SALT LAKE CITY — In only a few short days of fall training camp, Utah freshman Britain Covey has made a name for himself on the team, and it has nothing to do with his well-known family.

At 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, Covey is not going to blow the casual observer away with his size. In fact, onlookers probably doubt he's actually on the football team when observing him without his uniform and pads. But watching Covey on the field quickly changes that opinion.

What Covey doesn't have in physical stature, he makes up for with his pure talent, speed and ability to visualize plays before they've even developed. It's one reason Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has already named him the starting punt returner and contender at the slot receiver position.

"He's a natural athlete, so it doesn't surprise me at all with the things he's doing out there," Whittingham said. "That's why we recruited him because we projected that. That was our belief that he would make a nice transition to wide receiver as well as a weapon in the return game. So far it's been as we'd have hoped."

In high school, Covey was a dynamic quarterback and returner and led the Timpview Thunderbirds to their third consecutive 4A championship. As the team's starting quarterback, a position Covey earned in week four of his junior year, he was undefeated and led the Thunderbirds to two championships — an accomplishment earning him the title of Mr. Football in 2014 by the Deseret News.

Covey had the advantage of playing slot receiver prior to being named Timpview's starting quarterback, but the University of Utah recruited him to be a receiver. The transition to receiver at the college level, though, is a whole new ballgame, but one Covey said he is really excited about making.

"With this revolution of little guys in the NFL, especially with Julian Edelman, Wes Welker and all those guys, it just kinda fueled my fire and I want to be a slot receiver, and so I'm excited," Covey said.

Covey said he expected the transition to be a "huge jump" and one that would not come quickly.

"I've been working a lot in practice, personally, but this is the first time you go against (college) guys," Covey said. "I was happy with how I did. I feel like it's a big learning curve for me, but it's good."

But Covey said he's a student of the game and has been for as long as he can remember. A strength, he says, that will help him gain an advantage among the other receivers.

"I love to visualize and visualize myself being out there with the ones and the twos," he said. "I'm ready for it and I feel like mentally that's kinda my edge because I love to study, I love the game of football and it kinda just clicks. I'm hoping to be the smartest one out there and help my other receivers become smart.

"I feel like if you visualize yourself making plays before when the time comes, you're going to be more confident," he added. "I just sit in my room all the time and just visualize, so it's not as big of a shock when I come out here."

In the few days of practice thus far, Covey has been one of the biggest standouts for the coaching staff, despite his stature. But neither the coaching staff nor Covey is worried about his size.

"I see my height as an advantage, rather than a disadvantage, because I'm lower to the ground," Covey says proudly.

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While it's still early to project Covey's success, he's making the right strides to have an immediate impact with the receivers and special teams. Covey, though, plans to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after the upcoming season. The decision to serve a mission is one he said he's already made up his mind on.

"If you make it beforehand, it's not going to be hard," he said. "I've already made my decision. I know I'm already going to go. I'm going to turn my papers in in a month or two. Any outside things I kind of block out because I've already got my decision.

"I think we made it pretty clear when I came in that's what I was planning on doing, and they were all for it," Covey added. "Perhaps it will change depending on how the season goes and I might have some coaches in my ear. But I've always dreamed of serving a mission, so that's what I'm planning on doing."

Whittingham said he supports Covey in whatever decision he makes after the season, no matter how instrumental he is to the program at the end of the season.

"I think he should do exactly what he wants to do," Whittingham said. "We'll support him in any direction he wants to go. Right now the plan is for him to serve and we're behind him 100 percent regardless of what happens this year."

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