Utah's Britain Covey And Brant Kuithe Poised For Huge Season Openers

With Utah's offense expected to thrive against UCLA on Saturday, a lot of the focus will be on tight end Brant Kuithe and wide receiver Britain Covey, a dynamic duo who could be a nightmare for the Bruins

When Utah kicks off its 2020 college football season on Saturday against UCLA (8:30 p.m. MT, FOX), a lot of eyes will be on tight end Brant Kuithe and wide receiver Britain Covey. 

While both are households within the Utah fanbase, each player is entering this season under drastically different circumstances.

After being named to the all-Pac-12 second team, Kuithe is trying to become a household name to the rest of the country. Blessed with athleticism rarely seen in tight ends, Kuithe should be the No. 1 option for whoever is under center for the Utes.

Meanwhile, Covey is trying to prove he still has the same skillset that saw him dominating the Pac-12 back in 2018. An unfortunate knee injury cost him the 2019 season but he drew raves on the scout team last year and thus far in fall camp.

“I’m just more excited than I’ve ever been for a season,” he said. "I just feel like I’m back to how I’ve always been as a competitor. And it’s great to be able to get into it with guys and feel that competitive nature come out again,” he said. “And it’s helped me to realize how not many people get to play the game they love at this age. I just feel really lucky right now. I’m really excited.”

Oct 26, 2018; Pasadena, CA, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Britain Covey (18) runs after the catch while defended by UCLA Bruins defensive back Quentin Lake (37) during the first half at Rose Bowl / Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

UTAH Players To Watch
-- Brant Kuithe, TE, Sophomore: Kuithe has massive expectations heading into this season, and for good reason. He had two major breakout games last season — against UCLA when he caught five passes for 132 yards and a score — and against Colorado when he caught three passes for 63 yards and two scores while adding two rushes for 59 yards and a touchdown. In all, he totaled 34 catches for 602 yards and six touchdowns, while adding another 102 yards rushing on six attempts and three more scores on the season. Going against a porous defense for the Bruins is the perfect recipe for Kuithe to begin 2020 right where he left off of in 2019.

-- Britain Covey, WR, Junior: While everyone knows what to expect from Kuithe, Covey is the exact opposite. He was dynamic as a wide receiver and return specialist in 2015 and 2018 (he took a two-year mission from 2016-17), but a knee injury in the 2018 conference title game needed surgery and he missed last year. But now back and healthy, a lot of people are expecting to see a better version of Covey — including himself. Everyone will finally get their first glance at Covey and if he's back to normal, that's a huge boost to the Utah offense.

-- Devin Lloyd, LB, Junior: The heart and soul of the defense, Lloyd returns as one of two starters from last year's dominating squad. With question marks surrounding the availability of the defensive line, and with an extremely young secondary, a lot of the defensive responsibilities will fall on Lloyd to get the unit lined up properly against UCLA's fast-paced offense. He will also be tasked with following Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a legit dual threat who could hurt the Utes with his legs.

Courtesy of Utah Athletics

-- Clark Phillips III, CB, Freshman: It's unknown if any recruit has entered Utah's program with as much hype or pressure as Phillips. He's the best prospect to ever sign with Utah and is listed as a day one starter, replacing current Chicago Bears star Jaylon Johnson. Without any tuneup games, Phillips will be thrust into a massive role against a solid group of pass catchers for the Bruins. If he plays well and thrives, Utah fans will be ecstatic. But if he struggles, it could signify some major growing pains moving forward.

UCLA Players To Watch
-- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, Junior: Based solely on potential, Thompson-Robinson may be the best quarterback in the conference. Unfortunately for him, consistency and completion percentage have been his biggest issues. His stats from last week can be construed as impressive (303 yards passing, four touchdowns, 109 yards rushing, one touchdown) and underwhelming (50% completion percentage, 7.6 yards per attempt). You never know what version of Thompson-Robinson shows up, but if it's the talented one, Utah could be in some sort of trouble.

Nov 7, 2020; Boulder, Colorado, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) carries the ball in the fourth quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field / Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

-- Demetric Felton, RB, Senior: Felton takes over for the recently departed Joshua Kelly (now with the LA Chargers) and does it all for the UCLA offense. He finished last week with 57 yards rushing (one touchdown) and 46 yards receiving (one touchdown). A homerun threat every time he touches the ball, getting him into space and matched up with Utah's linebackers will be vital to the Bruins success.

-- Osa Odighizuwa, DL, Senior: UCLA best interior lineman, Odighizuwa is a matchup nightmare at 6-foot-2, 280 yards. He finished last season with 10.0 tackles for loss and is looking to improve upon that number and getting quicker off the ball and refining his technique. Despite seeing double teams last week against Colorado, he still finished with six tackles and one tackle for loss. 

Nov 7, 2020; Boulder, Colorado, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa (92) pressures Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Sam Noyer (4) in the second half at Folsom Field / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

-- Kyle Phillips, WR, Sophomore: Fairly quiet last week, Phillips is Thompson-Robinson's top target and the guy he trusts most. He set a UCLA freshman record last year with 60 catches for five touchdowns last season. Look for head coach Chip Kelly to get Phillips involved in the offense a lot earlier against Utah, especially when going up against the Utes' inexperienced secondary. If Phillips proves reliable, it completely opens up the running game for the Thompson-Robinson and Felton.

SERIES HISTORY
11-7 UCLA / Utah is currently on a four-game winning streak in the series.

The Utes are coming off their largest margin of victory in the series after taking down the Bruins 49-3 late last season. Many people will remember the game as the one where Kuithe broke out. He showcased his ability to be a dominant pass catcher with 132 receiving yards and a touchdown. The defense hounded Thompson-Robinson all night long, sacking him five times and forcing him into four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumbles).

QUOTE TO NOTE
"There's arguments to be made on both sides. ... Typically the old adage is you make the most improvement between games one and two so they've got that on their side," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "As far as us, we have a full tape to watch, study and analyze, where as they have nothing on us this year. Who knows, advantages on both ways depending on how you look at that."

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