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TJ Pledger rushed for 117 yards and the go-ahead touchdown as Utah came from behind to beat Washington State 24-13 on Saturday afternoon in the Utes' Pac-12 opener. Pledger, a transfer from Oklahoma who only had 11 yards coming into the game, ran 20 yards for a touchdown with 4:53 to play. "After the game, I was holding my daughter and had tears in my eyes. College football is not easy, you go through ups and downs, and the ones who are able to remain steady and just keep putting their best foot forward every day, they end up being successful," said Pledger, who had all his yards in the second half after starter Micah Bernard left with an upper-body injury. Clark Phillips took an interception 54 yards for a score to clinch it with 2:19 remaining. The Cougars (1-3, 0-2 Pac-12) forced seven fumbles, recovering three, with at least two others saved by replay.

The last one came with 10:18 to play when Daniel Isom hit Chris Curry just before he crossed the goal line and Travion Brown recovered in the end zone. The WSU players were dealing with more than what was happening between the lines. Early Saturday morning near the WSU campus, one person was killed and Brandon Gray, a junior wide receiver, was also shot and is in serious but stable condition. The news shook the travel team who was already in Salt Lake City. - Utah/AP College Football

(DS#46 RB) Sr/2022

RB TJ Pledger, Utah
News Source: Utah/AP College Football
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09/21/21 - Britain Covey, rSr/2022, Utah, 5-08, 169 (DS#34 WR) + More +

SEPT 20 PAC-12 SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Britain Covey, Jr., PR/WR, Utah (Provo, UT),...Tallied 132 punt return yards, a career-high, in the game at San Diego State. Highlighted the day with an 80-yard return for a touchdown, the longest single return in the Pac-12 this season and 4th longest in FBS...132 total PR yards for the night rank sixth all-time at Utah for a single game. It's also the most in FBS this season and top performance in the Pac-12 since 2013. Shaky Smithson was the last Ute to return for as many yards, doing so during the 2010 season...1st Ute to win the award since kicker Jadon Redding won it twice last season. First Utah returner to win the award since Cory Butler-Byrd in September 2015...Also nominated: Nikko Remigio, WR/KR, California; Josh Watts, P, Colorado; Kazmeir Allen, WR/KR, UCLA; Micah Croom, ILB, USC; Alex Cook, DB, Washington; Camden Lewis, K, Oregon; Eddie Czaplicki, P, Arizona State; Joshua Karty, K, Stanford. - Pac-12 Football

(DS#34 WR) rSr/2022

WR Britain Covey, Utah
News Source: Pac-12 Football
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09/06/21 - Devin Lloyd, Sr/2022, Utah, 6-3, 237 (DS#1 ILB) + More +

SEPT 6 PAC-12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Devin Lloyd, Jr., LB, Utah (Chula Vista, CA),...Career-high 12 tackles in win over Weber State with 8 of them coming in the first half...5th career game with double-digit tackles and most by a Ute since 2019...2.0 TFL for 10 yards including an 8-yard sack. Also had a forced fumble and his 2nd career interception...1st Utah player to win the award since Julian Blackmon in November 2019. Utah players won the award 4 times that season. Also nominated: Mitchell Agude, OLB, UCLA; Darien Butler, LB, Arizona State; Justin Flowe, ILB, Oregon; Greg Johnson, Nickel, USC; Anthony Pandy, LB, Arizona; Nate Landman, ILB, Colorado. - Pac-12 Football

(DS#1 ILB) Sr/2022

ILB Devin Lloyd, Utah
News Source: Pac-12 Football
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08/12/21 - Van Fillinger, rSr/2025, Utah, 6-4, 255 (DS#49 DE) + More +

As far as fall camp position battles go this month at the University of Utah, the situation at defensive end is reasonably straightforward. All-Pac-12 fifth-year junior Mika Tafua is entrenched at one defensive end spot, but the other projected starter, Maxs Tupai, is not with the team this fall, Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham revealed on Wednesday. Without Tupai, enter a pair of freshmen, Van Fillinger and Xavier Carlton, as prime candidates to fill Tupai's spot. Whittingham has mentioned third-year redshirt freshman Miki Suguturaga a couple of times in these early days as a depth chart option, but that is more for the No. 4 spot right now.

