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Elite Speed is Being Added by BYU at Wide Receiver……………………….
The eight returning missionaries who will re-enter the program in time for the 2024 season were revealed by BYU on Wednesday. Cody Hagen and Dominique McKenzie, two wide receivers, are among the eight missionaries. Dom has already registered and is at home. Cody’s quest will soon bring him home.
Those two will give the wide receivers a level of speed that they have never had before: elite speed. Two of the fastest players to ever come out of Utah are Hagen and McKenzie. Hagen raced a 10.52 100-meter dash in high school, and Dominique ran a 10.60. Dom’s position at wide receiver has been reaffirmed by coach Sitake. On signing day, he was identified as a WR/DB when he signed with BYU.
For background, Marcus, Dom’s twin brother, ran a 10.54 in high school before emerging as a star on special teams the previous season. Marcus was one of BYU’s fastest players, if not the fastest, and it was evident. Being the punt team’s gunner, McKenzie was a powerful player. He was so good, in fact, that rival teams attempted to formulate strategies to counter him. Marcus still managed to get past double teams and had an influence prior to his injuries. Marcus is anticipated to contend for a cornerback starting position this season. The McKenzies are descended from a legendary BYU family: their mother, Salote, ran track at BYU, and their father, Brian McKenzie, was a legendary wide receiver.
BYU’s attack lacked a real deep threat in the previous season. BYU’s wide receivers were fast and had the ability to get over the top, which was disrespected by opposing defenses, particularly in games against TCU and Arkansas. That harmed the running game and resulted in a lot of piled boxes. BYU found it difficult to maintain drives when they were unable to run the ball and test opponents downfield.
This is not an attack on the wide receivers for BYU. Chase Roberts has the ability to rank among the conference’s top 10 receivers. Before getting hurt, Darrius Lassiter was a powerful player. When healthy, Kody Epps can get open against the greatest players in the game. However, none of those guys can match Hagen’s and McKenzie’s pace. They will add a fresh danger to the offensive after they have shaken off the mission rust.
Effective High School Careers
While some prospects have great speed, they find it difficult to translate that speed onto the football field. For Dom McKenzie and Cody Hagen, that was not the case. In high school, their output corresponded to their physical ability. They were two of the nation’s most effective receivers.
As a junior, Dominique had over 1,700 receiving yards, which put her fourth in the nation. Dominique rejected offers from Oregon, Arizona, Pitt, Virginia, and other schools in favor of BYU.
One of the greatest wide receiver prospects to ever come out of Utah is Cody Hagen. Hagen finished his senior year with 1,805 receiving yards. That was the fifth-best in the nation. At Corner Canyon, he had consecutive seasons with 1,100 yards. As a junior in 2020, Hagen had receiving yards of over 1,100.
Cody Hagen was highly sought after during the recruitment process for a reason. He is a very versatile wide receiver. He can follow long balls in the air, run effective routes, move quickly, get open in the red zone, and make tough, contested catches over the middle thanks to his strength and toughness. Hagen selected the Cougars over Utah, USC, Stanford, and Michigan, which were all finalists. During his recruitment, he also had offers from Oregon, Arizona, and Oregon State, among others.