Utah WR/PR Britain Covey named to Paul Hornung preseason watch list

Arguably Utah's most important player this upcoming season, swiss army knife Britain Covey is ready to pick up where he left back in 2018 when he led the Utes in receiving and return yards

The excitement continues to build regarding the return of Britain Covey.

Covey has been a mainstay in Utah football circles for the better part of five years now, breaking out as a true freshman in 2015. He then elected to serve his two-year mission trip in 2016 and 2017, before his big return in 2018 was cut short due to a knee injury.

But now that's he's fully healthy, the rest of the nation is beginning to take notice.

Covey was recently named to the Paul Hornung preseason watch list, given annually to the most versatile player in the nation. It's the ideal award for a player like Covey, who checking in at 5-foot-8, 170 pounds has to rely on much more than just pure athleticism, size and strength — not to say he doesn't have some of those attributes.

.@brit_covey2 has been named to the @hornungaward Watch List!#UBoyz pic.twitter.com/wZLNx501WL

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) July 23, 2020

Covey has also been named to the all-Pac-12 preseason teams by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports as both a wide receiver and punt returner.

He elected to play in four games last season, with three starts, in order to preserve his redshirt season but still get some action under his belt. He finished with 10 catches for 77 yards in those games, while adding three kick returns for 52 yards and nine punt returns for 69 yards — showcasing the same explosive capabilities.

But now after almost another 12 months of practice and rehab, Covey should be able to hit the ground running this upcoming season as a valued member of the receiving game. According to reports last season, Covey consistently torched Utah's all-NFL-bound secondary as a member fo the scout team.

As a freshman in 2015, Covey led the Utes in receiving while being named a freshman All-American. He then served a two-year mission before returning in 2018 and leading the Utes in receiving again, this time being named to the all-Pac-12 first team as a return specialist.

But a knee injury late in the 2018 season severely limited him in 2019, as he played in just four games before electing to shut it down and redshirt.

Covey redshirted all of last season to recovery from a torn ACL suffered in the 2018 Pac-12 championship game against Washington, but now that he's healthy, it appears he's receiving the same status throughout the conference he had prior to the injury.

In 2018, Covey averaged 8.8 yards per punt return and was often so dynamic in tight spaces that he typically made something out of nothing. Covey's return should give in an instant spark to Utah's return game and receiving corps, as his ability to play in the slot or in the backfield are traits Utah's offense could use.

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