UteNation Countdown to Kickoff: No. 95 Aliki Vimahi

With 95 days until the 2022 season for the University of Utah, next up is sophomore defensive tackle, Aliki Vimahi. Vihami is part of the deep rotation on the interior defensive front, seeing action in 10 games for 2021 and starting at Oregon State and vs. Oregon. Overall, Aliki totaled 12 tackles, two sacks, a QB hurry, and three pass breakups.

Vimahi will continue to battle for playing time alongside Junior Tafuna, Devin Kaufusi, Tennessee Pututau, Tevita Fotu, Fua Pututau, Simote Pepa, and incoming freshman Keanu Tanuvasa. Despite some strong numbers and a couple starts from last year, the depth of the defensive tackles will keep them all hungry for playing time.

UteNation Take

Vimahi may only have one year of collegiate football under his belt, but the maturity from his LDS mission and not playing the 2020 season already paid dividends for the Utah defense. He has a big, 6-foot-4 frame to continue to develop at 304 pounds that is already proving to be a problem for defenses. Add Utah legend Luther Elliss as the position coach and the new emphasis on relentlessly attacking from the interior, and Vimahi could have a prime opportunity to make a noticeable impact.

Even though he is not a starter, the constant rotation during games will give Vimahi plenty of opportunities to show his skillset. Based on some of his stats from 2021, Vimahi has shown flashes of being a nuisance for opposing quarterbacks.

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.