Blog

Jul 17, 2023

BYU Football: Freshman Cracks Into Two

BYU COUGARS Aug 21, 2023, 12:13 PM BY MITCH HARPER KSL Sports PROVO, Utah – BYU enters the 2023 football season with an established “top six” at wide receiver. The veteran pass catchers are in the mix

BYU COUGARS

Aug 21, 2023, 12:13 PM

BY MITCH HARPER

KSL Sports

PROVO, Utah – BYU enters the 2023 football season with an established “top six” at wide receiver.

The veteran pass catchers are in the mix with Chase Roberts, Keanu Hill, and Kody Epps. Then BYU also has two transfers Keelan Marion from UConn and former Eastern Michigan Eagle Darius Lassiter, in the mix among BYU’s top receivers.

The sixth receiver in the two-deep is a name that might not be as common to BYU fans. That’s redshirt freshman Parker Kingston.

Kingston is a former quarterback at Roy High School who had the tall order of filling the shoes left behind by Jaxson Dart after Dart left to play for Corner Canyon High.

The former Air Force commit flipped his pledge to BYU during the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Despite never playing wide receiver during his prep career, Kingston has found a role within BYU’s offense as a pass-catcher.

One of the strengths of Kingston is his speed. He ran a 10.66 in the 100 meters in high school, edging out future BYU wide receiver teammate Cody Hagen’s 10.67 at the BYU Invitational in 2022.

But BYU Passing Game Coordinator Fesi Sitake sees more than just speed from Kingston.

#BYU Passing Game Coordinator Fesi Sitake told @kslsports after the scrimmage (as heard on CSS moments ago) that he has a top six at WR.

Alphabetical listing• Kody Epps• Keanu Hill• Parker Kingston• Darius Lassiter• Keelan Marion• Chase Roberts#BYUFootball

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) August 19, 2023

“The first thing that pops in everyone’s head [about Kingston] is his speed, rightfully so. Just look at his track time. But there’s been a lot of guys over the years in my coaching who have had really phenomenal track speed, and they don’t have it at the position,” said Sitake to KSL Sports.

“Parker doesn’t just have the speed, but he’s superfluid. A lot of track guys can be rigid, and they’re just straight-line fast. But the way that Parker is able to maintain that speed, turning the corner and getting in and out of brakes. He’s super elusive and bursty and he’s got really good ball skills for never playing a skill position besides quarterback. I love everything about him. He’s really coming into his own with toughness and playing with that confidence.”

Kingston appeared in one game last season. This past spring, he made inroads as a two-deep player during spring practices before suffering a broken hand injury.

BYU will wrap up fall camp on Tuesday night before shifting its focus to preparation for the season opener against Sam Houston on September 2.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on Twitter/X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.

Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.

Follow @Mitch_Harper