Countdown to Kickoff: No. 68 Jaren Kump
Today we are 68 days away from kickoff, which brings us to no. 68, Jaren Kump. The former Herriman HS star started all five games at right tackle in the 2020 season for the Utes, after returning from his LDS mission.
Kump is a massive lineman for the Utes at 6-foot-5 and a solid 305 pounds. Another two-way player in high school, Jaren averaged five pancake blocks per game on offense and tallied 33 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks as a senior. In addition to playing both ways in football, Kump also was an excellent track and field athlete, winning the UHSAA Championships in shot put in 2017 and the discus title in 2018, as well as a member of the basketball team. It’s that athleticism that has the Utes coaching staff excited, as they have sky high expectations for the local product.
Coming off his LDS mission in the summer of 2020, Kump was in surprisingly good shape when the season started. He was more prepared than expected and ultimately started the entire season, which is even more impressive considering the level of competition in the depth chart.
UteNation take
Although he started all five games at right tackle in 2020 as a true freshman and Simi Moala started most games at left tackle, they will most likely switch sides in 2021. That speaks highly to the trust that offensive line coach Jim Harding has in the freshman, as he’ll be tasked with arguably the most important spot in the trenches.
Kump came to Utah with a high motor, a high football IQ and the ability to punish whoever is lined up across from him. Now he looks to become a mainstay on the line for the next 3-4 years.
Alex remembers Kump’s recruitment
This was a fun one. A lifelong BYU fan in a family of Cougar diehards, Kump committed to BYU early in the recruiting process. Little did the Cougars know—and UteNation had heard and hinted at the rumblings—even at the time of his commitment, Utah weighed heavily on his mind. Kump would eventually flip, choosing Utah over Arizona, ASU, Cal, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and BYU. Quite honestly, he’s another example of how Utah being in the Pac-12 as a P5 school and BYU being an Independent, has altered the landscape of the storied rivalry.