group
- defense
- College
- Notre Dame
- Hometown
- Knoxville, TN, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
