Countdown to Kickoff: No. 18 Britain Covey
The countdown to kickoff brings us to no. 18 and the elder statesman of the Utah football team, Britain Covey. After graduating as Utah 4A Mr. Football and the Region 8 MVP in 2014, not to mention All-State first-team at quarterback and All-Tribune team, the two-time Utah Valley Football Player of the Year began his career as a Ute back in the 2015 season, where he started eight games as a true freshman. Flash forward past an LDS mission in 2016-17, the 2018 season, a redshirt 2019 season, and the "freebie" 2020 pandemic season, Britain Covey enters this 2021 season technically as a junior.
By now, Ute fans and the rest of the Pac-12 are very familiar with Covey's skillset, which is an offensive Swiss Army knife. The 5-foot-8 Provo native has plenty of college accolades under his belt: four All-Pac-12 selections, three of which are as a returner (first-team in 2018 and 2020), 2020 Phil Steele All-America honorable mention and CoSIDA Academic All-America, and 2015 Freshman All-American. Covey ranks fifth all-time at Utah in career punt returns (63), fourth in career punt return yards (665), and led the Utes in receiving yards in 2015, 2018, and 2020.
Having him on offense is like having another coach on the field, a welcome asset to have with the recent turnover in the Utah wide receiver room. Covey should be primed for a big season, as teams will learn fast that they can’t just let on him.
UteNation take
Covey has been everything the coaches hoped he would be and more ever since they were the only P5 school to offer him a scholarship back in 2015. Despite being one of the smallest players on the team, Covey's toughness may be rivaled only by Kyle Whittingham, highlighted by the 2018 season and his refusal to go down until an unfortunate injury in the Pac-12 title game.
Britain will not be the receiver to beat you over the top very often, but he can take a three yard slant, side step a couple defenders, and take it to the house in a blink of an eye. “Video Game Covey,” is a sight to see. He is also one of the smartest players on the team, using little tricks and leverage to get open. Covey is an intriguing prospect at the next level at the slot position, even though he would be one of the oldest NFL rookies. Despite having two years remaining of eligibility, a quality year from him, very well might mean this is his last as a Ute.
Alex remembers Covey's recruitment
This is a fun one—while Covey committed to the Utes right before signing day in 2015, the legacy-Cougar had been a long-time Ute lean, who was just being respectful and saying good things about BYU.
Towards the start of the summer of 2015, I had a conversation with him, in which he said it would take a miracle from other schools for him to not sign with Utah. His family—full of Cougars, at the time—also preferred the Utes. Therefore, it didn’t matter when a BYU offer was going to come—the Utes offense, the Pac-12, and his high school success at Rice-Eccles Stadium, all played a factor. Among all of his reasons, the one that has become an eye-opener for so many of the top LDS athletes, Covey—who is a devout member of the LDS Church—said he could get the same religious experience at the school that Brigham Young, once founded.
Anyone that tells you that BYU screwed up in his recruiting process, is just flat out wrong.