JUCO TE chooses Utah

It didn't take former Arizona Western College tight end Gregory Reese to know he had found the right school. The 6-foot-6 inch, 250 pound prospect took an official visit to Salt Lake City last week and immediately fell in love with the Utah football program.

"The visit was very nice. What really caught my eye was the vibe. I didnt expect Salt Lake City to look like that. The coaching staff was great. The facilities are great. Academically it will be a great school for me as well," Reese said.

After experiencing the campus and gameday experience firsthand, Reese decided to commit before heading back home. "When I was on the trip, I envisioned myself at the university. I thought it was a great fit, and it gives me a chance to get away from home. The coaching staff will take care of me. The players are great also. I can really see myself being there. I have a great opportunity to play at Utah," he said.

Reese was also particularly impressed with the atmosphere of Rice-Eccles Stadium when the Utes played USC. Despite the loss, Reese loved the involvement of the crowd. "The game atmosphere was unbelievable. I had heard from Kirk Herbstreit about the MUSS and how loud it was. I got to experience that first hand. I saw how dedicated they were to the team even when Utah started losing the game. They were still there trying to do the 3rd down jump. They really try to help the team. It was intimidating. Crazy," he said.

Reese believes that he'll be a good fit in the Utah offense. "They run tight end sets all the time. I saw the tight ends get a screen and several catches [against USC]. They use the tight end a lot, and I really like that about the offense so I can see myself catching passes and blocking for them," he said.

During the trip, Reese sat down with several Utah coaches to discuss how he'll fit with the team's plans. "I talked to Coach Finn, Coach Tuiaki, Coach Johnson, and Coach Whittingham. They told me that with my athleticism, I could really separate myself from other tight ends and help out the program. They said I could do things that the program hasn't seen in a while. Coach Whittingham said I have a good opportunity to play early. They have three tight ends leaving. They could also split me out wide in the slot and take advantage of my athletic ability against smaller safeties and slower linebackers," he said.

Reese is a December graduate that will join the Utes in time for spring football.