Here’s a potential numbers breakdown for this year’s overall class to keep in mind. These numbers include current commits):
OFFENSE-
QB - 1 (COMMITTED: Shelley)
RB - 1-2 (Most likely 1)
WR- 3-4 (COMMITTED: Hampton and Dixon)
TE- 1 (COMMITTED: Ben Moos)
OL- 4-5 (COMMITTED: Agasiva, Richardson and Umana; Hoping for one more JC guy)
DEFENSE-
CB- 4 (COMMITTED: Johnson and Lewis)
S- 1 (COMMITTED: Ballard)
LB 1-2 (A need, but not pressing as Utah moves towards their 5-down CU game scheme)
DT- 2-3 (COMMITTED: Penisini; They’ll take all of Tufele, Elliss, and Penisini)
DE- 1-2 (Not a huge need because of numerous quality in-house options, plus a healthy Fitts)
1) Jay Tufele, DT - No change to the number one recruit on Utah’s big board, Tufele is the highest priority and will remain on top until his decision. The top recruit in Utah and a Rivals Top 100 prospect, Tufele is being courted mainly by Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and Utah. He’s a frequent unofficial visitor to the University of Utah campus, and if he were to commit to Utah, he’d be in the conversation for immediate playing time. One important thing to note is that family circumstances could be another factor in keeping him home.
Derek’s Review of Jay Tufele:
Complete package at the DT position. There's no debate why he is regarded as one of the top prospects for this entire class. Jay has great speed and explosion, however what I like most about his is his football IQ. He does a great job getting pre-snap reads and knows how to adjust in an instant. That is what makes Jay a complete DL threat.
2) Eno Benjamin, RB - The four-star Army All-American running back officially visited Utah for the Oregon game and came away impressed with the way the Utes utilize their running backs. A one-time Iowa commit, Benjamin put up ridiculous numbers in his high school career. Home school Texas has gotten into the mix with the hiring of Tom Herman and recently offered, but Utah will be in it with Benjamin until the end. He’s also announcing at the All-American Bowl.
Kenneth’s Review of Eno Benjamin:
Good vision, shifty, can run away from people in the open field, fierce runner that punishes people, can catch out the backfield, really amazed at how well he moves and runs away from people.
3) Bryan Thompson, WR - Thompson is the no. 144 prospect by Rivals, as well as the 21st ranked wide receiver nationally. The four-star prospect from Moreno Valley, California is listening to Utah’s pitch, since the Utes lose a number of receivers to graduation and Tyrone Smith is making the move to defensive back full-time. Thompson recently de-committed from Boise State, and we’re hearing from our sources that it isn’t over yet with the highly-coveted wideout. His family now become more heavily involved in the process… Is it a coincidence that he decommitted the day the Utes hired Troy Taylor?
Kenneth’s Review of Bryan Thompson:
Dude is a beast. Very fluid when running his routes. Looks to be the purest of all the receivers. Physical in the run game. Love his attitude out on the field. Precise movements when running routes and stemming.
4) Noah Elliss, DT - A “take no matter what” type of prospect, Elliss has the potential to be as disruptive in the backfield as his father Luther was. Formerly of Judge Memorial Catholic High School which is a block away from Utah’s campus, Elliss now goes to Valor Christian High School in Colorado. Elliss has been elusive with the media, but our sources close to him believe that his recruitment will come down to USC, Michigan and Utah. The draw to Utah is, obviously, the family ties, the successful defensive line history, and the chance for early playing time. It was recently reported by Ute Nation that Elliss will use his final official visit for Utah at the end of January. A decision won’t come from from the legacy prospect until late in the process.
Derek’s Review of Noah Elliss:
Man, Elliss would make Paul Soliai and Sealver Siliga proud, not to mention his old man! Noah at 6'5 and 330 lbs is a road block in the middle of the trenches. He is very agile and has surprisingly good bend and leverage for as large of a human this kid is.
5) Daniel Green, LB - Green recently backed off his commitment to USC and received an in-home visit from Utah. The hard-hitting linebacker is the no. 242 prospect for Rivals and is planning an official visit to Utah mid-January, as well as a visit to Kansas State. Others vying for his services are the Oregon schools, UCLA, Colorado, Cal and Arizona.
6) Jordan Lolohea, DE - Lolohea goes to East High School, which is within earshot of Rice-Eccles Stadium, so he’s very familiar with the roars of the crowd when Sack Lake City gets in the opponent’s backfield. The three-star defensive end will be embarking on a mission before his college days, but before then, he’ll be choosing between the hometown Utes and Washington. He has claimed the Huskies lead because they’re telling him that they have a strong Polynesian communit. Jordan’s late father, Al, was a Ute and he grew up a Utah diehard.