That second defensive end is going to be either Fillinger or Carlton, both of whom find themselves with an opportunity to break through into a significant role this fall. "Huge opportunity," Whittingham said. "Couldn't be a bigger opportunity for those guys, and they're both excited about that opportunity. My guess is they'll answer the bell and do just fine. When something happens to somebody, it's somebody else's opportunity and that's how they have to look at it." Tupai's absence is helping to fuel these opportunities for Carlton and Fillinger, whose lockers are next to each other inside the Eccles Football Center, but in hindsight, staying the course during an unorthodox, COVID-impacted 2020 season, was just as important. - Salt Lake Tribune

(DS#49 DE) rSr/2025

DE Van Fillinger, Utah
News Source: Salt Lake Tribune
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08/08/21 - Devaughn Vele, rJr/2024, Utah, 6-4, 203 (DS#45 WR) + More +

At one point, as University of Utah wide receiver Britain Covey made his way through Radio Row at Pac-12 media day last week in Los Angeles, the topic turned to redshirt freshman wideout Devaughn Vele. Covey's assessment of the former walk-on was partially rooted in the fact that Vele will perform well in practice, but he has had trouble transferring that into games. With Utah fall camp starting to unfold this week, Vele finds himself in an advantageous position. The Utes have depth questions at wide receiver beyond Covey, Solomon Enis and Jaylen Dixon. Kyle Whittingham gave every indication during spring practice that Vele can step in and grab at least the No. 4 spot, which would get him on the field consistently, but it's up to him to finally break through.

"Going into a game is really hard when you haven't performed at a certain level in a game and you go into a Pac-12 atmosphere, it really is a challenge," Covey said later in the afternoon at Pac-12 media day. "I think there is a mental-toughness side that people don't focus on enough. There's something that you have to carry over, and I feel like I've had that. I had to have that my whole life because I was small, being under-recruited, so I'm trying to help Vele develop that. "When he goes out there, he needs to have no doubt he's an All-Pac-12 receiver. We'll see what happens, but he knows that, which is a good thing. He recognizes that part." - Salt Lake Tribune

(DS#45 WR) rJr/2024

WR Devaughn Vele, Utah
News Source: Salt Lake Tribune
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07/29/21 - Devin Lloyd, Sr/2022, Utah, 6-3, 237 (DS#1 ILB) + More +

If the Pac-12 football media day predictions are any indication, Utah will challenge in the Pac-12 South once again in 2021. The Utes were picked to finish second behind USC in the Pac-12 South in the league's preseason media poll released Wednesday morning. Utah also received six first-place votes and three votes to win the Pac-12 championship. It's Oregon, though, who was the overwhelming favorite not only to win the Pac-12 North but the league title as well. The Ducks received 27 votes to win the Pac-12 championship, followed by 10 for USC and the three for Utah. The Utes also landed a league-high five players on the preseason All-Pac-12 first team. Utah's five first-team selections include junior offensive lineman Nick Ford, junior linebacker Devin Lloyd, junior defensive end Mika Tafua, sophomore kicker Jadon Redding and junior return specialist Britain Covey, who also made the second team as a wide receiver. - Deseret News

(DS#1 ILB) Sr/2022

ILB Devin Lloyd, Utah
News Source: Deseret News
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06/22/21 - Mika Tafua, rSr/2022, Utah, 6-3, 249 (DS#27 DE) + More +

In 2019, a four-man defensive front featured four seniors in helping that Utes defense finish No. 1 in the Pac-12 and No. 3 nationally in rushing defense at 81.8 yards per game. Those seniors, consensus All-America first-team defensive end Bradlee Anae, left tackle John Penisini and right tackle Leki Fotu, all left for the NFL, but not much changed. The lone holdover from that 2019 front, defensive end Maxs Tupai, combined with Mika Tafua at the other end spot and a combination of Hauati Pututau, Tennessee Pututau, and Viane Moala at the tackle spots as Utah finished the five-game, COVID-impacted 2020 season No. 1 in the Pac-12 and No. 11 nationally in rushing defense at 107.8 yards per game.

