BYU Football Gets Aggressive With Offers To Transfer Portal WRs
May 1, 2023, 7:30 PM | Updated: 7:33 pm
BYU Football WR/Passing Game Coordinator Fesi Sitake needs additional pass catchers out of the Transfer Portal. (Nate Edwards/BYU Photo)
(Nate Edwards/BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – After the surprising exit of Kody Epps, BYU football is pursuing reinforcements at wide receiver.
After spring ball concluded, the wide receiver spot was always expected to be a need for BYU. But the sudden departure of Epps leaves BYU needing more than just one or two guys. Suddenly they need three, maybe four guys.
BYU has an estimated six scholarship players heading into fall camp practices this August. That’s three fewer than BYU’s nine scholarship players a season ago.
The good news for BYU is that there are plenty of wide receiver options in the transfer portal. As the spring transfer portal window closed, wide receiver was one of the hot positions loading up the portal.
On Monday, BYU offered five transfer portal wide receivers. Here’s a breakdown of the five offers.
Javon Antonio | Northwestern State
Antonio is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound pass catcher from the FCS ranks. At Northwestern State last season, Antonio earned Southland All-Conference Second Team recognition. He had 64 receptions for 684 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
I am blessed to receive an offer from @BYUfootball @BYU_CoachJustin @tysonmcdaniel10 @SSN_Cougars @fsitake @EDGEASSASSINS @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong247 @Mansell247 @RivalsPortal @247SportsPortal @RivalsNick @BillyEmbody @CoachReedLive @BHoward_11 @Jeff_XOS pic.twitter.com/lf4kZdtEMZ
— ♈️on 4️⃣javon antonio (@7asavage) May 1, 2023
Antonio is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. He reports FBS offers from Ball State, Boston College, Colorado, Georgia Tech, LA Tech, and Washington State.
EJ Horton | Marshall
Horton is a 6-foot, 175-pound receiver with 12 catches for 186 yards and a touchdown last season at Marshall. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Blessed to receive a offer from BYU! pic.twitter.com/0kEG3LDNVM
— Ej Horton (@_IssaLilGoat) May 1, 2023
Keelan Marion | UConn
After a team-leading 474 receiving yards for UConn in 2021, Marion broke his collarbone during the Huskies 2022 season opener at Utah State. He finished the 2022 season appearing in five games and recording four catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Blessed to receive an offer from BYU! @CoachRoderick pic.twitter.com/hK1Vk3fI71
— Keelan Marion (@keelanmarion1) May 1, 2023
Marion has three years of eligibility remaining. Since entering the Transfer Portal, Marion has landed offers from East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Liberty, Middle Tennessee, UAB, UNLV, and Western Kentucky.
Chance Morrow | Louisville
A 6-foot-6, 195-pound prospect, Morrow signed with Louisville in the 2022 recruiting class when Scott Satterfield was the head coach. Coming out of high school, Morrow had offers from Ohio State, Miami, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, and others. He was a two-sport athlete excelling in basketball as a prep athlete.
Blessed to receive an offer from BYU🙏🏾 @tysonmcdaniel10 pic.twitter.com/NlcOlSyzlC
— Chance Morrow (@chancemorrow61) May 1, 2023
He still has four years of eligibility remaining in his college career.
Elijah Smoot | UT-Martin
Smoot is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound prospect from UT-Martin, who competes at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). In his announcement that he was entering the portal, Smoot said, “I have always wanted to play on the highest level and make plays…”
Blessed to be offered by BYU!!! pic.twitter.com/EbwEnX9khx
— Elijah(EJ)Smoot® (@E_Smoot1) May 1, 2023
Smoot played in 11 games last season, totaling 32 receptions for 508 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 15.9 yards per catch.
Smoot reports offers from East Carolina, Liberty, Toledo, UConn, Western Kentucky, and BYU.
Darius Lassiter completed an official visit
Shortly after BYU completed spring practices last month, the Cougars extended an offer to Eastern Michigan wide receiver Darius Lassiter. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Lassiter had 40 receptions for 471 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Eagles.
BYU visit this past weekend !! #GoCougs🤙🏾 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/v88kwzmOHF
— DL (@darius_lassiter) May 1, 2023
He took an official visit to Provo this past weekend.
BYU football continues to offer Transfer Portal WRs
BYU offered two transfer portal receivers on April 30. Those two prospects were North Texas’ Jyaire Shorter and Colorado receiver Chase Sowell.
Blessed to receive the opportunity and offer from Brigham Young University!! #blessed #AGTG pic.twitter.com/xbid0plDTM
— Chase Sowell (@SowellChase) April 30, 2023
@BYUfootball Offered pic.twitter.com/FRmuyA5Whh
— Jyaire. (@yungshorter5) May 1, 2023
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU moving to the Big 12 Conference on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
