What a ride it’s been. 18 seniors and one immensely talented junior will be suiting up at Rice-Eccles Stadium for one final time, today. There’s really no argument and no need to spit out numbers, this is the greatest group of seniors that the University of Utah has ever had. They’ll be honored in a ceremony that will kickoff around 5pm, but before that, let’s take a look at how they got to Utah and what their lasting mark on the program will be:
A key member of the Hallandale Trio, Simpkins was the first to show interest in the Utes. Him and Tyler Huntley then tripped to Salt Lake City and he committed soon after he arrived home. He’s been a key member of the Utah offense ever since he was a true freshman, and made a quicker impact than Huntley and Zack Moss.
After Simpkins announced his commitment to Utah, it was only a matter of time before Huntley made the call, as they were largely viewed as a package deal. After having three offensive coordinators in four years and suffering unfortunate injuries to stall his progress during the last two, Huntley has hit his stride under Andy Ludwig. He’s become the best quarterback at Utah since Alex Smith and deserves to be on stage and honored in New York City during the Heisman Trophy presentation. Before the season started, Huntley would have likely received NFL interest as an athlete. Now, he’s possibly a mid-round or higher quarterback prospect.
Immediately after Simpkins and Huntley committed to the Utes, they started pushing their friend, teammate, and Miami commit, Zack Moss. He eventually took his official to Salt Lake City and flipped his commitment two and a half months after his HS teammates. After flirting with Tennessee late in the process, Moss arrived at Utah and quickly became the featured back before a minor injury opened the door back up for Joe Williams and his historic stretch of games.
Three one thousand yard seasons and numerous broken records later, Moss has a legit claim to being the greatest Ute of all-time. And for the record, he could start as a featured back in Sundays, already.
After committing early on at Snow, Penisini chose to redshirt during his would-be sophomore season. That decision kept him somewhat of a huge secret for the Utes, and it’s paid off for him n a huge way. A dominant force in the middle of the nation’s best defensive line, Penisini’s best football still might be ahead of him on Sundays.
As a three year starter, Paulo has been a steady rock on the Utah offensive line. He’s a valuable asset that can play both guard and tackle. He switched over from right to left tackle for the 2019 season, and he’s been a key factor in keeping Huntley’s uniform relatively clean. He’ll get a shot on Sundays.
A late find by Morgan Scalley as he was initially a qualifier out of high school, the Utes believed that the JuCo receiver could become a special defensive back. He’s emerged throughout the 2019 season as a solid cornerback with a likely NFL future, despite sharing reps with the next guy on this list.
It took longer than anticipated to to arrive on campus, but during his year in limbo, Lewis worked tirelessly to be ready for his opportunity. It’s rare that two guys who split reps as senior starters will have an opportunity to play in the NFL, but that’s how well-respected this Utah defensive system is.
Like Lewis, Vickers’ arrival was also delayed and the Utes had to petition the to get Vickers an extra year of eligibility.They succeeded and boy are they glad they did, as he’s become a crucial member of the run game on sweeps, as well as the short passing game. He’s a valuable threat that teams need to lock in on every team they see him motion across the backfield, regardless of what his stats may say.
What a great story, right here. Burgess started off at receiver, but was quickly moved to cornerback out of necessity. From there he found a home at nickelback, but Javelin Guidry and his elite speed, locked down the position. Soon Burgess moved to safety, where his elite football IQ and nose for the ball found a permanent home. Still, Burgess had to fight for his opportunity and last spring it became apparent that the Utes had a special safety combo between him and Julian Blackmon. Burgess may only be a one-year starter, but he’s months away from being drafted because he stayed an exemplary and leader. When he got his opportunity, he took it and ran with it.
A grad transfer from SMU, Thedford has been a solid backup during his one year as a Ute. He just happens to be behind two very talented tight ends in Brant Kuithe and Cole Fotheringham. When his number has been called, he’s delivered.
Like Thedford, Locklear was a graduate transfer to Utah. The staff was looking to bolster depth at offensive line and they also had two open starting spots. He never became a starter, but he’s provided valuable depth on a unit that has gotten more and more impressive as the season has gone along.