A two-time All-Pac-12 selection, Tafua is a lock to start at one defensive end spot, while Tupai is a safe bet at the other end spot. Tafua and Tupai have 66 career games and 37 starts between them. Tafua has started 13 consecutive games dating back to the 2019 season opposite Anae. The two inside spots might be up for some debate as camp looms. Tennessee Pututau is the projected left tackle after starting the final two games of 2020 as a true freshman. His cousin, Hauati, started the first three games of last season and has 42 career games under his belt. - Salt Lake Tribune

(DS#27 DE) rSr/2022

DE Mika Tafua, Utah
News Source: Salt Lake Tribune
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06/19/21 - Devin Lloyd, Sr/2022, Utah, 6-3, 237 (DS#1 ILB) + More +

A lot is expected out of Utah senior linebacker Devin Lloyd this season, as one of the veteran leaders for the Utes' defense. His impact was recognized Thursday, as Lloyd was named a second-team preseason All-American by Walter Camp. Lloyd's experience will be vital for the young Utah defense in 2021 - he has 19 career starts over 33 games, and last year he led the Utes in total tackles (48) and tackles for loss (10), while adding two sacks, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry during the team's pandemic shortened five-game season. The 6-foot-3, 232-pound Lloyd earned a handful of honors following the 2020 season, highlighted by being named second-team All-American by Sporting News. He also earned Pac-12 all-conference first-team and Phil Steele All-America honorable mention honors, and was a finalist for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's top linebacker. - Deseret News

(DS#1 ILB) Sr/2022

ILB Devin Lloyd, Utah
News Source: Deseret News
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06/15/21 - Nick Ford, rSr/2022, Utah, 6-5, 310 (DS#11 C) + More +

University of Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham has said on more than once occasion that he believes Nick Ford's NFL future is as an interior lineman, meaning either center, left guard, or right guard. Whittingham not offering a specific position along the offensive line, but rather multiple options, is apropos when discussing Ford, who has played them all since beginning his Utes career in 2018 as a redshirt freshman. In 30 career games, Ford has started 26 times including 13 times at right guard, six at left guard, four at center, two at right tackle, and once at left tackle.

Those four starts at center came in the final four games of the Utes' COVID-impacted five-game season in place of injured veteran center Orlando Umana. Ford's play at center yielded an All-Pac-12 first-team spot, followed by an NFL Draft decision. During spring practice, Ford told the media his NFL Draft grade came back as a third, maybe fourth-round pick, with a chance to improve his stock to as high as a second-round pick. With that knowledge, Ford decided to put off the NFL for a year, just as teammates Devin Lloyd and Brant Kuithe did. - Salt Lake Tribune

(DS#11 C) rSr/2022

C Nick Ford, Utah
News Source: Salt Lake Tribune
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06/03/21 - Brant Kuithe, rSr/2025, Utah, 6-2, 236 (DS#2 FB) + More +

No one would have batted an eyelash if Brant Kuithe opted to leave the University of Utah following the 2020 season. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound tight end had a team-best 25 catches for 236 yards, while leading all Pac-12 tight ends in receptions per game (5.0). He has led the team in catches among tight ends in each of his three seasons, the last two of which have yielded All-Pac-12 second-team honors. In 33 career games, Kuithe has 79 catches for 1,065 yards and seven touchdowns. Kuithe has clearly been on an NFL track for at least the two seasons, so no, no one would have even shrugged if Kuithe opted against one more college season and instead entered the NFL draft. The thing is, a truncated, COVID-impacted, five-game season last fall was not enough for Kuithe to go out on, so he didn't. "I had a decent season, but we only won three games," Kuithe said during spring practice in early April, roughly three months after the Katy, Texas, native announced on New Year's Day that he would return for the 2021 season. "We haven't won a Pac-12 championship. That's most important goal. Every single year, we fall short of it. I came here to win that." - Salt Lake Tribune

(DS#2 FB) rSr/2025

FB Brant Kuithe, Utah
News Source: Salt Lake Tribune
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06/03/21 - Munir McClain, rSr/2025, Utah, 6-3, 220 (DS#999 WR) + More +

