BYU football: Five fall newcomers that can have an immediate impact

Gunner Romney

Of course, there’s no way you can omit the prize of the 2018 recruiting class from this list. Wide receiver Gunner Romney (6’2, 180, Jr.) is a 247Sports 4-star prospect with great speed and soft hands.

Recruiting web sites aren’t the only ones impressed with his abilities. Jeff Grimes recently stated this about the blue chipper, “I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t come in here and play a significant role in our offense this year”.

The wide receiver position lends itself to being a spot on the field where it doesn’t take a lot of prior experience to immediately make an impact. It does take talent, and Romney has plenty of that.

This year, watch for Romney to not only be one of the leaders in receiving yards, but to step into the role of a major play-maker. Concerning Romney, Grimes also said “One thing I really like about him is his ability to run after the catch. There are a lot of receivers who do 90 percent of their work before the ball ever touches their hands. And then there are other guys who do 50 percent of their work beyond the time they catch the ball.”

Grimes can be very stingy with public praise. His complements toward someone who has never played a snap in a college football game, or even a practice, reveals a lot about his opinion of this youngster.

Brayden Cosper

Bingham High grad Brayden Cosper (6’3, 195, Fr.) has an uncanny resemblance to Gunner Romney in the way he plays the game.  And though this wide receiver may not have the burst of speed that Romney has, he’s still fast. He gets open and catches the ball.

Cosper doesn’t come with the hype that his counterpart does, but is still a great new addition to BYU Football.  Don’t be surprised when he makes numerous catches for long gains this season.  In the future, Cosper and Romney could become one of the best receiver combos Cougar Nation has ever seen.