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Dependable Dixon to the Transfer Portal


A few days into abbreviated fall camp, veteran wide receiver Jaylen Dixon has chosen to transfer from the University of Utah. A big play threat any time he touched the ball, Dixon had 56 receptions in his two years for 932 yards and three touchdowns. He also averaged 16.6 yards per reception.



Coming off of a strong freshman campaign with 32 receptions for 589 yards, Dixon’s production tailed off a bit in 2019, but that did little to lessen the excitement for him with the program.

At 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, he plays bigger than his size and does well with high-pointing the football. He excels in open space or getting behind the coverage on deep balls.

His friend and college and high school teammate, Jason Shelley, transferred from Utah to Utah State last spring and that will be a team to keep an eye on while looks to make his decision.

What does this mean for Utah? On paper, Utah seems to be stacked at wide receiver, but we’ve said this before and the group has failed to perform. As good as Dixon is, he wasn’t going to start over a healthy Britain Covey, in the slot. He also was facing a battle for reps with Tyrone Young-Smith, who redshirted last year, due to injury. Young-Smith, is someone that has earned plenty of praise, since switching back over to the offense.

Despite his size, Dixon isn’t someone that is just limited to the slot, as he can take the top off of defenses and win jump balls. There should be a heavy rotation with the receivers group in 2020, but the one spot that will remain the same as much as possible is the slot with Covey—something that was likely ultimately the deciding factor.

Is he a loss?

Absolutely Dixon is. Utah needs to rely on their receivers a lot more in 2020 and he’s a proven and dependable commodity, known for making big plays.

The Utes know what they’ll get out of Covey and Samson Nacua. They also know how special Bryan Thompson is if he can remain healthy. The concern should be that they’re relying on guys that have been injured and others that have yet to fulfill their promise, early on. It’s now extremely important for one or more of Young-Smith, Solomon Enis, and Devaughn Vele to break out.


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