War Room - February 2, 2015
THE RULES: The contents of this War Room are confidential. Our goal is to supplement our normal content with a forum that allows us to talk about unconfirmed rumors and insider reports. We think this new feature adds value to your subscription, but if the contents of this War Room are leaked on other message boards or websites it cheapens what you pay for. Please do not share this on other message boards or websites. Anybody found to be violating these rules will be blacklisted from this board.
War Room for February 2, 2015: Signing day is two days away, and the Utes finally enter the home stretch in putting together the recruiting class of 2015. The latest visit weekend brought two more commitments, and just a handful of decisions need to be made. To break it down, here is tonight's War Room.
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Visit Weekend Recap
It was a successful visit weekend for the Utes. Utah hosted five official visitors on campus and came away with two commitments - both of whom play big positions of need. Receiver Alfred Smith will be a more than suitable replacement for Chris Barr, and running back Joseph Williams has tremendous potential to be a productive back for the Utes.
Utah is still waiting on word from Noah Togiai on whether he wants to continue his football and basketball careers at Utah. They also hosted defensive back Tyrone Smith, who is expected to enroll shortly and join the team in time for spring football.
Utah's final visitor was Nevada QB commit Baylor Romney, who does not have an offer from the Utes, but could potentially consider them when he gets back from a two year LDS mission.
With the dead period in place, Utah is done hosting visitors for the class of 2015.
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Recruiting Position Needs:
With signing day just two days away, the class is starting to take shape.
Quarterback
Needs: None
Commits: Chase Hansen (RM)
Remaining Needs: None
Running Back
Commits: Marcel Brooks-Brown, Joseph Williams
Targets: None
Remaining Needs: None. Utah was only going to take two backs with this class, and with Williams in the fold, the needs have been filled.
Offensive Line
Commits: Vaha Vaenuku (RM), Nick Carman, Jake Grant, Keven Dixon, Jr., Johnny Capra
Targets: Darrin Paulo
Remaining Needs: None. The Utes have enough linemen for the class, but if Darren Paulo wants in, Utah will take him. Jake Grant will grayshirt and join the team in Winter 2016.
Wide Receiver
Commits: George Wilson, Deniko Carter, Britain Covey, Alfred Smith
Targets: None
Remaining Needs: With Covey and Smith's commitments this week, the Utes have filled their need at receiver. If ATH Jaylinn Hawkins commits, he could see time at both receiver and corner.
Tight End
Commits: None
Targets: Noah Togiai
Remaining Needs: Other than Togiai, Utah isn't actively recruiting any tight ends this class.
Defensive End
Commits: Caleb Repp, Chris Hart
Targets: Gabe Reid (Sign and Send)
Remaining Needs: None. Utah is still actively pushing for Reid, but he will serve an LDS mission prior to enrolling if he happens to commit to Utah. JUCO commit Kendall Huey isn't expected to sign an LOI this week, but should join the team this summer in time for fall camp.
Defensive Tackle
Commits: None
Targets: None
Remaining Needs: Utah is loaded at DT, and won't take any more tackles this class.
Linebacker
Commits: Cody Barton, Jake Jackson (RM), Sunia Tauteoli (Transfer)
Targets: Porter Gustin
Remaining Needs: None. Gustin is an extreme long shot, but Utah would make room if either wanted in.
Cornerback
Commits: Corey Butler, Kyle Fulks, Ahmad Christian (Transfer), Tyrone Smith (Grayshirt)
Targets: Jaylinn Hawkins
Remaining Needs: Hawkins is the last guy on the board at corner. Utah is loaded at the position next year.
Safety
Commits: Phillip Afia, Tyson Cisrow, Austin Lee (RM)
Targets: N/A
Remaining Needs: None
Sign and Sends:
Chad Hekking (DE)
T.J. Kautai (LB)
Quinn Fabrizio (LB)
Chayden Johnston (K)
James Empey (OL)
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Recruiting Big Board: UteZone Top 10
1 - Jaylinn Hawkins
Athlete - Buena Park High School (Buena Park, CA)
Four Stars
Considering: Arizona State, Utah, Boise State, Oregon
Prediction: Arizona State
Announcement Time: Hawkins will announce his decision on signing day on Fox Sports. Time TBD
Breakdown: At this point, it looks like a two horse race between Utah and ASU, and sources close to the situation tell us that it's a toss up. The fact that the family took an unofficial visit to SLC bodes well for the Utes, but ASU made a very strong impression as well. We're told by a source close to the Hawkins family that it's a toss up right now. Utah hasn't had a lot of these decisions go their way in the past, and although the Utes are still very much in it, we're not all that confident that Utah will land him.
