BYU football recruiting: Gunner Romney is Cougars’ most important target

BYU football is in the home stretch for 2018 recruiting. In a few weeks, Signing Day will be upon us. Which means all eyes need to be on WR Gunner Romney.

For BYU football in 2017, there were a plethora of problems and issues. Discipline, lackluster effort and poor play probably top the charts.

But in terms of poor play, things were highlighted – in my opinion – by two positions: quarterback and wide receiver.

The offensive line was fine, the tight ends – led by Freshman All-American Matt Bushman – were fine, the running backs were fine. But a rotating cast of quarterbacks and bevy of drops and poor routes doomed the BYU football offense.

The Cougars have already signed Stacy Conner and Zachary Wilson to help at quarterback. So now the issue is at wide receiver.

Enter Gunner Romney.

Romney, a three-star receiver from Chandler High School (AZ), is now the most important recruit left for BYU football.

A true game-changer, Romney is the type of player that could (and likely will) contribute right off the bat. Over his final two high school campaigns, he amassed 118 receptions for 2,075 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also turned heads while at Nike’s The Opening camp.

He runs crisp routes, has strong hands and uses is body well to block defenders. He looks smooth beyond his years and – most importantly – has been verbally committed to BYU football since June.

Romney is the nephew of former NFL tight end Todd Heap, and Heap’s alma mater Arizona State is thought to be Romney’s No. 2 school at the moment.

In addition to the Cougars and Sun Devils, Romney also holds offers from Boise State, Utah, Arizona and Iowa State, among others.

If BYU football signs him in February, it would give whoever is under center in 2018 a viable compliment to Bushman. In theory, it would give the Cougars’ a constant spark on offense.