We have 23 days left in the UteNation Countdown to Kickoff and today we discuss No. 23, Dijon Stanley. The sophomore running back played in 10 games last season, mostly on special teams, highlighted by a 49-yard kickoff return against Oregon.

Stanley should find himself in the middle of the running back depth chart conversation behind Micah Bernard with Jaylon Glover, John Randle Jr., and Mike Mitchell, to name a few.

UteNation Take

Speed is the name of Stanley's game, backed up by a 46.9-second 400 meter dash and a 10.6-second 100 meter dash. He's a missed tackle away from breaking off a huge play from the backfield. Similar to Randle, Stanley needs to continue to pack on the weight to be durable for the wear and tear and hard hits from the college football season. However, he’s elusive as can be when he hits open space.

Stanley is excellent at setting up his blocks and then bursting through the seam when an opening appears. If he can put it all together, he could be a lot of fun to watch.

For the 2024 season, Stanley will be looked at mainly as a kick returner. He’ll also be utilized in read-options and as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield. He’s dangerous enough that Utah will get creative in order to get him on the field.

Remembering Stanley's Recruitment

The former LA Times Football Player of the Year was a Rivals four-star recruit and held 10 offers at the time of his commitment. In addition to Utah, he held offers from schools like Washington, Michigan, BYU, Colorado, and Washington State. Salt Lake City ended up being his only official visit, as the SoCal speedster committed and shut down his recruitment not long after his trip.