2 - Darrin Paulo
Offensive Line - Grant High School (Sacramento, CA)
Three Stars
Considering: Utah, Nebraska, Oregon
Prediction: Utah
Announcement Time: Paulo is expected to announce his decision by no later than Tuesday.
Breakdown: Nebraska made a strong impression with Paulo, but there are a lot of factors that could push him toward Utah, including proximity to home, Utah's Polynesian connection, playing in the Pac-12, and his relationship with newly promoted OC Jim Harding. As of yesterday, our Nebraska insiders considered Paulo a Nebraska lean, but the longer he waits to commit could potentially be a good sign for the Utes. This one looks like another toss-up, but we'll go out on a limb and predict Paulo signs with the Utes. However, we don't have a lot of confidence in that prediction.
3 - Noah Togiai
Tight End - Hunter High School (West Valley City, UT)
Three Stars
Considering: Utah, Oregon State
Prediction: Utah
Announcement Time: Togiai is expected to make a final announcement sometime on Tuesday.
Breakdown: Utah rolled out the red carpet for Togiai, who will decide between Utah and Oregon State. At this point, Togiai is keeping quiet about his next move, but we've been told by sources close to the situation that his parents would like to see him stay close to home, and that lone factor will have a lot of pull in his decision. If that's the case, Togiai will be a Ute. But an Oregon State decision isn't out of the question.
4 - Gabe Reid
Defensive End - Timpview High School (Orem, UT)
Three Stars
Considering: Stanford, Utah, BYU
Prediction: Stanford
Announcement Time: Monday at 8:00 pm MT
Breakdown: Reid has been another longtime Utah target, and although the Utes made a lot of headway during his official visit, he's been a longtime Stanford lean. Reid is close friends with Ute commit Britian Covey, and he seriously considered staying close to home. However, the pull of Stanford will probably be too much.
5 - Porter Gustin
Linebacker - Salem Hills High School (Salem, UT)
Five Stars
Considering: Ohio State, USC, Utah, Arizona State, Notre Dame
Prediction: Ohio State
Announcement Time: Tuesday at 1:00 pm MT
Breakdown: Utah tried, but I don't think there was much they could have one to keep him at home. The good news is that the Utes made a good impression on the visit, so if Gustin decides to serve a mission or play baseball for a couple of years, Utah could still potentially be a landing spot. We predict Ohio State, but USC is still a real possibility.
We have removed Simi Moala and Jay Jay Wilson from our list since they will be committing to other schools, and Utah is not in the mix for either player any longer. Moala will sign with Oregon State (but will serve a mission before enrolling) and Wilson will sign with ASU.
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Coaching Search
With today's news that most of the coaching staff has been (mostly) assembled, here's the breakdown of responsibilities as they stand right now:
- Aaron Roderick (Co-OC, passing game coordinator, QB coach) - Roderick will call the plays on game day
- Jim Harding (Co-OC, run game coordinator, OL coach)
- Dennis Erickson (Assistant Head Coach, RB coach)
- Taylor Stubblefield (WR coach)
- John Pease (DC, DL coach)
- Morgan Scalley (Special teams coordinator, recruiting coordinator, Safeties coach)
- Justin Ena (LB coach)
- Sharrieff Shah (CB coach)
- With Pease coaching the D line in addition to his coordinator duties, the next hire will most definitely be on the offensive side of the ball to coach the tight ends. We have been told by a reliable source that Coach Whit hasn't lined up a specific candidate to hire (meaning they aren't just waiting past signing day to announce). We still expect the Utes to go with another Polynesian coach.
- Don't be surprised if Luther Ellis joins the program in some capacity. He may not necessarily be a position coach, but he has a skill set that the Utes could put to good use and if there isn't a spot as a position coach, he could be some kind of advisor or Alabama style "intern." We've heard his name come up in enough conversations that there could definitely be something there.
----------------------------------
Miscellaneous
- Of Utah's current commitments, all appear to be solid with the exception of George Wilson. Wilson, who is still considering offers from Boise State and Washington State, has said he'd announce a "final" decision sometime this week. Utah does seem to maintain the inside track, and it doesn't hurt that his main recruiter was just named OC. Wilson is also living with a family with strong University of Utah ties. The kid keeps things close to the vest, so it's possible that he flips, but there are a lot of factors that could keep him in the fold.
- One factor that could push Jaylinn Hawkins to the Utes is the fact that his head coach is ex-Ute Anthony White, and White speaks highly of his experience at Utah. It won't be the primary factor behind Hawkins' decision, but White's influence could help make the entire Hawkins family feel more comfortable with the Utah program.
----------------------------------
Please ask any questions you have in the thread below.
