The annual UteNation countdown to kickoff has begun. The University of Utah is set to kickoff on Thursday August 29th against Southern Utah. Their highly-anticipated first season in the Big 12 should see the Utes start in or just outside of the Top 10, but it’s time to discuss the scholarship players as the days tick down. It’s time to talk about Tevita Fotu.

The younger brother of Ute-great Leki Fotu, has had an interesting journey to say the least. In 2022, he stepped away from the team just before the season opener at Florida, then returned after that season. The 2023 season was the first that Fotu saw action as a Ute. He played in 11 games, starting two. He ended up with seven tackles on the season, and contributed two pass breakups and a QB hurry.

Utah has established commodities in Junior Tafuna, Keanu Tanuvasa, Simote Pepa, and Aliki Vimahi. It’s a two deep that can start for most schools in the country. Despite this, defensive tackles coach Luther Elliss and defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will find ways to get Fotu on the field.

UteNation Take

Elliss continues to be high on Fotu, as he took another step forward in his development this spring. The theme continues to center around consistency, as he has all the talent you could ask for from a defensive tackle.

Defensive tackle continues to be one of Utah's most stacked positions, but Elliss has shown that he’s willing to go deep into his depth for meaningful reps. If Fotu continues to trust the process and stay patient, his time will come. His elite potential is undeniable.

Remembering Fotu’s Recruitment

A former Utah pledge in their 2018 class, his destination was never really in question. However, the 4-star recruit had to go the JuCo route in 2019 before serving an LDS mission. Colleges typically stash guys that need to improve their academics at JuCo programs they trust, which is exactly what happened with Fotu.