Shoring up quality depth at tight end is a point of emphasis for Utah ahead of the 2023 season. To that end, Miki Suguturaga switched over from the defensive line to give the Utes another option at one of the most important positions on offense.

If his performance in spring ball is an accurate barometer of how the move will pan out, Utah may have found another playmaker at tight end. Suguturaga turned heads with what he accomplished in spring practices.

“I think that's a home run move for us,” Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said. “He has shown excellent growth and development at the tight end spot.”

Suguturaga admitted to feeling skeptical about moving to offense at first. It's understandable considering he made a name for himself at defensive end during the 2022 season.

The 6-foot-4 redshirt junior made nine starts on the defensive line and tallied 15 tackles. Suguturaga's biggest stop came in the form of a game-sealing sack in Utah's victory over USC in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game.

Ludwig and tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham had a different vision for him. They saw a future for Suguturaga as a contributor on offense.

“They just floated the idea to me,” Suguturaga said. “At first, I kind of took my time with it. Came into winter conditioning just working and focused on just conditioning and getting stronger. Leading up to spring ball and all the practices, before that is when I started taking it more serious and actually switching over.”

Making the move wasn't a simple transition. Suguturaga focused on dropping 10 to 15 pounds off his frame to improve his speed and athleticism. He also soaked in advice from more experienced tight ends like Brant Kuithe and Thomas Yassmin while trying to learn the nuances of his new position.

The most important lesson he's learned so far is discovering what fits with his natural abilities instead of simply imitating what the other tight ends on the roster are doing.

“There's only so much you can do technique wise that your body will allow you (to do),” Suguturaga said. “Some people have different ways of blocking, different ways of route running. Not everything is going to work for me because I'm a little bit bigger than a lot of other guys.”

Although he spent his first four seasons in the program on defense, his coaches feel like Suguturaga is already a natural fit on offense after only a short time. They pointed to the strides he made as a run blocker in the spring as a good sign for what lies ahead in the fall.

“I'm really encouraged by all the physical attributes he brings to the position,” Whittingham said. “He's got great size, good quickness, long arms, very soft hands. So I think he has all the tools to be able to be another very good tight end for us.”

Suguturaga has drawn early comparisons to Logan Kendall with his blocking abilities. He welcomes the comparisons with Kendall. But Suguturaga also has his sights set on becoming actively involved in the passing game like Kuithe and Yassmin.

“I'd love to be a great blocker like him but I also like to catch passes,” Suguturaga said.