THE RULES: The contents of this War Room are confidential. Our goal is to supplement our normal content with a forum that allows us to talk about unconfirmed rumors and insider reports. We think this new feature adds value to your subscription, but if the contents of this War Room are leaked on other message boards or websites it cheapens what you pay for. Please do not share this on other message boards or websites. Anybody found to be violating these rules will be blacklisted from this board.
War Room for February 2, 2015: Signing day is two days away, and the Utes finally enter the home stretch in putting together the recruiting class of 2015. The latest visit weekend brought two more commitments, and just a handful of decisions need to be made. To break it down, here is tonight's War Room.
----------------------------------
Visit Weekend Recap
It was a successful visit weekend for the Utes. Utah hosted five official visitors on campus and came away with two commitments - both of whom play big positions of need. Receiver Alfred Smith will be a more than suitable replacement for Chris Barr, and running back Joseph Williams has tremendous potential to be a productive back for the Utes.
Utah is still waiting on word from Noah Togiai on whether he wants to continue his football and basketball careers at Utah. They also hosted defensive back Tyrone Smith, who is expected to enroll shortly and join the team in time for spring football.
Utah's final visitor was Nevada QB commit Baylor Romney, who does not have an offer from the Utes, but could potentially consider them when he gets back from a two year LDS mission.
With the dead period in place, Utah is done hosting visitors for the class of 2015.
----------------------------------
Recruiting Position Needs:
With signing day just two days away, the class is starting to take shape.
Quarterback
Needs: None
Commits: Chase Hansen (RM)
Remaining Needs: None
Running Back
Commits: Marcel Brooks-Brown, Joseph Williams
Targets: None
Remaining Needs: None. Utah was only going to take two backs with this class, and with Williams in the fold, the needs have been filled.
Offensive Line
Commits: Vaha Vaenuku (RM), Nick Carman, Jake Grant, Keven Dixon, Jr., Johnny Capra
Targets: Darrin Paulo
Remaining Needs: None. The Utes have enough linemen for the class, but if Darren Paulo wants in, Utah will take him. Jake Grant will grayshirt and join the team in Winter 2016.
Wide Receiver
Commits: George Wilson, Deniko Carter, Britain Covey, Alfred Smith
Targets: None
Remaining Needs: With Covey and Smith's commitments this week, the Utes have filled their need at receiver. If ATH Jaylinn Hawkins commits, he could see time at both receiver and corner.
Tight End
Commits: None
Targets: Noah Togiai
Remaining Needs: Other than Togiai, Utah isn't actively recruiting any tight ends this class.
Defensive End
Commits: Caleb Repp, Chris Hart
Targets: Gabe Reid (Sign and Send)
Remaining Needs: None. Utah is still actively pushing for Reid, but he will serve an LDS mission prior to enrolling if he happens to commit to Utah. JUCO commit Kendall Huey isn't expected to sign an LOI this week, but should join the team this summer in time for fall camp.
Defensive Tackle
Commits: None
Targets: None
Remaining Needs: Utah is loaded at DT, and won't take any more tackles this class.
Linebacker
Commits: Cody Barton, Jake Jackson (RM), Sunia Tauteoli (Transfer)
Targets: Porter Gustin
Remaining Needs: None. Gustin is an extreme long shot, but Utah would make room if either wanted in.
Cornerback
Commits: Corey Butler, Kyle Fulks, Ahmad Christian (Transfer), Tyrone Smith (Grayshirt)
Targets: Jaylinn Hawkins
Remaining Needs: Hawkins is the last guy on the board at corner. Utah is loaded at the position next year.
Safety
Commits: Phillip Afia, Tyson Cisrow, Austin Lee (RM)
Targets: N/A
Remaining Needs: None
Sign and Sends:
Chad Hekking (DE)
T.J. Kautai (LB)
Quinn Fabrizio (LB)
Chayden Johnston (K)
James Empey (OL)
----------------------------------
Recruiting Big Board: UteZone Top 10
1 - Jaylinn Hawkins
Athlete - Buena Park High School (Buena Park, CA)
Four Stars
Considering: Arizona State, Utah, Boise State, Oregon
Prediction: Arizona State
Announcement Time: Hawkins will announce his decision on signing day on Fox Sports. Time TBD
Breakdown: At this point, it looks like a two horse race between Utah and ASU, and sources close to the situation tell us that it's a toss up. The fact that the family took an unofficial visit to SLC bodes well for the Utes, but ASU made a very strong impression as well. We're told by a source close to the Hawkins family that it's a toss up right now. Utah hasn't had a lot of these decisions go their way in the past, and although the Utes are still very much in it, we're not all that confident that Utah will land him.