Derek’s Review of Jordan Lolohea:
He is my DL pick of this class, this guy to me can do more for Utah than any other DL in this class. Why? Because it is a replica of the speed and power that former Ute Nate Orchard brought. His burst off the line is college ready and his ability to be stout in the run makes him an instant impact player at the college level especially in a Utah uniform.
7) Levani Damuni, LB - Damuni’s senior campaign at Ridgeline High School was hampered by injury, but the four-star prospect is one of the best linebackers on the west coast. He has family ties with BYU, Utah State, and just received an offer from his dream school, Stanford. However, he has recently said Utah is one of his favorites and they'll be receiving his last visit.
8) CJ Verdell, RB - Verdell is a longtime Oregon pledge, but is taking another look around following the Helfrich firing. Remember the picture of Fred and Kyle Whittingham boarding the private jet just hours before the dead period started? Yeah, they were visiting Verdell, an Army All-American, in San Diego. Verdell has received offers from most of the Pac-12, but is listening to Utah’s pitch because of their continued success running the football.
Kenneth’s Review of CJ Verdell:
Great balance when running through tacklers that allows him to stay on his feet after the contact. Has breakaway speed that could run away from people. Loves to punish people and make them pay for trying to tackle him.
9) Elijah Blades, CB - Blades—Rivals no. 88 ranked prospect in the nation—visited Utah early in the season, but has publicly stuck by his Florida commitment throughout the recruiting process. That hasn’t stopped Utah from pitching a chance to potentially start early on in his career or at least be in the rotation. Cornerbacks Coach Sharrieff Shah already struck gold in Jaylon Johnson, his sights are now set on the stud corner, Blades. The are circumstances in Blades’ recruitment where Utah has seen an opportunity and we’re gaining more and more confidence lately, that that could eventually pay off.
Kenneth’s Review of Elijah blades:
Tall and lengthy. Athletic with good body control. Competes well for balls in the air.
10) Javelin Guidry, CB - Guidry is a fast—and I mean fast—corner prospect out of Murrieta, California. He was previously committed to Houston, but backed off his commitment with the announcement that Tom Herman would be taking the Texas job. Guidry has his sights set on the Pac-12 now, and the Utes paid him an in-home visit a couple of weeks ago. Guidry is also planning an official visit to Utah in mid-January and will make a decision soon after. Our sources tell us that Guidry is a very probable option for the class of 2017.
Kenneth’s Review of Javelin Guidry:
Good athlete, competes for the ball in the air. Does a great job of squeezing receivers to the sideline so that they don't have much room to work with. Does a good job of locating the ball in the air when looking back.
OFFENSE-
QB - 1 (COMMITTED: Shelley)
RB - 1-2 (Most likely 1)
WR- 3-4 (COMMITTED: Hampton and Dixon)
TE- 1 (COMMITTED: Ben Moos)
OL- 4-5 (COMMITTED: Agasiva, Richardson and Umana; Hoping for one more JC guy)
DEFENSE-
CB- 4 (COMMITTED: Johnson and Lewis)
S- 1 (COMMITTED: Ballard)
LB 1-2 (A need, but not pressing as Utah moves towards their 5-down CU game scheme)
DT- 2-3 (COMMITTED: Penisini; They’ll take all of Tufele, Elliss, and Penisini)
DE- 1-2 (Not a huge need because of numerous quality in-house options, plus a healthy Fitts)
1) Jay Tufele, DT - No change to the number one recruit on Utah’s big board, Tufele is the highest priority and will remain on top until his decision. The top recruit in Utah and a Rivals Top 100 prospect, Tufele is being courted mainly by Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and Utah. He’s a frequent unofficial visitor to the University of Utah campus, and if he were to commit to Utah, he’d be in the conversation for immediate playing time. One important thing to note is that family circumstances could be another factor in keeping him home.
Derek’s Review of Jay Tufele:
Complete package at the DT position. There's no debate why he is regarded as one of the top prospects for this entire class. Jay has great speed and explosion, however what I like most about his is his football IQ. He does a great job getting pre-snap reads and knows how to adjust in an instant. That is what makes Jay a complete DL threat.
2) Eno Benjamin, RB - The four-star Army All-American running back officially visited Utah for the Oregon game and came away impressed with the way the Utes utilize their running backs. A one-time Iowa commit, Benjamin put up ridiculous numbers in his high school career. Home school Texas has gotten into the mix with the hiring of Tom Herman and recently offered, but Utah will be in it with Benjamin until the end. He’s also announcing at the All-American Bowl.
Kenneth’s Review of Eno Benjamin:
Good vision, shifty, can run away from people in the open field, fierce runner that punishes people, can catch out the backfield, really amazed at how well he moves and runs away from people.
