BYU football: Cougars working receivers

PROVO – Now that Austin Collie and Michael Reed have moved on, the BYU football program is counting on less-experienced wide receivers to make big contributions this fall.

Sophomore McKay Jacobson, who caught 28 passes for 547 yards and three touchdowns in 2006, is back from a mission, though he has been kept out of contact drills during the spring due to a hamstring injury.

"He was a very good player before his mission and all indications show that's what he'll be now," coach Bronco Mendenhall said of Jacobson.

Meanwhile, Mendenhall is expecting more from other receivers, including junior Luke Ashworth and sophomore O'Neill Chambers. In two seasons, Ashworth has caught nine passes for 139 yards. As a freshman last year, Chambers had three receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown.

Both Ashworth and Chambers have turned in impressive performances during spring drills. Last week, Ashworth made an athletic play in hauling in a 29-yard pass, and on Monday, he caught a touchdown pass.

Chambers made a diving catch in the back of the end zone for a touchdown last week.

"I'm excited about the young receivers we have," said quarterback Max Hall. "I'm going to keep working with them. I think they're going to be one of the best receiving corps we've had here. So I'm excited."

Hall added that Ashworth "reminds me a lot of (Collie), the way he runs his routes." The quarterback called Jacobson "a deep threat."

Asked about his impressions of Chambers, Jacobson said, "I think he's going to be a great player. For us to be as good as we need to be, he's going to have to have a big role at receiver. I'm excited to play with not only him, but the other guys on the team, particularly the other receivers. It will be a lot of fun to work with them and improve this year."

Other receivers looking to make an impact include juniors Tyler Kozlowski, Stephen Covey and B.J. Peterson; sophomore Matt Marshall and freshman Rhen Brown.

Who will help fill the void left by Collie, who is the school's all-time leading receiver, and Reed?

"It won't be just one player. I think it will be the collective," Mendenhall said. "We have great tight ends, we have excellent running backs and really nice receivers — they're just young."

INJURY WOES: During Tuesday's practice session, three Cougars suffered injuries. Offensive tackle Nick Alletto suffered a right knee injury, possibly an MCL strain, during drills. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI Tuesday night.

During the scrimmage, freshman linebacker Masi Tuitama may have broken his hand, according to Mendenhall.

Another linebacker, Jordan Pendleton, smashed his hand between helmets. He spent the rest of the scrimmage with an ice pack on his hand, though Mendenhall said the hand does not appear to be broken.

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