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Could BYU’s receivers room be elite?

dick harmon
·6 min read
BYU receiver Keanu Hill makes a heart for fans after scoring a touchdown against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Hill is one of the anchors in the receivers room, which could be elite when BYU begins life in the Big 12 this fall.

This article was first published in the Cougar Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Tuesday night.

BYU head basketball coach Mark Pope identified and signed priorities in the transfer portal this spring and the latest is a point guard from Tennessee who signed at Florida before transferring to Samford University. Here is a look at Ques Glover, a guard who can score at all three levels.

Cougar Insider predictions

Question of the week: With recent additions and news, what do you make of Fesi Sitake’s receivers room so far?

Dave McCann: At full health, Kalani Sitake’s receivers room has the potential to be elite.

On paper, in early May, BYU’s receivers room looks ready for the Big 12. Keanu Hill is 6-foot-4, Chase Roberts is 6-foot-4, Eastern Michigan transfer Darius Lassiter is 6-foot-3, tight end Isaac Rex is 6-foot-6 and shifty Kody Epps is 5-foot-11. Receivers coach Fesi Sitake is still open to adding more.

These are the tools quarterback Kedon Slovis came to BYU to build something with. The group is big, talented, experienced and healthy, for the most part (Rex expects to have his ankle ready for Sept. 2). The big question is, once the hits start coming, can they stay on the field?

BYU looked good on paper going into 2022 as well, but nagging injuries to Puka Nacua, Gunner Romney, Brayden Cosper, Roberts and Epps paralyzed their consistency. In fact, during the 13-game schedule, the Cougars started the same receivers in consecutive games only once, at Boise State. To his credit, quarterback and Vikings draft pick Jaren Hall still managed to throw for 3,171 yards and 31 touchdowns.

The receiver corps is no stranger to the end zone. Rex has 21 career touchdowns, Hill has 10, Epps has 6, Lassiter has 4 and Roberts has 3.

Epps may be the X-factor. After missing the last five games, all of spring practice, and getting lost for a couple of days in the transfer portal, he brings a speed element to the slot that will be a challenge for any secondary — just as he did against Notre Dame and Arkansas.

The next X would be Rex. If he and Slovis can restore the quarterback-tight end combination to anywhere near the Zach Wilson-Rex numbers of 2020, the probability for single coverage downfield for Hill, Roberts and Lassiter will improve dramatically.

In addition to those mentioned, Sitake’s receivers room has plenty of backup potential in 5-foot-11 Dom Henry, 6-foot Parker Kingston and 5-foot-11 Hobbs Nyberg, 6-foot Talmage Gunther and 6-foot-2 Devin Downing. Each possesses the potential to help keep BYU in the game if the injury bug returns.

Dick Harmon: Heading into the Big 12, BYU must have playmaker receivers and Fesi Sitake has proven he can develop pass game talent that can defeat the likes of five Pac-12 teams in one season (ASU, Utah, Washington State, Stanford and USC). If his receivers room has the level of talent as Neil Pau’u, Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney, he’s in good shape.

BYU’s offense has traditionally used a system to put receivers in place to make big plays. Remember that the two best career receivers in school history are Cody Hoffman, who was a “no star” recruit, and Austin Collie, a three-star recruit out of northern California. Both had size, great hands and decent but not spectacular speed. They were route runners who won one-on-one matchups.

I think with the addition of Darius Lassiter, if Kody Epps is fully healthy, Fesi Sitake and Aaron Roderick will be more prepared for Big 12 play than when the season ended with a win in the New Mexico Bowl. This group must survive bumps, bruises and injuries that decimated that group last year. Keanu Hill and Chase Roberts are great building blocks and I think Cody Hagen will prove to be a big addition with his 10.52 speed in the 100 meters. To fill out depth, I wouldn’t be surprised if Fesi brings in at least one or possibly two more receivers out of the transfer portal before players report to camp in late June.

Cougar tales

One of the longest-enduring track records in school history, the time set by All-American and BYU legend Henry Marsh in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, went down this past weekend in a tremendous effort by junior Kenneth Rooks. Doug Robinson detailed this historic feat in this piece.

From the archives

Related

From the Twitterverse

Extra points

BYU recruiting hoops update (Vanquish the Foe)

What we learned from Epps saga (Deseret News)

Breaking down QB room (KSLsports)

Fanalyst

Comments from Deseret News readers:

BYU lost by seven points to a team who played in a national championship game, a single point to Gonzaga, and defeated Creighton. Not far from being very good. A little boost will work wonders.

Go Cougs!! Your fans are good looking.

— Worf

My impression of Epps: Great kid, great teammate, fun personality and talented athlete. As a fan and financial supporter of BYU athletics, yes I’m interested in both the reasons for his departure and his return. Unfortunately this article didn’t tell me ANYTHING that I didn’t already read in other DN articles. And as much as I would like to know more about what is going on in Kody’s head, it’s his story and he has every right to not go public with it.

As a side note, what Deion Sanders is doing at Colorado is a real head scratcher — essentially completely rebuilding the team from the portal. He’s kept something like 11 players from last year and showed everyone else the exit (granted some saw the writing on the wall and entered the portal without “Prime” pushing them). It seems pretty harsh but he was hired to change the direction of Buffaloes football. There will be a lot of eyes to see how this works out for them, but I’d guess it will be a rough year or two or three before the program gets back on track.

— Idablu

Up next

May 10-12 | 8 a.m. | Women’s golf | NCAA Regional
May 11 | 7 p.m. | Baseball | vs. Pacific | @Stockton, California
May 12-13 | TBA | Track & Field | Last Chance Meet | @Provo
May 12 | 4 p.m. | Softball | vs. Saint Mary’s | @Moraga, California
May 12 | 7 p.m. | Baseball | vs. Pacific | @Stockton, California
May 13 | 1 p.m. | Softball | vs. Saint Mary’s | @Moraga, California
May 13 | 2 p.m. | Baseball | vs. Pacific | @Stockton, California
May 13 | 3:30 p.m. | Softball | vs. Saint Mary’s | @Moraga, California

BYU steeplechaser Kenneth Rooks (No. 1) recently broke Henry Marsh’s longstanding BYU record. Big things appear in store for the talented track athlete. | Mattew Norton, BYU Photo
BYU steeplechaser Kenneth Rooks (No. 1) recently broke Henry Marsh’s longstanding BYU record. Big things appear in store for the talented track athlete. | Mattew Norton, BYU Photo