UteNation Countdown to Kickoff: No. 77 Simote Pepa

Redshirt freshman Simote Pepa highlights our UteNation Countdown to Kickoff at no. 77. The defensive tackle out of Bingham High School in South Jordan, UT saw action in four games, including the regular season matchup against Oregon and in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State. Pepa returned from his LDS mission in time for 2021 spring ball, and he was a force on the defensive interior, however, a lack of conditioning caught up to him.

UteNation Take

Pepa is currently listed at 6-foot-3 and 354 pounds, so as he continues to work on his endurance and arsenal of moves, he will progress into a nightmare for offenses. The more he can get his weight down and improve his conditioning, the more snaps he should see. Simote was a dominant force for Bingham in the 2019 class, and with a year of college ball under his belt, the hope is that he steps into a similar level for the Utes. His size alone makes him one to watch, but fans will need to be patient for him to get into the right shape to become a regular menace for opposing offenses.

Once he gets his conditioning on point, Pepa has the makings of being a dominating force. Until then, expect Utah defensive tackles Coach Luther Elliss to maximize him in spurts.

Remembering Pepa’s Recruitment

Part of the Bingham Three—Pepa, Junior Tafuna and Lolani Langi—he didn’t commit to Utah until signing day 2019. However, Pepa was a longtime Utah lean and often talked to me in our conversations like he was already a part of the program.

The three-star defensive tackle (ranked no. 37 at the position) chose Utah over Wisconsin, Tennessee, Oregon, Nebraska, Arizona, Washington, BYU and others. Pepa then served an LDS mission before joining the team in time for spring ball in 2021.