Utes WR Britain Covey Likely To Redshirt This Season
Oct 1, 2019, 1:28 PM | Updated: Oct 2, 2019, 9:56 am
Utah Utes wide receiver Britain Covey runs for a touchdown against the USC Trojans during NCAA football in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. (Ravell Call, Deseret News)
(Ravell Call, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – University of Utah wide receiver and return specialist Britain Covey will likely miss the rest of the season and will use a redshirt in order to have two years of eligibility remaining in his college football career.
Covey didn’t play in Utah’s 38-13 win over the Washington State Cougars because his knee injury that he suffered in the Pac-12 Championship game last season is still giving him problems.
“Britain Covey’s future is bright,” Kyle Whittingham said. “Whether or not he resumes play this year is up in the air right now. Went through the first four weeks as you all probably could tell wasn’t himself. He is just now who he is, he doesn’t have that lightning quickness and speed that makes him a weapon that he was prior.”
Whittingham mentioned that he had a conversation with Covey and will take the next couple of weeks to figure out his future for this season.
“He was not feeling great this week at all and just wasn’t going to be ready to play physically and we had a conversation,” Whittingham said. “We are going to take this thing week by week, we will see where he is in a few weeks and see where we are. Redshirting is not out of the question, but it is certainly not a definitive decision right now. We have to do what is best for him and for the team, so we will see how his health comes around. At some point, there will be a point of no return, my guess is in the next two or three games before we make a final decision.”
Covey said after practice on Monday that it is not likely that he will see the field again this season.
The new NCAA redshirt rule allows players to be able to play in four games before being required to sit the rest of the season and use their redshirt. Covey played in the first four games of the season against BYU, Northern Illinois, Idaho State and USC, which means that if Covey sees the field again this season, he will not be able to use his redshirt.
Utah will have some time to evaluate his decision with their bye week this week and will travel to Oregon State next Saturday.