Utah has added another wide receiver through the transfer portal. Former USC wide receiver Munir McClain announced his commitment to Utah on Wednesday. McClain is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound redshirt sophomore that was a three-star recruit out of high school. He played as a true freshman, appearing in five games, catching three passes for 19 yards before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

McClain was suspended by USC for the 2020 season, but USC did not give an official reason for the suspension. According to the Los Angeles Times, McClain's mom, Shan, was told by Michael Blanton, USC's vice president of ethics and professionalism, that "a complaint was received about USC students being approached to file for EDD (unemployment benefits). An investigation was opened, and Munir's name had come up." - Deseret News

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2025

WR Munir McClain, Utah
News Source: Deseret News
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05/22/21 - Theo Howard, rSr/2022, Utah, 6-0, 188 (DS#158 WR) + More +

Former Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Theo Howard, now of the Utah Utes, warms up before a game. On Wednesday night, new Utah Utes wide receivers coach Chad Bumphis sent what appeared to be a "bat signal" tweet that the program had just picked up a commitment. A short time later, Washington transfer safety Brandon McKinney announced his pledge to the program, but that may not have been the reason for Bumphis' tweet, as on Thursday afternoon, Utah announced it has signed Oklahoma Sooners transfer wide receiver Theo Howard. This marks the second time in Howard's career that he has transferred, as he began at UCLA before leaving for Oklahoma. A California native, the 6-foot, 182-pound Howard played in 34 games over four years at UCLA (he redshirted in 2019 after playing one game), tallying 119 receptions for 1,459 yards and nine touchdowns. In his lone season at Oklahoma in 2020, he finished with 13 receptions for 163 yards with no touchdowns. - Deseret News

(DS#158 WR) rSr/2022

WR Theo Howard, Utah
News Source: Deseret News
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05/22/21 - Josh Calvert, rSr/2025, Utah, 6-2, 217 (DS#999 OLB) + More +

The most recent commit in a wave of them over the past few days, Calvert will arrive in Utah looking for a fresh start after tearing his ACL as a freshman at Washington in 2019 and then not playing at all in 2020. Coming out of high school as part of the class of 2019, he was ranked by 247 Sports as the 15th-best inside linebacker prospect in the country. With the Utes, he'll join his younger brother Ethan, another 4-star linebacker who signed earlier this year. - Deseret News

(DS#999 OLB) rSr/2025

OLB Josh Calvert, Utah
News Source: Deseret News
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05/21/21 - Brandon McKinney, rSr/2022, Utah, 6-0, 197 (DS#41 SS) + More +

Utah's defense just got a little bit deeper and a little bit better. Former Washington safety Brandon McKinney announced Wednesday night in his Instagram Stories that he is transferring to the University of Utah. McKinney will be immediately eligible and is expected to contend for a starting job in the Utes' secondary. A senior, McKinney played in 44 games over four seasons at Washington - largely on special teams - and totaled 40 tackles - including a tackle for loss - a pass deflection and a forced fumble. This past season, he played in all four of the Huskies' games and tallied four tackles, three of which came in Washington's win over Arizona. - Deseret News

(DS#41 SS) rSr/2022

SS Brandon McKinney, Utah
News Source: Deseret News
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05/08/21 - Josh Calvert, rSr/2025, Utah, 6-2, 217 (DS#999 OLB) + More +

Washington's post-spring attrition is officially underway. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Josh Calvert has left the team, a spokesperson confirmed Friday. The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder is likely headed to the transfer portal, but he did not respond to an interview request on Friday afternoon. A former four-star recruit from Westlake Village, Calif., Calvert appeared primed to play as a true freshman in 2019, before a torn ACL in fall camp abruptly ended his season. The Oaks Christian High School alum did not appear in any of UW's four games last fall and worked primarily with the third- and fourth-team throughout practices in April. He seemed to be somewhat of an afterthought this spring, behind starters Edefuan Ulofoshio and Jackson Sirmon and fellow inside linebackers Alphonzo Tuputala, Daniel Heimuli, M.J. Tafisi, Miki Ah You and Drew Fowler. Four-star freshman Will Latu will also enroll in Seattle this summer. - Seattle Times

(DS#999 OLB) rSr/2025

OLB Josh Calvert, Utah
News Source: Seattle Times
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