Tight end Brant Kuithe and wide receiver Devaughn Vele are both returning next season.
(Meg Oliphant | Special for The Tribune) Brant Kuithe of the Utah Utes participates in warmups before the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 2, 2023 in Pasadena, California.
It doesn’t matter what kind of turnover the University of Utah team has next seasonit will return two of its best pass capture options.
Brant Kuithe, a fifth-year senior tight end who was lost for the season on September 24 due to a torn right ACLannounced on Monday that it would return for a sixth season in 2023.
Wide receiver Devaughn Vele will follow Kuithe’s lead, the program also announced Monday. A fourth-year wide receiver as a sophomore in 2022, Vele at one point late in the regular season indicated he was leaning to leave, but then made a 180-degree turn to indicate he was leaning to stay. Vele led all Utes wide receivers last season in catches (55), yards (695) and touchdowns (5).
Kuithe hasn’t used a red shirt in his career but he is capable of it now as he has only played four games. NCAA rules state that a player can play up to four games and still retain the eligibility year.
At the time of his injury, Kuithe, a three-time All-Pac-12 selection, led Utah in receptions (19), receiving yards (206), and receiving touchdowns (3). In 51 career games, the Katy, Texas native caught 148 passes for 1,882 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“I think the most important thing about making a decision like this is making it yours,” Kuithe said Dec. 31 at the Rose Bowl media day in Pasadena. “Don’t base yourself on other people’s because it’s your life, you can’t base yourself on other people’s future and what they want to do with their life. Everyone has different things, so you consider what others are doing, but then you make the decision based on your future and what you need in your life.
Kuithe talking about the future of others refers to the fact that several teammates are also considering NFL draft decisions. Kuithe’s announcement on Monday morning came around 12 hours after compatriot Thomas Yassmin announced on social media that he too would return in 2023 as a sixth-year senior. Yassmin, a native Australian who had never played American football before arriving in Salt Lake City in 2018, had a stellar season with 13 catches for 301 yards and six touchdowns.
Kuithe and Yassmin are both returning but guarantee the Utes will continue to employ ’12’ personnel, i.e. a running back and two tight ends, which they have used to great effect over the past few years. recent seasons. Of the decisions in the NFL Draft, not to mention injury status, still out there who will actually pitch to Kuithe and Yassmin is a topic of great interest.
Fifth-year junior quarterback Cam Rising was injured midway through the third quarter of the Rose Bowl, with head coach Kyle Whittingham later indicating the injury appeared serious. With the severity of the injury not public knowledge, Rising’s decision whether or not to leave Utah became less important than his availability should he return.
College underclassmen have until Jan. 16 to file reporting documents with the NFL for special draft eligibility. A list of approved subclasses for the project is expected to be released on January 20.