Fifty-six days until the Utah Utes host the Florida Gators, which means today we discuss no. 56, Ka’eo Akana. The freshman defensive end from Roosevelt HS in Honolulu, Hawaii redshirted in 2022, giving him ample time to pack on much needed weight.

In years past, Akana would be positioning himself for a dark horse role along the defensive line in 2023. However, his position group just happens to be arguably the deepest on the Utah roster.

UteNation Take

Akana was listed as a 205-pound defensive end coming out of Roosevelt HS, so a year in a college strength program has helped as he is up to 226 pounds. Akana was a menace in high school, recording 40.5 tackles (25.0 TFL), 13.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles in his senior season alone. Teams learned to slow him down a little bit as time went on because Akana tallied 23.5 sacks in 13 games his sophomore season. His playing style has been compared to Ute-great and fellow Hawaii native, Bradley Anae. Now it’s time to slowly start showing that potential.

He’s part of a deep and talented ends group featuring Van Fillinger, Connor O’Toole, Jonah Elliss, and BYU transfer Logan Fano. Akana and fellow freshman Chase Kennedy will both have time to pack on the weight, continuing to soak in the playbook, while still being utilized in specialty roles. Then look for a potential breakout from him in 2024.

Remembering Akana’s Recruitment

Akana was a big part of Utah’s strong finish to the 2022 class, flipping his commitment from Boise State to the Utes. The 3-star out of Hawaii held 14 offers, mostly from schools in the Pac-12 and Big Ten.