Utah coach Kyle Whittingham got on his team early and stayed on the players as Utah made a fast tempo offense the focus of the first day of fall camp.
Whittingham gave the effort mixed reviews, noting it was a "sluggish," effort but he was happy with the quarterbacks' efforts.
Get accustomed to such critiques from Whittingham. After an unsatisfying showing in 2012, Utah's offense is going to be under constant pressure to improve for 2013.
The good news is by most accounts the Utes have what they need to make strides.
Quarterback Travis Wilson, now 6-foot-6, 240, has more confidence than ever thanks to part of a season and a spring session behind him.
The offensive li...

Last spots we'll look at before practice begins today are the special teams. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said the specialists were going to be a priority in fall camp and with good reason. Utah's place-kicking hasn't been a strength recently with Coleman Petersen going 8-for-13 in 2012. He was just 3-of-6 on attempts of 40-yards or more.
The Utes need some consistency here and are looking at sophomore Andy Phillips and freshman Jamie Sutcliffe to lead the battle.
Sophomore Tom Hackett takes over the punting duties after sharing them with Sean Sellwood.
The return game was one of Utah's best areas last year with Reggie Dunn running into the NCAA record books with his five caree...

The Utes will get a little extra help on defense this year with Timpview grad Pita Taumoepenu, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound defensive end/linebacker, accepting an offer to join the Utes.
He had offers from BYU and Utah State, but said he finally decided on the Utes after talking with his mother.
"I had a hard time deciding but I have been a fan of Utah for a long time and I am comfortable there," he said.
Taumoepenu said he hopes to join the team this week after NCAA requirements are met.
"I'm ready to go," he said.

...

The big question mark for Utah's defense is corner, where senior Keith McGill and freshman Justin Thomas are penciled in to start. Whittingham was unhappy with the efforts in the spring so look for this position to get more scrutiny than any other during camp.
The backups are freshman Reginald Porter and junior Davion Orphey but freshman Hipolito Corporan will get plenty of chances to step in and earn playing time too.
Whoever the starters are, Whittingham acknowledges their learning curve must be quick because the pass happy Pac-12 will test Utah's corners from the get-go.

The safeties have two solid returners in Eric Rowe and Tyron Morris-Edwards, but the Utes were ho...

Utah's defensive line took a hit when Joe Kruger opted to leave school early, but even his absence shouldn't prevent the line from being a strength for the Utes.
Nate Orchard and Trevor Reilly are slated to start at end with sophomore Jason Whittingham, who moved from linebacker during spring, as their main backup.
Orchard has had some injury issues in the past but when he is healthy he is a formidable player and earned honorable mention all-Pac-12 honors after finishing his sophomore year with 8.5 tackles for loss.
Reilly is a speedy athletic end who missed spring ball while recuperating from knee surgery. He is healthy now and should be one of the best pass rushers in the le...

Finishing up our look at the offense today with the offensive line and running backs.

First for the backs, where Kelvin York is penciled in to assume the starting role now that John White has moved on.
White earned a reputation as a durable back who got stronger as the games wore on. Can York do the same? Judging from spring ball, his durability could be a concern since he sat out several practices with a lingering foot injury.
When he did practice Utah coach Kyle Whittingham had strong compliments for the 5-11, 220-pound back. His absence wasn't all bad though as backups James Poole, Lucky Radley and Karl Williams all had strong days and will battle for playing time.

Time to take a look at Utah's receivers. Dres Anderson is a proven speedster and Kenneth Scott at 6-foot-3 is a big physical presence for the Utes and the third receiver....well, who is he?
Finding that missing guy is Utah's most pressing issue when camp begins on Monday.
Right now 6-4 senior Anthony Denham is slotted to start, but he has yet to assert himself and has been plagued by injuries. He might have a slight edge based on his experience with the Utes. Freshmen Brian Allen and Delshawn McClellon and senior Sean Fitzgerald, another player whose career unfortunately has had more injuries than highlights, will also get a chance to earn the role.
Another candidate, Quinton ...

On Monday, Utah committed its prized recruit to the program, Roy High's Brekkott Chapman.

Now, the Utes are trying to add the pieces around the talented 6-foot-8 forward.

Kyle Kuzma - a 6-foot-8 small forward from Flint Michigan - will visit Utah on the weekend of September 14th. That will be homecoming weekend, when the football team faces off against Oregon State.

As was the case with Chapman, the competition will be stiff for Kuzma, a shooter and a ballhandler to go with unusual length for his position. Connecticut, Missouri, Florida State, Auburn, Rhode Island, Arizona State and Texas A&M; have all officially offered Kuzma. He played extremely well in Las Vegas las...

