As the new school year kicks off, Utah Athletics will be leaving behind their newly graduated alumni as they usher in those who will be starting their path in their educational journey. As some know, the University of Utah has many great collegiate athletes, both current and former. In this article, we will see how some of our standouts are doing, from football to the Olympics.
Olympics
First off, we can get a glance at some current Olympic athletes that competed this summer from the U. First, there are three athletes from the U that were on the same 3×3 basketball team for Team Canada. The team consisted of Michelle Plouffe, Paige Crozon and Kim Gaucher (formerly Smith). Two Utes represented in track and field as well, including Canada’s Simone Plourde who competed in the 1500-meter race and Norway’s Josefine Eriksen who ran in the 4×400 relay. Lastly, incoming sophomore Emilia Nilsson Garip represented Sweden, diving in the 3-meter board event.
Football
This year, the Utes saw eight football players make it into the NFL. After a solid showing this year despite many injuries, several Utes players made a name for themselves.
First, Cole Bishop, who posted impressive stats — including first in tackles in the secondary squad this season — was drafted by the Bills and will join another Ute, Dalton Kincaid, who just completed his first year in the league. Along with Bishop are four other players drafted, including Sione Vaki who had a breakout season this past year. Sataoa Laumea, Jonah Elliss and Devaughn Vele joined the class as well. The Utes also had three players picked up in free agency, including Keaton Bills, Thomas Yassmin and Miles Battle.
Another seasoned alumnus, former Utah quarterback Alex Smith, has transitioned into a successful broadcasting career with ESPN, providing insightful analysis for NFL games and other programs. Despite a recent gruesome leg injury, Smith remains in good spirits and continues to inspire many with his resilience.
Former Ute wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. is currently working for the NFL network, where he made an appearance on ESPN’s College Gameday when the network traveled to Salt Lake before the Utah v. Oregon match this past year.
Basketball
Another Ute who stood out is Utah men’s basketball’s Branden Carlson, who averaged 17 points and 6.6 rebounds per game during the 2023-2024 season. Although the Utes’ season got cut short, Carlson still stood out and made an impact. After the draft, Carlson signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors for the 2024-25 season.
Kyle Kuzma from the Runnin’ Utes recently signed a huge contract extension with the Washington Wizards. Kuzma is not the only highly successful NBA player. Former 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Bogut won an NBA championship alongside the notable Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and the 2015 Warriors squad.
One Ute that certainly needs highlighting is Alissa Pili, who led the Lady Utes basketball team to a March Madness berth and was named the 2022-2023 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. She was drafted eighth overall by the Minnesota Lynx and has led the team to over a dozen wins already.
Other Notable Alumni
Though not an athlete, former Daily Utah Chronicle alum Holly Rowe is a well-known journalist who covers multiple sports for ESPN and also serves as a commentator for the Utah Jazz, bringing her expertise and passion to the sports community.
In conclusion, we can see all the great players that Utah Athletics have trained. From Olympic athletes to household NFL and NBA players, we are bound to create more excellence on and off the field, as our athletes work hard every single day. The 2024-2025 season should be a great one for Utah Athletics, with a great mix of new and veteran players across all sports. With all this talent, Utah Athletics is bound to keep making noise across the country.
