Over the years, BYU has had a consistent and reliable group of wide receivers, many of whom helped the Cougars pull off last-second comebacks.
BYU has been known as “Pass U” for its entire history. The Cougars have more passing yards than any other school in college football history with 204,936 yards, according to StatMuse. The next closest school is Washington State, who has almost 20,000 fewer passing yards than BYU.
Wide receivers at BYU have never ceased to be household names. Legends like Glen Kozlowski, Eric Drage, Austin Collie, Cody Hoffman and Mitch Matthews. In the last decade BYU has continued to develop outstanding receivers.
In 2023, it was Puka Nacua’s fourth-quarter touchdown grab against Boise State, a spinning, bobbling catch that ultimately handed BYU the win.
In 2024, it was Darius Lassiter’s touchdown snag against Oklahoma State, a 35-yard score with 16 seconds left in the game.
Last season, it was Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston, the powerhouse duo that each accounted for multiple 100-yard receiving games throughout the season.
For the first time in a long time, BYU’s wide receiver corps has a lot to prove. And as fall camp continues on, various receivers in the room are working hard to step up and carry on the tradition of exceptional receivers.
One of those new receivers is Kyler Kasper, a 6-foot-6 transfer from the University of Oregon. Kasper battled injuries during the last few seasons with the Ducks, but now that he is back to full strength, he is looking to showcase his full skillset for the Cougars.
“I would say at Oregon a lot of people thought of me as a jump ball threat,” said Kasper at the team’s photo day on Aug. 12.
Kasper accounted for two receptions last year for the Ducks that totaled 51 yards. Kasper’s longest reception, a 40-yard bomb in their 59-13 win over Montana State, has been the highlight of his career.
“Once I got here the coaches really realized that I can do everything,” Kasper said. “So, I’ve been in every position in the receiver room … and just making sure I learn the whole offense so they can put me anywhere and use me across the field.”
Even though Kasper is learning every aspect of the offense, his first love has always been catching the deep ball.
“My favorite one obviously is the deep ball and getting the stadium going,” he said. “And then obviously scoring touchdowns is number one.”
Kasper will get his chance to score his first career touchdown in just a few weeks when BYU takes on Utah Tech, one of his main goals for the season opener. The other is to set the tone for the season.
“I think we are gonna be able to air the ball out, a lot more than we have in the past,” he said, “and a lot more explosive than it’s been the past couple of years.”
BYU has definitely had explosive receivers in the past few years but one of the slower overall offenses. Last season, BYU was No. 10 in the nation for time of possession, averaging 32 minutes per game.
With that, the Cougars used their rushing and passing threats quite evenly. BYU ran an almost 50/50 split, rushing the ball 54.6% of the time and passing 45.3% of the time. If the pattern holds, Kasper and his crew should see plenty of opportunities to solidify BYU’s air attack.
As a transfer, and a senior, Kasper has been tasked with fitting in with the incumbents while also helping guide the younger players through their first season of college football.
“With the younger guys,” he chuckled, “they’re a funny group of kids so messing around with them a lot, but we’ve got a real good dynamic in the room.”
According to Kasper, some of the younger players in the room are going to see significant playing time on the field. Because of that, he is focused on making sure that both his mindset and the mindset of the other wide receivers are in the right place come kickoff.
Part of that mindset, for Kasper at least, is making the most of every game and eventually helping his new team return to the Big 12 Championship, a game the Cougars lost 34-7 last season.
Winning a conference championship has been at the forefront of Kasper’s mind from the moment he entered the transfer portal. That desire is what ultimately led him to BYU.
“There were some other schools I was looking at and talking to in the Big 12, but I think we got the best chance to win it here (BYU),” he said.