The annual UteNation Countdown to Kickoff begins as we are 95 days away until the University of Utah hosts the Florida Gators on August 31st at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes will look to avenge their 29-26 loss in The Swamp last season.
The countdown begins with discussing no. 95, Aliki Vimahi.
Vimahi played in all 14 games in the 2022 season with nine starts at defensive tackle. The junior totaled 14 tackles with 2.0 TFL and 1.0 sack. Aliki’s role within the position group should increase with the graduation of Devin Kaufusi, and Vimahi will continue to be a key piece in the rotation.
UteNation Take
Vimahi has developed into a dependable asset for Utah the defensive line.While he was showing potential before the 2022 season, he’s benefited from the arrival of position coach Luther Elliss. Since returning from his LDS mission in 2019, the former class of 2017 signee has added 50 pounds of muscle to his frame and is a stout 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds.
Vimahi entered the 2022 season as a rotational player before earning a starting role, taking advantage of the early season departures from the position. Now with a full year under Elliss’ tutelage and two full seasons in the Utah system, Vimahi has established himself as a leader amongst the defensive front.
This spring, he took advantage of the additional reps that were available due to Simote Pepa sitting out. While it’s not a guarantee he’ll start due to Pepa’s late season dominance, Vimahi will see significant reps as a top three defensive tackle.
Remembering Vimahi’s Recruitment
The three-star defensive end was the no. 5 recruit in the state of Hawaii for the class of 2017. A former teammate of Ute legend Bradlee Anae, Vimahi was a menace alongside him at Kahuku HS. When Vimahi officially visited Utah a couple years ago, his host was Anae and they spoke about the family aspect of Utah and the tradition the Utes have on the defensive line.
Utah beat out some heavy hitters for Vimahi, including a couple Pac-12 South rivals. His finalists were Georgia Tech, Virginia, UCLA, and USC. The Trojans were considered the biggest threat in his recruitment—Vimahi had previously said that USC was his dream school, but they had asked him to wait a year before playing on the team.
