BYU football recruiting: 2017 WR Tariq Buchanan signs with the Cougars

Tariq Buchanan, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound wide receiver out of Elgin High School in Elgin, TX has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football for the Cougars. Buchanan originally committed to the Cougars back in June and hasn’t wavered from his commitment since that time.

Buchanan is a two-star prospect and received a composite rating of 78.57 from the 247Sports Composite. Buchanan’s recruiting was pretty quiet with his lone offer coming from the Cougars.

Buchanan was a dynamic athlete for Elgin, contributing in the receiving, rushing and return games for the Wildcats. During his senior season, he caught 52 passes for 684 yards and seven touchdowns, rushed the ball 32 times for 216 yards and five touchdowns, and added another 254 yards in kick and punt returns.

Despite his lack of stars or offers, Buchanan has impressive raw athleticism. He reportedly runs a 4.45 40-yard dash, which seems legit when you watch him regular run by defenders in a state that consistently produces more D-1 football players than anywhere else. Buchanan also plays basketball and runs track at his high school.

If there is a consistent recruiting theme with this coaching staff, it is that they like great athlete; several members of the coach staff have experience turning great athletes into great football players, including head coach Kalani Sitake and assistant head coach Ed Lamb. Buchanan might be just the player to make that transition.

With the graduation of BYU’s top three leading receivers from a season ago (Nick Kurtz, Colby Pearson, and Mitchell Juergens) and an offense that is likely to focus more on the passing game with QB Tanner Mangum taking the reigns, the wide receiver position is wide open going in to 2017. Returning upperclassmen Jonah Trinnaman and Moroni Laulu-Pututau will be the two receivers expected to pick up a good share of the receiving load, but there will definitely be plenty of opportunity for a young guy like Buchanan if he can come in, learn quickly, and turn some heads in fall camp.

Here are some highlights from Buchanan’s time at Elgin High School: