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The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Football: 2018 National Signing Day in the Books

University+of+Utah+Utes+huddle+during+a+time+out+in+an+NCAA+Football+game+vs.+The+San+Jose+State+Spartans+in+Rice+Eccles+Stadium+in+Salt+Lake+City%2C+Utah+on+Saturday%2C+Sept.+16%2C+2017%0A%0A%28Photo+by+Kiffer+Creveling+%7C+The+Daily+Utah+Chronicle%29
Kiffer Creveling
University of Utah Utes huddle during a time out in an NCAA Football game vs. The San Jose State Spartans in Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017 (Photo by Kiffer Creveling | The Daily Utah Chronicle)

With commitments from 14 recruits on Wednesday and seven athletes who signed National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, the University of Utah football team is eager to begin a new season. Head coach Kyle Whittingham is thrilled about the class that was put together, specifically honing in on the six new defensive linemen recruits. The assistant coaching staff worked to put this recruiting class together that includes five athletes from the state of Utah and the rest from various parts of the country and Australia.

International recruit Thomas Yassmin is a rugby player from Australia, who has the potential to play different positions, such as a tight end or defensive end because of his size. It is still unknown if he will redshirt this year because of the transition he will have to make from rugby to American football.

The recruiting process was competitive, as almost every athlete on the list had Power Five offers elsewhere. Whittingham wants the new recruits to contribute like others have done in years past, and he needs them to be ready to go by fall.

On the offensive side, Utah picked up four star recruit quarterback Jack Tuttle and running back Devin Brumfield. Tuttle is a four star recruit from San Marcos, California, and he helped his team finish with a 12-1 record his senior year. He threw for 3,171 with 41 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. During Brumfield’s senior season, he rushed for 2,307 yards and 25 touchdowns. Whittingham believes that Tuttle will be a future star in the Utah program and that he will develop his skills further in practice.

“Jack Tuttle is already with us since he enrolled in January,” Whittingham said. “From a work ethic, leadership and attitude standpoint, he is as advertised. He is everything we hoped he would be.”

After losing two star receivers in Raelon Singleton, who left Utah for family reasons, and Darren Carrington II, a senior, Solomon Enis is expected to be a positive addition to the team. At six feet three inches tall, Enis is a receiver, but he can play running back or in the wildcat at quarterback as well.

The Utes focused on building the defense. They signed four defensive backs that included Quinn Fabrizio, Vonte Davis, Malone Mataele and Tareke Lewis.

“We got some big, strong defensive linemen,” Whittingham said. “Jackson Cravens from Timpview is already 308 pounds, six [foot] two [inches] and will need to gain 30 to 40 pounds before he is ready to go. David Fotu, Leki’s younger brother, is about 280 [pounds] and by tomorrow will be 290, he just keeps getting bigger and bigger. So, I think we have a group of guys in that defensive class, which was 14 guys overall, and you will probably see close to half of those guys be contributors by fall.”

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@giannamc5

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