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BYU football seeing what WR Brayden Cosper is capable of

By Jared Lloyd - | Sep 28, 2022
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BYU junior wide receiver Brayden Cosper takes the field before the game against Wyoming at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.
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BYU junior wide receiver Brayden Cosper makes a touchdown catch during the game against Wyoming at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.
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BYU junior wide receiver Brayden Cosper makes a catch during the game against Wyoming at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.
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BYU junior wide receiver Brayden Cosper makes a catch during the game against Wyoming at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.

When Brayden Cosper signed with BYU in 2018, he had concluded a stellar career at Bingham High.

He had tallied 918 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as a senior, and 792 receiving yards and nine TDs as a junior for the Miners, resulting in being the top-rated receiver in Utah of the 2018 class from Scout.

But since joining the Cougars, Cosper has had a tough time getting on track.

He had four receptions for 36 yards in 2020, but a redshirt year in 2018 and an injury year in 2021 limited his opportunities.

After all the tough times, it’s not hard to imagine how it felt to Cosper after finally having a game like the one he had in BYU’s 38-24 win over Wyoming at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday night.

“Obviously, it feels great,” Cosper said during Monday’s teleconference. “It’s been a super long time coming. It’s nice to just finally — after so many years and missing so many games — to just get out there and and really just enjoy it, to be grateful and have fun.”

Cosper recorded a career high in receptions (4) and receiving yards (58) along with his first-career touchdown reception, a gorgeous toe-tap just inside the sideline right at the end of the first half.

“We’ve had that plan for the last few weeks now,” Cosper said. “You practice it so much and then you get in the game and we didn’t get the opportunity to run those things. It’s been a long time coming with the injuries, but also a long time coming for that play. I was just waiting on it. It’s great when you get to work on something so much and then get out and go perform it. It feels amazing.”

It’s been a year when BYU has had different receivers step up. Against the Cowboys, it was Cosper and Cougar sophomore Keanu Hill (six receptions, 160 yards, two TDs) who were the main targets.

Cosper said that is what BYU receivers expect, that it’s all about making the most of opportunities.

“None of us are surprised,” Cosper said. “We’ve all worked together for a long time over the offseason last year. I think we all know what we’re capable of. I know Gunner (Romney) and Puka (Nacua) have been the main guys but I’m confident they’d tell you the same thing that we’ve all known for a while, about how deep this group is. I think that’s a great thing to be a part of is because we’re all making each other better, week in and week out, and learning from each other.”

He definitely feels like he personally has learned so much as he has faced all the adversity in his career. He said that trying to identify the lessons isn’t easy to do.

“It’s a deep question,” Cosper said. “I could probably go a lot deeper with it, but I think the main thing is when you want to do something, and you have a goal in mind, it’s important to be resilient. Be specific with what you want to do. I think it’s also OK to adjust your your goals and expectations for yourself to be realistic. You can make sure that you they’re achievable, that you can get there and persevere.”

Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake said the team is hopeful that the receiver corps will get a boost as Romney will be prepared to play his first game of the season against Utah State on Thursday.

He also said a number of other players to be available to play against the Aggies, guys like defensive linemen Earl Tuioti-Mariner and Gabe Summers, linebacker Max Tooley and offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia.

He said defensive back Malik Moore is in a “wait and see” position, while the “only one who will be out for significant time is deep snapper Austin Riggs.”

“From what I gather, no one is lost for the season,” Sitake said. “But we have some who might miss significant time.”

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