Over the past few seasons, the Utah wide receiving core has been loading up with speed and talent. The group has been elevated to a level where they are able to compete every single week with some of the best defensive backs in the conference. 

Wide receivers coach Guy Holliday has a plethora of talent to coach this season. Bryan Thompson has proven himself to be a deep threat for the Utes last season. Even though his career has been plagued by injuries, Thompson has spent the past offseason working to get his body into prime shape. 

“This year, I really took time to study the human body and understand what my body needs. Years prior, I tended to work really hard and not care about my body, but this year I’m taking diet ideas, fasting, anything I can do to be healthy,” Thompson said. “So, the thing that is on my mind now is making plays when my number is called and do the best I can do. Injuries have been a problem in my career, but I feel like those are long gone.” 

Holliday acknowledged Thompson’s progress, stating how proud he is of the wideout. 

“I’m proud of Thompson, I don’t look at total weight, I focus on body fat and he’s lowered his body fat, and that’s going to help him moving out there and be more explosive,” Holliday said. 

The wide receiver core will also have a healthy Britain Covey this season after sitting out last season due to an ACL injury the season before. 

Having Covey back is going to open up a lot for the Utah offense. “A 100% Britain Covey brings a dynamic player after the catch, a guy that can make the first player miss, and just lots of versatility — you can hand him the ball or throw him the ball — he gives us the ability to do a lot of different things,” Holliday said.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham added that a fully healthy Covey is a very valuable asset to offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig.

Covey knew that playing last season might not have been the best choice — especially when his knee would be swollen beyond recognition post-game or when the team flew to Los Angeles for their game versus USC and the altitude caused it to swell. 

“You can never really anticipate how you’re going to respond to an injury,” Covey said. “All of us would like to be like Adrian Peterson and be back within four or five months, but no matter how hard I pushed it, it seemed like my body wouldn’t respond the way I wanted it to.” 

He felt like more of a liability to the team in those moments, and the best thing to do was to redshirt the season and come back stronger this season. 

And that’s what Covey plans to do. While some people call him the Swiss Army knife of the Utah football team because of all he can do for the team, Covey sees himself as something simpler. 

“I’ve always felt like just throw me out there and just call me a football player. I’ll do whatever you need me to do,” Covey said. “If you need me to block a linebacker, you know I’m going to try my best, but I like to be versatile and bring a different dynamic to the offense.”  

Another player who is setting himself up for a good season, according to Holliday, is Solomon Enis. While he hasn’t had a lot of playing time, he has shown glimpses of what he can do for this Utah team. 

“Enis has been a more consistent player, it’s important to remember he was a do-everything-guy in high school. It takes a really special talent to step up from high school and your first year be an impact player,” Holliday said. “It’s the same thing for a rookie going into the NFL — you can be a top-five pick, but it doesn’t make you an impact player on an NFL team. So you know, that transition, he’s completed that and now I think he’s ready to come in and have a big season.”

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