With the 2023 season fast approaching, the University of Utah continued adding to their incoming class on Wednesday with the addition of JuCo All-American tight end, Dallen Bentley.
The 6-foot-5 and 260 pounder will have four years to play three, as he’s arriving early thanks to being a full qualifier out of high school.
Bentley prepped at Taylorsville HS, where he graduated in 2019 before going on an LDS mission. He was injured during his senior year, so he flew under the radar in high school.
The final two schools came down to Utah and Washington. He also had offers from Louisville, Colorado, San Diego State and New Mexico. He visited the Utah campus this past weekend and it didn’t take him long to make up his mind: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What Utah is getting
Bentley, despite being a JuCo All-American, is a raw but athletic prospect. He only has one year of experience at the tight end position. In 2022 he recorded eight receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns for the Badgers. He’s an in-line tight end that played a lot of 10 personnel during his one year at Snow College.
With a stacked tight end room that features two seniors, Bentley has time to sit back and learn. However, he could be an immediate asset on running downs.
What this means for the class
Utah will continue to bring in late additions as they see fit. Wide receiver remains a priority and Trejan Bridges is still the key guy to watch here. Safety is also an area they could still add depth to. The important thing about the addition of Bentley is that it’s a valuable depth piece at a crucial poistion for the offense.