If there is one position group that Utah fans are hoping for a breakout season, it is the wide receiver position. Utah’s offenses have been highlight by great running backs and tight ends over the years, but it has been awhile since the position has had multiple players that defenses had to key on. If the receivers are able to start winning battles consistently and forcing defenses to account for more than the tight ends and backs, Utah’s offense could take a huge step forward.
Led by new position coach Alvis Whitted, this group has a chip on their shoulder as the final missing piece of a really special season. If they can finally turn the page and step up into a consistently high-level option on offense, the Utes could be competing for the top prize by the end of the season.
The Starter
Devaughn Vele
Vele burst onto the scene in spring ball 2021 after his rapport with Cam Rising. Before that, he’d been turning heads for multiple years in spring and fall camps. Now a veteran and leader of the team with 37 career game appearances with 19 starts, Vele’s growth will be key for Utah’s campaign to three-peat as conference champions. The 6-foot-5 junior has the size and catch radius that could be a difference-maker at the next level.
Money Parks
Parks played in 14 games and had three starts in 2022. His breakout game of the season was his performance in the Pac-12 Championship game where he hauled in four catches for 88 yards, include a 57-yard touchdown. Money would finish the season with 26 catches for 414 yards and 2 touchdowns. Parks’ season is a good reflection of the position group as a whole: flashes of greatness, but not quite consistent enough to be a regular threat against defenses. If he can continue to develop into spring and fall camp, he’ll be a big piece of Utah’s overall offense.
The Contenders
Mikey Matthews
The four-star recruit out of Irvine, CA has enrolled early and looking to compete for starting reps already. Matthews drew some praise from Kyle Whittingham, who noted that Matthews is very reminiscent of Britain Covey. Obviously, Matthews has a long way to go before truly earning that moniker, but it shows what his potential could be. He might just be that electric missing piece that this group has so desperately needed.
Chris Reed
Reed saw action in three games in 2022 at receiver and on special teams, preserving his redshirt season. He drew a lot of attention in spring and fall camp last year, but was not able to break into the starting rotation. This spring will be interesting to watch to see if he is able to take that next step forward and break into the two-deep.
Makai Cope
Cope played in 13 games with three starts last season, hauling in seven receptions for 75 yards. Makai is the kind of big bodied receiver that could be another great option in the red zone if he can bring his game to the next level in his third year in the program. He’s not the fastest receiver on the field — far from it — but he gets open and makes plays.
Sidney Mbanasor
Mbanasor has elite size and length for the position to potentially be a true game-changer. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 214 pounds, he is the big-bodied wide receiver that defenses could one day fear to line up against. He is just a redshirt freshman, but Mbanasor’s development this spring could be a strong indicator for how the Utah receiving corps will be seen for the years to come.
When he arrived on campus in the fall, he quickly earned praise, but soon can back down to earth for a freshman. He’s the type of big-bodied deep-threat that Ludwig has been coveting.
Tiquan Gilmore
The senior wideout saw action in four games last season at receiver and on special teams. Although he has only been with the program for one season, Gilmore was a proven commodity at the JuCo level, playing at the College of the Canyons from 2019-21, earning CCCFCA All-America, All-Region, and SCFA first-team honors as a sophomore. Now in his final year of college and a year of FBS football under his belt, will his impact be felt on offense or will it remain on special teams?
Luca Caldarella
A cousin of former Ute Chad Manis, Caldarella is another former JuCo transfer. He saw action in five games on special teams in 2022. At 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, he has good size to be a real nuisance for defenses, so the question this spring will be if he has adjusted to the FBS level of football to really start making a difference. If he can prove to be a big-bodied reliable target in the receiver rotation, that’s a big positive for the offense.
UteNation Take
There might not be more pressure on another position group than the receivers to take the next step in their development. Since joining the Pac-12, Utah has only had one receiver reached 1,000 yards in a season, and that was Dres Anderson back in 2013. Darren Carrington III nearly reached the mark in 2017 with 980 yards, but outside of that, only Tim Patrick in 2016 has even reached 700 yards. With defenses keying on the tight ends and running backs so much in recent years, the opportunity has been there for someone to breakthrough.
Will this be the year? Even if Utah does not have a 1,000 yard receiver, one or two more consistent threats on the outside will open up the offense and truly make it even more potent than the high scoring attack from last year.