We're going to take the next few days and break down Utah by position. Today, we're going to talk quarterbacks.
Sophomore Travis Wilson went 3-4 as the starter last year after Jordan Wynn was forced to retire due to injuries.
One of the interesting developments out of spring ball was the improved play of backup Adam Schulz, a sophomore out of Muskego, Wis., who joined the team as a walk-on.
Schulz has a very strong arm, a trait he memorably demonstrated last year when at the end of a practice session he was able to throw the ball out of the south end of Rice-Eccles Stadium.
He has also gained respect among his teammates and continued to assert himself as a leader during s...

With camp less than a week away, this traditionally is a down week for Utah's players and coaches. They take off for vacations or visits home before turning their focus to getting ready for the 2013 football season.
It's a time of great anticipation, when fans hang onto the edge of their seats wondering which defensive lineman will be the next Star, if quarterback Travis Wilson's starting role will be threatened by the other quarterbacks and which running back will separate himself before the season opener on Aug. 29 against Utah State.
It all seems so trivial and silly now doesn't it? The tragic news that incoming freshman defensive tackle Gaius Vaenuku was killed in a car acciden...

In catching up with Utah defensive end Trevor Reilly and tight end Jake Murphy, it was evident both have put in a lot of work this summer. Reilly has spent a lot of time rehabbing his knee and said he feels much better than he did last year when he played with a torn ACL.
As for Murphy, he said he has slimmed down from his playing weight of 260 pounds last year to 250 this year, with just 10 percent body fat on his 6-foot-4 frame.
He said he and fellow tight end Westlee Tonga have worked on getting slimmer.
"We needed to get more trim and faster," he said. "Last year I felt kind of stiff so I've been working on flexibility too, but we knew as an offense we needed more speed."<...

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham joked Friday that the Utes not only had a new football building but also a new attitude.
Actually, he wasn't joking.
The Utes say they are more focused and more determined than ever to have a successful 2013 season.
Two years of losing records in conference play will do that to a team.
Both tight end Jake Murphy and defensive end Trevor Reilly said the Utes have gone through their summer workouts with a "chip on their shoulder."
As a result, the players are better, the chemistry is better and their outlook is better. The impression at media day, at least from Murphy and Reilly, is the Utes are tired of being thought as the newest members o...

With camps starting in about a week for most teams, the preseason speculation is in high gear. It will be interesting to see where the Utes land in the Pac-12 preseason poll released Friday.
I slotted the Utes in at No. 4 in their division, behind ASU, UCLA, USC and ahead of Arizona and Colorado.
Several other polls have the Utes in fifth, behind Arizona. However, that Oct. 19 game at Arizona is just the kind of typical game the Utes have been able to win in the past. I think the Utes will thrive in an underdog role and sneak out with a win.
Looking at the schedule, I think a 7-5 or even a 6-6 season would be a good year for the Utes. Utah fans may want more wins, but the addi...

Sure sign that the college football isn't far away is the start of the annual Pac-12 media blitz. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and other South Pac-12 coaches will spend Thursday inside ESPN's 'Car Wash," doing interviews with SportsCenter, Front Row and others.
Friday it's the Pac-12 media day in Los Angeles, where Whittingham will be joined by tight end Jake Murphy and defensive end Trevor Reilly for interviews.
- Lya Wodraska
...

In the last few weeks, Utah coaches have been traveling the west coast, evalutating talent in an attempt to bolster their roster through the all-important element of recruiting.

On Tuesday morning, the Utes didn't have to go far in order to offer an official scholarship.

Noah Togiai, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard out of Hunter High, now has an offer from Utah. Togiai is a Class of 2015 prospect. He and Granger big man Makol Mawien are the two instate kids that the Utes have officially offered.

Togiai has impressed in the last few months with his athleticism and his shooting. He has already been offered by Utah State. Togiai plays with Utah Pump N' Run, and will be in Las...

With Louisiana quarterback Donovan Isom on board for the 2014 recruiting class, it's unlikely the Utes will take another quarterback, unless a big time player falls into their laps.
The Utes were also recruiting Brandon Dawkins, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback out of Westlake Village, Calif., who has offers from Arizona and Notre Dame and Jarrett Hildreth, a quarterback out of League City, Texas.
The 6-foot-5 Isom sounds like the kind of guy they want though since he is a dual-threat quarterback who can also play defense.
The Utes went after Isom hard when Aaron Sharp switched his commitment from Utah to Kansas State, but it doesn't sound like Isom is more solid in his deci...

Utah picked up the quarterback it wanted for its 2014 class when Donovan Isom, a 6-foot-5 quarterback out of Destrehan, Louisiana, committed to the Utes following an unofficial visit this week.
He became Utah's target when Texas quarterback Aaron Sharp switched his commitment from Utah to Kansas State less than 24 hours after committing to the Utes.
Isom, a dual-threat quarterback, was recruited by Utah co-offensive coordinator Brian Johnson. He is the 10th player to commit to Utah for 2014.

- Lya Wodraska...

