What it Means: Calvert Transfers to Utah to Join His Brother

The University of Utah received their third transfer commitment in 24 hours on Thursday evening from another former Washington Husky, linebacker Josh Calvert. The former Rivals 4-star announced his decision via Twitter.

Calvert joins his younger brother, Ethan, another Rivals 4-star recruit who was a part of the Utes’ 2021 recruiting class. In addition to Utah and Washington, Josh had an impressive offer list coming out of high school, including BYU, ASU, Cal, UCLA, Notre Dame, and Florida.

What Utah is getting

From Lars Hanson, Washington publisher

Calvert was looking to get playing time as a true freshman in 2019 before he suffered an ACL injury. He wasn't been able to find his way on the field after that once he returned to full health. This spring he looked very capable of being able to hold his own at the Pac-12 level and he delivered the hit of the spring which made some think it was the sign of things to come.

At Utah — with the one-time immediate transfer eligibility waiver — he should be able to compete for playing time in 2021. He is an inside linebacker by trade, but Calvert did a small amount of outside work this spring which could be intriguing to watch this fall.

What this means for the position group

Linebackers coach Colton Swan adds to his embarrassment of riches with his position group, led by returning starters Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell. Utah’s depth will give Calvert time to recover from his ACL injury and develop in the Whittingham system. However, Josh will have his work cut out for him to beat out a talented group, joining his brother Ethan, 3-star Mason Tufaga, 3-star Trey Reynolds, and 3-star Jonah Elliss. Kyle Whittingham appears to not only be building depth for the future, but the impressive haul from the transfer portal this off-season points to an all-in attitude with sights on a conference title and more.