When you think of the words “Utah” and “offense,” the last thing that comes to mind is a high-flying, high-powered passing attack. In fact, you probably think of the exact opposite. Kyle Whittingham’s teams are generally known for strong defense, excellent special teams, and a reliable running game. Part of this is due to Whittingham having a more conservative philosophy, but some of it can be blamed on the Utes struggling to recruit and develop outstanding receivers during their first years in the Pac-12. Yes, there have been some exceptions, such as Dres Anderson, Tim Patrick, and Darren Carrington, but generally speaking, the Utes haven’t had a true number one option on the outside that a defense has to account for every single down.

Fortunately for the Utes, it appears as if that issue has begun to improve, as they have landed commitments from a number of four-star receivers in the past few years, while also being able to find and develop some underrated homegrown talents, such as Britain Covey and Samson Nacua. This year, it appears as if the team may have caught a huge break by way of a walk-on freshman who is already turning heads and entering the conversation for playing time. That freshman is Devaughn Vele, who joined the team prior to spring ball after returning home from a church mission. Standing at 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds, Vele has the size to play outside receiver at the D1 level, and he made his presence known during spring camp, making many bystanders wonder who no. 86 was.

Andrew Fronce's Take

Vele seemingly came out of nowhere, and though he's not on scholarship, by the end of spring camp, some of our sources close to the team were saying that they thought Vele was one of the top six receivers on the team. Though he's not a burner, Vele showed the ability to use his size and good route running to create separation, and also proved to have pretty good hands. Vele will need to continue his outstanding performance from spring camp if he hopes to earn playing time this year, and if he's able to do so, don't be surprised if he's awarded a scholarship before the season begins.

Alex Remembers Vele's Recruitment

This was a unique situation. Vele wasn't really on anybody's radar for a scholarship prior to his mission. Upon returning, he contacted the Utah staff to ask them when he could come to walk-on tryouts. Utah already knew about him and didn’t hesitate by telling him there was no need for a tryout, just to come to Salt Lake City. It's rare that you see a walk-on make an impact so early on, especially at receiver, but Vele is definitely one to keep an eye on. He could turn out to be a steal.