The BYU Cougars kick off the 2025 season in 5 days against Portland State. As we continue counting down the days until kickoff, today we will profile the player who wears No. 5 - sophomore wide receiver Cody Hagen - by providing three interesting, fun facts. (Note: Hagen changed his number from No. 18 last year to No. 5 this season.)
Fun fact No. 1 - He has all the talent in the world
Coming out of Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, Cody Hagen was a big-time national recruit. He was a four-star prospect at 247 Sports with a 90 overall grade. He was the No. 6 player in the state of Utah and the No. 53 wide receiver in the country. Throw in his elite track speed (he ran a 10.52 100-meter dash in high school), and he had options on where to play his college ball. Hagen had offers from Oregon, Michigan, USC, Stanford, and a host of other top-tier programs.
Fun fact No. 2 - He's a returned missionary
According to his player profile at BYU's team website, he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to San Bernadino, California. His profile also notes that he speaks Mandarin, a skill likely developed and used during his missionary service.
Was grabbing some photos for articles this morning courtesy of @BYUphoto.
— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) June 21, 2025
Looks like BYU WR Cody Hagen will change his jersey to no. 5 this year. Hagen saw the field in 2024 when he was just four months removed from missionary service.
Breakout candidate in 2025. pic.twitter.com/PXP1ct2oqK
Fun fact No. 3 - He could have a breakout 2025 season
With the departure of Darius Lassiter (graduation, NFL) and Keelan Marion (transfer), there are a host of receivers battling for WR2 and WR3 behind Chase Roberts on the BYU depth chart. Hagen is one of those talented athletes.
As a freshman last year his role was limited as he continued to work his way back into football shape after his missionary service. Last year he appeared in 10 games with three receptions for 29 yards. Those are modest numbers, but the fact that he was worked into games as a freshman on a loaded, veteran team that went 11-2 says something about how the coaches view him.
Hagen's superior athleticism and blazing speed will demand he see the field and the ball more as a sophomore this season. 2025 could be his breakout year with an incredibly bright future still ahead.