BYU WR Gunner Romney Set To Return From Lacerated Kidney Injury
Sep 26, 2022, 4:32 PM | Updated: 4:42 pm
(Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – BYU football wide receiver Gunner Romney is making his 2022 debut on Thursday night.
After missing the first four games of his senior season, Romney will play against the Utah State Aggies this week.
First time this season we’ve seen #BYU WR Gunner Romney in a pregame.#WYOvsBYU #BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/sMz3wJDuUV
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 25, 2022
Romney and BYU have kept it close to the vest on his injury that he suffered during fall camp. When asked about his injury during his weekly interviews on the KSL Sports Zone, Romney wasn’t allowed to go into the details.
Gunner lacerated his kidney day 3 of fall camp back in August. Such a freak accident it’s had drs stumped as how long the recovery could be. He will finally get to see the field this week!🤍 https://t.co/mEsMvodoxj
— Romney fam (@jrromney_jeni) September 26, 2022
But now, thanks to Gunner’s mother, Jeni, the details of Gunner’s injury have come out. And the fifth-year receiver is going to play this week.
Jeni Romney wrote on Twitter, “Gunner lacerated his kidney day 3 of fall camp back in August. Such a freak accident it’s had drs stumped as how long the recovery could be. He will finally get to see the field this week!”
Earlier on Monday, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said he expected Romney to be available against the Aggies.
Gunner Romney was close to playing last week against Wyoming. The former Chandler, Arizona star participated in pregame warmups but didn’t pass the final medical checks to be cleared by doctors to play.
He’s getting the clearance this week.
Gunner Romney enters final season at BYU
Coming into this season, Romney had the best offseason of his career at BYU. He was excited to put his best product on the field after being plagued by injuries during the 2021 campaign. Romney told KSL Sports after day one of fall camp that he felt better than he had ever felt in his time in Provo.
Throughout camp, Romney was off to the sideline during media observation portions of camp. Last week, he was seen in practice for the first time since day one of camp, showing that he was close to returning. He was wearing a green “no contact” uniform.
Romney joins a BYU wide receiver room that isn’t sure if they will have Puka Nacua or not. Nacua suffered another injury during BYU’s win over Wyoming on Saturday. But the receiving unit has made the most of its opportunity while Romney and Nacua have been out.
Chase Roberts, Kody Epps, and Keanu Hill have all contributed significantly to the passing attack led by quarterback Jaren Hall.
Through four years at BYU, Romney has appeared in 42 games with the Cougars totaling 1,900 career receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
BYU plays Utah State on Thursday at 6 p.m. on ESPN and KSL NewsRadio.
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 him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.