Tight ends are a crucial component to what Utah does on offense. Brant Kuithe is a major reason why that is a bread-and-butter position in the Utes' passing schemes.

Kuithe's secret to his impact on the field is simple. He does not approach playing tight end in a traditional sense.

The 6-foot-2 senior sees himself as a utility player who can do a little bit of everything on offense. His true impact shows in how Utah's coaching staff utilizes Kuithe's unique skill set. Kuithe keeps opposing defenses guessing on every play because of his ability to do anything from taking a handoff on a designed run play to zipping across the field on an intermediate route normally reserved for a slot receiver.

“You don't really know what I'm going to do. I think that's the best part about me,” Kuithe said. “I try not to categorize myself as a tight end. More of an athlete and I just play whatever position I can.”

Kuithe's versatility has paid off for the Utes again and again.

He has accumulated 129 receptions over four seasons, the most by a Utah tight end dating back to 1996, and has amassed 1,670 receiving yards. Kuithe led the Utes in receptions in 2019 and 2020 and was no. 1 in receiving yards in 2021. His contributions on offense have earned him Pac-12 All-Conference second-team honors each of the past three seasons.

As much as Kuithe has contributed to Utah's recent success, he is poised to carve out an even bigger role in the passing game in the season ahead.

"He's going to be a very valuable part of our offense,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “He's so productive. He's a guy that's battle tested. He's a proven commodity. He's a big play guy. He's threat after the catch.”

Kuithe's skills at the position have given the Utes the ability to build multiple offensive packages featuring their tight ends. Utah frequently utilized two tight end and three tight end sets with great success a season ago. Having Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid back in the fold this season, coupled with other promising athletes joining them in the tight end room, means 12 personnel and 13 personnel plays will remain a staple of the offense this fall.

Depth at the tight end position makes Utah's offense much more difficult to defend than in past seasons. Kuithe relishes being a part of making the position group so strong.

“It creates a lot of mismatches,” Kuithe said. “I think that's great in our offense because all of our guys can go up and get the ball and run routes. ... It's great to have that dynamic and a lot of teams don't know what they're going to do with it.”

One area where Kuithe will be expected to take on a bigger role this season is being a team leader. As Utah's top returning receiver, he will have a valuable voice in guiding younger players and distilling the winning culture to these fresh faces in the program.

Kuithe embraces the chance to be a leader because he believes you can never have too many leaders on a winning football team.

“You don't need a ‘C’ on your chest or a title on leadership council,” Kuithe said. “Everybody can step up and be a leader, no matter who you are.”