Britain Covey, Lopini Katoa, Deven Thompkins Named To Paul Hornung Award Watch List

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Three players from the state of Utah have been named to the Paul Hornung Award watch list.

The award is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football.

Utah wide receiver and return specialist Britain Covey, BYU running back Lopini Katoa and Utah State wide receiver Deven Thompkins have been named to the watch list.

The 2020 #PaulHornungAwardWatchlist pic.twitter.com/U8L046TUDs

— Paul Hornung Award (@hornungaward) July 23, 2020

Britain Covey

Covey is entering his junior season with the Utes and is expected to have a big impact on offense and special teams for Utah in 2020. As a true freshman in 2015, Covey earned first-team Freshman All-American. In 12 games played, Covey led the team with 43 receptions and 519 yards along with 4 touchdown catches. Covey returned 21 punts for 246 yards which was good for second in the Pac-12 and 17th in the country.

In 2018 after returning from his two-year church mission, Covey hauled in 60 receptions for 637 yards and one touchdown. The Timpview product had 221 punt return and 144 kick return yards. Covey was named first team All-Pac-12 returner while leading the team in receiving.

Last season, Covey played four games before redshirting the rest of the season to continue to recover from a knee injury he suffered in the 2018 Pac-12 Championship game.

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

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) July 23, 2020

Lopini Katoa

Junior running back Lopini Katoa returns to BYU in 2020 as the likely starter at running back for the Cougars. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Katoa rushed for 423 yards and had nine total touchdowns.

Last season, the American Fork product led BYU in all-purpose yards with 853 yards, 358 rushing yards, 288 receiving yards and 207 kick return yards.

Katoa was also named to the Doak Walker Award watch list.

The Louisville Sports Commission has named Lopini Katoa to the preseason watch list for the 2020 Paul Hornung Award. The award honors the most versatile player in college football.#BYUFOOTBALL #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/lkqKas7TU6

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) July 23, 2020

Deven Thompkins

Utah State junior wide receiver Deven Thompkins displayed his versatility last season as a sophomore. He recorded 40 receptions for 536 yards and four touchdowns. Thompkins carried the ball six times for 77 yards and one touchdown, returned a punt for a 45-yard TD and had one kickoff return for 22 yards.

Congrats to @GrandmasterDT on being named to the @hornungaward Watch List!

➡️ https://t.co/V41hG5oNZj#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/BzxPB6P4Mp

— USU Football (@USUFootball) July 23, 2020

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.