3) Bryan Thompson, WR - Thompson is the no. 144 prospect by Rivals, as well as the 21st ranked wide receiver nationally. The four-star prospect from Moreno Valley, California is listening to Utah’s pitch, since the Utes lose a number of receivers to graduation and Tyrone Smith is making the move to defensive back full-time. Thompson recently de-committed from Boise State, and we’re hearing from our sources that it isn’t over yet with the highly-coveted wideout. His family now become more heavily involved in the process… Is it a coincidence that he decommitted the day the Utes hired Troy Taylor?
Kenneth’s Review of Bryan Thompson:
Dude is a beast. Very fluid when running his routes. Looks to be the purest of all the receivers. Physical in the run game. Love his attitude out on the field. Precise movements when running routes and stemming.
4) Noah Elliss, DT - A “take no matter what” type of prospect, Elliss has the potential to be as disruptive in the backfield as his father Luther was. Formerly of Judge Memorial Catholic High School which is a block away from Utah’s campus, Elliss now goes to Valor Christian High School in Colorado. Elliss has been elusive with the media, but our sources close to him believe that his recruitment will come down to USC, Michigan and Utah. The draw to Utah is, obviously, the family ties, the successful defensive line history, and the chance for early playing time. It was recently reported by Ute Nation that Elliss will use his final official visit for Utah at the end of January. A decision won’t come from from the legacy prospect until late in the process.
Derek’s Review of Noah Elliss:
Man, Elliss would make Paul Soliai and Sealver Siliga proud, not to mention his old man! Noah at 6'5 and 330 lbs is a road block in the middle of the trenches. He is very agile and has surprisingly good bend and leverage for as large of a human this kid is.
5) Daniel Green, LB - Green recently backed off his commitment to USC and received an in-home visit from Utah. The hard-hitting linebacker is the no. 242 prospect for Rivals and is planning an official visit to Utah mid-January, as well as a visit to Kansas State. Others vying for his services are the Oregon schools, UCLA, Colorado, Cal and Arizona.
6) Jordan Lolohea, DE - Lolohea goes to East High School, which is within earshot of Rice-Eccles Stadium, so he’s very familiar with the roars of the crowd when Sack Lake City gets in the opponent’s backfield. The three-star defensive end will be embarking on a mission before his college days, but before then, he’ll be choosing between the hometown Utes and Washington. He has claimed the Huskies lead because they’re telling him that they have a strong Polynesian communit. Jordan’s late father, Al, was a Ute and he grew up a Utah diehard.
Derek’s Review of Jordan Lolohea:
He is my DL pick of this class, this guy to me can do more for Utah than any other DL in this class. Why? Because it is a replica of the speed and power that former Ute Nate Orchard brought. His burst off the line is college ready and his ability to be stout in the run makes him an instant impact player at the college level especially in a Utah uniform.
7) Levani Damuni, LB - Damuni’s senior campaign at Ridgeline High School was hampered by injury, but the four-star prospect is one of the best linebackers on the west coast. He has family ties with BYU, Utah State, and just received an offer from his dream school, Stanford. However, he has recently said Utah is one of his favorites and they'll be receiving his last visit.
8) CJ Verdell, RB - Verdell is a longtime Oregon pledge, but is taking another look around following the Helfrich firing. Remember the picture of Fred and Kyle Whittingham boarding the private jet just hours before the dead period started? Yeah, they were visiting Verdell, an Army All-American, in San Diego. Verdell has received offers from most of the Pac-12, but is listening to Utah’s pitch because of their continued success running the football.
Kenneth’s Review of CJ Verdell:
Great balance when running through tacklers that allows him to stay on his feet after the contact. Has breakaway speed that could run away from people. Loves to punish people and make them pay for trying to tackle him.
9) Elijah Blades, CB - Blades—Rivals no. 88 ranked prospect in the nation—visited Utah early in the season, but has publicly stuck by his Florida commitment throughout the recruiting process. That hasn’t stopped Utah from pitching a chance to potentially start early on in his career or at least be in the rotation. Cornerbacks Coach Sharrieff Shah already struck gold in Jaylon Johnson, his sights are now set on the stud corner, Blades. The are circumstances in Blades’ recruitment where Utah has seen an opportunity and we’re gaining more and more confidence lately, that that could eventually pay off.
Kenneth’s Review of Elijah blades:
Tall and lengthy. Athletic with good body control. Competes well for balls in the air.
10) Javelin Guidry, CB - Guidry is a fast—and I mean fast—corner prospect out of Murrieta, California. He was previously committed to Houston, but backed off his commitment with the announcement that Tom Herman would be taking the Texas job. Guidry has his sights set on the Pac-12 now, and the Utes paid him an in-home visit a couple of weeks ago. Guidry is also planning an official visit to Utah in mid-January and will make a decision soon after. Our sources tell us that Guidry is a very probable option for the class of 2017.
Kenneth’s Review of Javelin Guidry:
Good athlete, competes for the ball in the air. Does a great job of squeezing receivers to the sideline so that they don't have much room to work with. Does a good job of locating the ball in the air when looking back.
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