Utah Leads With Five First-Team Selections On Preseason All-Pac-12 List
Utes earn 12 total selections to preseason all-conference teams
LOS ANGELES – The University of Utah Football program is well represented on the 2021 Preseason Pac-12 All-Conference Football Team announced today, landing five first-team selections and 12 overall after the Utes were picked to finish second in the South Division.
The South Division captured 16 of the 25 first-team picks with Utah leading all programs with five first-team selections. The preseason All-Pac-12 team is selected by the media who cover Pac-12 football.
Junior offensive lineman Nick Ford highlights Utah's first-team offense selections after the San Pedro, Calif., native enters the 2021 season as one of just two returning FBS players to have started at virtually every position on the offensive line. He is joined on the first team by Utah's defensive anchors in Devin Lloyd (Jr., LB) and Mika Tafua (Jr., DE) with Lloyd leading the Utes in total tackles in back-to-back seasons.
Rounding out Utah's first-team selections is Jadon Redding (So., PK) and Britain Covey(Jr., RS), who will look to continue the strong special teams tradition that Utah has. Covey enters the year ranked in the top-five all-time at Utah in punt return yards and leads all active FBS players in total punt return yards (665).
Covey also earned second-team offense recognition as a wide receiver, starting the 2021 season as the only active wide receiver in the FBS with over 1,400 career receiving yards and 600 career punt return yards. He is joined on the second-team offense by Sataoa Laumea (R-Fr., OL), who earned All-Pac-12 as just a redshirt freshman in 2020.
Hybrid tight end Brant Kuithe, who led all Pac-12 tight ends in receptions per game (5.0) last season, was named to the preseason honorable mention squad, joined by Viane Moala (Sr., DT), JaTravis Broughton (So., CB), Clark Phillips III (Fr., CB) and Keegan Markgraf (Sr., SN). Kuithe is a two-time All-Pac-12 tight end and has led the Utes in receptions in three straight seasons (2018, 2019, 2020).
The Utes are currently in Hollywood, Calif. for the 2021 Pac-12 Football Media Day on Tuesday, July 27.
Pac-12 Networks will provide exclusive coverage of all 12 teams on Tuesday, featuring interviews and analysis throughout the day. The Utes will join Pac-12 talent Yogi Roth and Ashley Adamson at 4:45 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Networks, with live coverage throughout the day on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Football | Instagram:@UtahFootball).