Sine-time running back at BYU, Bernard was fortunate he had former Utah coaches there that could envision NFL at another position and convinced him to move to defense. After some early issues at BYU, Bernard made the wise choice to transfer from the G5 to the P5 level and he’s become a crucial piece to Utah’s vaunted and historically dominant defense. An NFL future awaits him.
Short on football experience and young for his home go school class, Fotu was a hidden gem who didn’t compete in recruiting circuit camps. Because of this, no evaluators saw his film. The reality was that had that film been seen he would have been at minimum, a high four-star prospect. Now 80 pounds bigger than his profile had him listed, opposing quarterbacks are still baffled that a man his size is able to move like that. While his stats won’t back it up, he’s a disruptive force that will play a long time on Sundays and he’s right in the conversation for the greatest defensive tackles to come out of Utah—and May we remind you, that’s what this defense is historically known for.
Fotu likely would have worked his way high up the draft boards in 2018, but instead chose to come back for his senior, after initially telling teammates at the start of his junior year that he planned on going pro early.
Anae committed to the Utes on signing day, giving me a heads-up just the night before. The staff was high on him back then, but he’s completely surpassed expectations going from a pass rusher to an all-around defensive end. He’s a force and one of the biggest reasons teams are only averaging 55 yards rushing per game against Utah. By season’s end, he should be the Utes all-time sack leader and the new Mayor of Sack Lake City. Look for him to have a long NFL career, as he’ll be a high pick in this upcoming draft.
Ron McBride, boy you were wrong. Ute Nation‘s beloved friend a legendary Utah coach has always had an eye for talent, but he’s readily admitted that he was wrong about Blackmon. As a freshman, Blackmon had a trial-by-fire and he got burned by receivers A LOT. Then came his sophomore year, where he became one of the best cornerbacks in the Pac-12. As a junior, Blackmon battled injuries, yet still performed well enough for second-team all-conference honors. After the 2018 season, he could have gone pro, but instead chose to come back for one last epic ride, while also sacrificing for the Utes and moving to safety, where he’s excelled when healthy.
The Grinders that put in time and earned scholarships
Kyle Lanteman
Lanterman is a versatile lineman that is a grinder who eventually worked his way into a scholarship—and who can forget the viral video in which his mom called him at practice to tell him the news... However, his best moment as a Ute will likely be him befriending a young kid named Konner, who was going through the fight of his life. Lanterman remains friends with Konner to this day, and while he’s changed Konner’s life for the better, Konner has done the same for Lanterman.
Andrew Strauch
A UCLA grad transfer, his time as Utah’s field goal kicker was brief, but he’s been a rock as the placekicker on the kickoff team.
Paul Toala
Toala started his college journey at Dixie State before going on a LDS mission and eventually transferring to Utah. He’s an extremely versatile lineman who can fill in anywhere he’s asked and do it well. He’s the ultimate team game and the type of backup that every team needs.
Malik Haynes
Like Lanterman, Haynes was awarded a scholarship just before the season started. Most of Malik’s work has come on special teams, as he plays one of the most stacked positions on the Utah squad.
And a special honoree
No Jaylon Johnson isn’t a senior. but he’s on record as his junior year being his last as a Ute. The lockdown cornerback has nothing left to prove and should excel for a long time on Sundays. His commitment to the Utes program was a transformative one, as the no. 64 overall prospect in the national could have gone anywhere he wanted. However, he chose the Utes and defensive backs coach Sharrieff Shah, believing that the program and the coach would get him ready for the NFL, better than another school out there.
He’s arguably the best cornerback in program history, although Andre Dyson and Eric Weddle both make this a great argument.
In conclusion...
There has been and might never be a more special group being honored around 5pm at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Show them the appreciation and respect that they deserve, as 13 of these guys on this list should eventually be on NFL rosters. How many schools can say that? Because of this group, the Utes have established themselves as a constant force in the Pac-12 with no signs of slowing down.
Regardless of what transpires the rest of the 2019 season, this group is the is the heart of the greatest team in Utah football history.
