Taking a look at Cougars to know ahead of Oklahoma’s matchup with BYU in Utah on Saturday.
Oklahoma will play its last road game as a Big 12 member on Saturday. Brent Venables leads his team to scenic Provo, Utah, where they take on the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag] as they scrap to keep their Big 12 title hopes alive.
For Oklahoma (8-2, 5-2 Big 12), it’s somewhat funny that their last road game as a founding Big 12 member will come against one of the conference’s newest additions. However, the mission remains the same: win.
BYU (5-5, 2-5) is looking to get that signature win and, most importantly, clinch bowl eligibility. Motivation won’t be lacking for either team. BYU has had a very up-and-down season, mirroring how Oklahoma looked at some points last year.
The Cougars have some talented pieces, but it’ll take those players and a nearly flawless game to beat Oklahoma on Saturday. How does BYU stack up? Who are their playmakers and difference makers? We’ve covered that below as we break down some BYU Cougars to know ahead of the game.
Auburn was one of the first offers Epps received once he entered the transfer portal.
Auburn has been searching to fill several needs within the transfer portal, one being a wide receiver.
The Tigers had added [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag] from Cincinnati but were hoping to snag a few more before summer workouts began. One of those options, BYU wide receiver [autotag]Kody Epps[/autotag], has elected to go in another direction.
After spending just a few days in the transfer portal, Epps has decided to take his name out of the transfer portal consideration and stay with the Cougars.
Epps declared for the portal on April 30, the final day to enter during the spring window. Almost immediately after entering, Epps began fielding offers from many Power Five programs, including Auburn.
According to Jeff Hansen of Cougar Sports Insider, Epps’ return is a sigh of relief for BYU players, as he is seen as a universally loved figure. It also brings up the challenge to head coach Kilani Sitake, as the policy states that if a player returns to the roster after testing the transfer portal waters, they are usually not allowed to return as a scholarship player.
Epps will be an essential piece to BYU’s inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference this upcoming season.
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The BYU Cougars offense got a bit of a boost on Wednesday.
Senior wide receiver Kody Epps announced on Twitter that he would return to Provo for the 2023 season.
“Cougar Nation I want you to know that BYU is the place that I love and want to be,” Epps tweeted. “It was a tough decision in the first place to enter the portal because I love BYU. Even though some great opportunities were presented to me in the portal, I did not use the portal as a way of leverage, or test waters, because I have too much respect for the generational connection I’ve built here and coach Kalani’s belief in me. If anything I have come to understand through all this that there was no point in trying to find a new home when what I needed and wanted was already here where I am. ”
The wide receiver continued, “Cougar nation, my teammates and coaches are who I love and who I want to play for. Plus, I have too many teammates’ weddings that I couldn’t miss this summer. I’m here to stay! Now let’s go show the Big 12 ‘What them Scoougs be bout!”
Last season, Epps hauled in 39 receptions for 459 yards and 6 touchdowns. He averaged 11.8 yards per reception in his first season with significant playing time. With former USC and Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis coming to Provo, Epps should be one of his go to receivers as the Cougars begin their first season in the Big 12.
BYU finished the season with an 8-5 record, they capped off the season with a win over SMU in the New Mexico Bowl. The Cougars open the season against Sam Houston State on Sept. 2. They play at Arkansas on Sept. 16 and will open Big 12 play in Lawrence against the Kansas Jayhawks on Sept. 23.
Epps was second in receptions and touchdowns last season for BYU.
Earlier this spring, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] shared that he was looking for an “alpha” in his wide receiver room. It appears as if he is looking for a couple of options to fit that role within the transfer portal.
Last weekend, Colorado‘s [autotag]Montana Lemonious-Craig[/autotag] and Ohio State‘s [autotag]Caleb Burton[/autotag] were in town for a visit, and it appears now that there is another target in the picture, BYU’s [autotag]Kody Epps[/autotag]. On3’s Pete Nakos is reporting that Auburn has extended an offer to Epps, joining Miami, Colorado, and Ole Miss to do so since he entered the transfer portal on April 30.
Epps was BYU’s second-leading receiver in both receptions (39) and touchdowns (6) last season. He was third in yards by reeling in 459 yards, trailing Puka Nacua and Keanu Hill respectively. He had 100-plus-yard games against Arkansas and Notre Dame last season. He also reeled in two touchdown passes against the Fighting Irish.
He enters the transfer portal after just one full season at BYU and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. He reeled in five catches for 47 yards in 2020 but failed to record any stats in 2021.
As a high school product, he was a three-star product from the prestigious Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. The program has been known to produce talent such as Heisman Trophy Winner Matt Leinart and fellow USC quarterback, Matt Barkley. Epps was a teammate of former Alabama quarterback and recent top overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, Bryce Young, at Mater Dei. He was the state of California’s No. 68 overall prospect from the 2020 class, and the No. 123 receiver in the nation.
Take a look at several of Epps’ key highlights from his redshirt freshman season at BYU here:
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