2 - Darrin Paulo
Offensive Line - Grant High School (Sacramento, CA)
Three Stars
Considering: Utah, Nebraska, Oregon
Prediction: Utah
Announcement Time: Paulo is expected to announce his decision by no later than Tuesday.
Breakdown: Nebraska made a strong impression with Paulo, but there are a lot of factors that could push him toward Utah, including proximity to home, Utah's Polynesian connection, playing in the Pac-12, and his relationship with newly promoted OC Jim Harding. As of yesterday, our Nebraska insiders considered Paulo a Nebraska lean, but the longer he waits to commit could potentially be a good sign for the Utes. This one looks like another toss-up, but we'll go out on a limb and predict Paulo signs with the Utes. However, we don't have a lot of confidence in that prediction.
3 - Noah Togiai
Tight End - Hunter High School (West Valley City, UT)
Three Stars
Considering: Utah, Oregon State
Prediction: Utah
Announcement Time: Togiai is expected to make a final announcement sometime on Tuesday.
Breakdown: Utah rolled out the red carpet for Togiai, who will decide between Utah and Oregon State. At this point, Togiai is keeping quiet about his next move, but we've been told by sources close to the situation that his parents would like to see him stay close to home, and that lone factor will have a lot of pull in his decision. If that's the case, Togiai will be a Ute. But an Oregon State decision isn't out of the question.
4 - Gabe Reid
Defensive End - Timpview High School (Orem, UT)
Three Stars
Considering: Stanford, Utah, BYU
Prediction: Stanford
Announcement Time: Monday at 8:00 pm MT
Breakdown: Reid has been another longtime Utah target, and although the Utes made a lot of headway during his official visit, he's been a longtime Stanford lean. Reid is close friends with Ute commit Britian Covey, and he seriously considered staying close to home. However, the pull of Stanford will probably be too much.
5 - Porter Gustin
Linebacker - Salem Hills High School (Salem, UT)
Five Stars
Considering: Ohio State, USC, Utah, Arizona State, Notre Dame
Prediction: Ohio State
Announcement Time: Tuesday at 1:00 pm MT
Breakdown: Utah tried, but I don't think there was much they could have one to keep him at home. The good news is that the Utes made a good impression on the visit, so if Gustin decides to serve a mission or play baseball for a couple of years, Utah could still potentially be a landing spot. We predict Ohio State, but USC is still a real possibility.
We have removed Simi Moala and Jay Jay Wilson from our list since they will be committing to other schools, and Utah is not in the mix for either player any longer. Moala will sign with Oregon State (but will serve a mission before enrolling) and Wilson will sign with ASU.
----------------------------------
Coaching Search
With today's news that most of the coaching staff has been (mostly) assembled, here's the breakdown of responsibilities as they stand right now:
- Aaron Roderick (Co-OC, passing game coordinator, QB coach) - Roderick will call the plays on game day
- Jim Harding (Co-OC, run game coordinator, OL coach)
- Dennis Erickson (Assistant Head Coach, RB coach)
- Taylor Stubblefield (WR coach)
- John Pease (DC, DL coach)
- Morgan Scalley (Special teams coordinator, recruiting coordinator, Safeties coach)
- Justin Ena (LB coach)
- Sharrieff Shah (CB coach)
- With Pease coaching the D line in addition to his coordinator duties, the next hire will most definitely be on the offensive side of the ball to coach the tight ends. We have been told by a reliable source that Coach Whit hasn't lined up a specific candidate to hire (meaning they aren't just waiting past signing day to announce). We still expect the Utes to go with another Polynesian coach.
- Don't be surprised if Luther Ellis joins the program in some capacity. He may not necessarily be a position coach, but he has a skill set that the Utes could put to good use and if there isn't a spot as a position coach, he could be some kind of advisor or Alabama style "intern." We've heard his name come up in enough conversations that there could definitely be something there.
----------------------------------
Miscellaneous
- Of Utah's current commitments, all appear to be solid with the exception of George Wilson. Wilson, who is still considering offers from Boise State and Washington State, has said he'd announce a "final" decision sometime this week. Utah does seem to maintain the inside track, and it doesn't hurt that his main recruiter was just named OC. Wilson is also living with a family with strong University of Utah ties. The kid keeps things close to the vest, so it's possible that he flips, but there are a lot of factors that could keep him in the fold.
- One factor that could push Jaylinn Hawkins to the Utes is the fact that his head coach is ex-Ute Anthony White, and White speaks highly of his experience at Utah. It won't be the primary factor behind Hawkins' decision, but White's influence could help make the entire Hawkins family feel more comfortable with the Utah program.
----------------------------------
Please ask any questions you have in the thread below.
