We're nearing the midpoint of the countdown to kickoff, with 54 days to go. Number 54 on this year's roster is a promising freshman that could be in contention for playing time on the interior of the offensive line, Paul Maile. As part of the 2018 recruiting class and the "East High four", Maile had a laundry list of offers from all over the country- 17 schools in total- which included half the Pac-12 and nine P5 offers in total.

Maile originally joined the team as a defensive tackle, and he looked promising on the defensive side, turning heads with his athleticism in spring camp of 2018. However, due partially to Utah's depth at defensive tackle and also thanks to Jim Harding's eye for offensive line talent, Maile made the switch to offense just a few games into his true freshman year. While he ultimately only played in two games and was thus able to preserve his redshirt, Maile will be in contention for playing time at either guard or center this year.

Andrew Fronce's take

Maile was an exciting addition to Utah's spring roster in 2018, and he quickly showed that he was ready to work. Though he was only about 250 pounds at the end of his senior season of high school, by fall camp of the following year, he had put on about 30-35 pounds and made his case for playing time at defensive tackle. While he ended up switching to offensive line, that work ethic will end up serving him well before all is said and done.

Unfortunately, Maile missed nearly all of this year's spring camp due to some nagging injuries, so he will have some catching up to do when fall camp begins, as he works to earn playing time at one of the interior offensive line positions. That being said, his athleticism is exceptional and it wouldn't be all that surprising to see him end up in the two-deep at either center or guard this season.

Alex remembers Maile's recruitment

Maile alluded to me early on that he would be a Ute, but he didn’t make the call until later in the process. There was really never any wavering on his part or thought from others that he’d go elsewhere, but the Oregon Ducks popped into the equation, near the end. Despite there being some push from his inner circle to take his trip to Eugene, Maile listened to his heart and made the call for his beloved Utes.