The Utes keep talking about digging into the deep recruiting areas of the Pac-12 like California and Texas, but so far for their 2014 class they are staying close to home with six of their nine commitments coming from in-state players with East's Joe Tukuafu committing Monday.
While some fans may wonder why Utah isn't landing more out-of-state guys, there is no reason to worry. Utah always makes it a priority to recruit local players first and local players have a tendency of committing earlier than out-of-state players.
One Utah player the Utes would love to add to their list is Bingham tight end Dalton Schultz, who is being recruited by virtually every major program in the countr...

Utah baseball player Trey Nielsen is part of a growing trend as he has decided to forgo his senior year at Utah after getting drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in last month's draft.
He is the sixth Ute since 2008 to leave school early after being drafted.
Nielsen, who was a 30th round pick, signed with the Cardinals on Thursday. He hit .232 for the Utes and led the team with 13 doubles. He also led Utah with 24 RBI and tied for the team lead with three home runs.
He also had a .367 slugging percentage and was 6-of-8 in stolen bases.
Nielsen, who was drafted as a pitcher, had just four appearances for the Utes on the mound due to injury and finished with seven strikeout...

This is a critical month for Utah in its effort to secure commitments for next season. The Utes don't yet have a commitment in the class of 2014, and will have three open scholarships as Renan Lenz is a rising senior. Parker Van Dyke will head on an LDS Church Mission following his freshman season. There is an open scholarship from this past season, but at this point it's highly unlikely Utah will use it on anyone, as the Utes pretty much have a full team heading into the new year.

Wednesday marked the first day of the evaluation period, and that will last through the remainder of the month. In the following three weeks, the Utah staff will be on the road recruiting and will be at ...

Former Ute Paul Soliai, now with the Miami Dolphins, has become the latest former player to donate to Utah as it was announced Tuesday he was donating $250,000 for the new football center.
His contribution will fund the Paul and LeTasha Soliai Player Lounge.
"They gave me the opportunity to play and as a kid from Samoa, it's something I'm thankful for every day," he said in a release. "Without the university giving me a scholarship to play the sport I love, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Soliai played in 24 games from 2005-06 for the Utes and was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft by Miami.
Alex Smith ($500,000), Jordan Gross ($500,000), Steve Smith ($25...

Those who cherish the BYU-Utah football rivalry can breathe a sigh of relief as it appears the two rivals are committed to continue the series.
Pending the approval from the Pac-12, Utah and BYU will play in 2017 and 2018, Utah athletic director Chris Hill said via a youtube announcement on Tuesday.
The teams won't play each other in 2014 and 2015 when the Utes are scheduled to play Michigan.
Hill has expressed concern in the past about over-scheduling the Utes now that they are in the Pac-12, but obviously Tuesday's announcement is proof Hill has a genuine interest in maintaining the series.
So what do you think Utah fans? Excited to see the series will continue? And an...

The Utes landed a big in-state recruit Monday with Kyle Christiansen, a 6-foot-4, 320-pound lineman out of Mountain Crest H.S., committing to the Utes.
Christiansen said he will go on a mission in January before joining the Utes, but is solid in his commitment.
"I couldn't be happier," he said. "I wanted to do this now so I can focus on my senior year."
Christiansen had offers from Utah State, BYU and Hawaii. He said he went with the Utes because of the atmosphere.
"There is a lot of team unity there and that is what I want," he said.

- Lya Wodraska...

The Utah-BYU rivalry might not be as big as it once was in the eyes' of some Utah fans now that the Utes are in the Pac-12, but the 2012 game was one to remember, with Utah taking a 24-21 win after a missed field goal attempt by BYU.
The Cougars had a chance at the 36-yard game-tying field goal when Utah fans rushed the field too soon following a missed field goal attempt by the Cougars, resulting in an unsportsmanlike penalty.
The wild finish made the game one of ESPN's top games of 2012, coming in at No. 24 out of a list of Top 25 games.
You can check out the list on the website. The order of the Top 5 games will be decided through a fan poll.
ESPNU will televise all th...

Apparently, a day can make a big difference with a recruit.

On Friday, Utah was euphoric over Aaron Sharp's commitment, a quarterback out of Houston Texas and one of the best dual threat prospects in the country.

By Saturday, Sharp was no longer a Ute. In what was a hasty switch, Sharp de-committed to Utah and pledged his services to Kansas State.

What happened to bring along the change in decision? Not many knows at this juncture. All that most are sure about is the fact that the Utes had their top quarterback target committed and now he's gone.

On some level, this isn't a unique situation. De-committments in college football recruiting happen all the time, mu...

A month before training camp is scheduled to start, Utah football gains a huge victory on the recruiting trail.

Aaron Sharp - a 6-foot-3 quarterback out of Texas - is now a Ute, per his twitter.

One of the best dual-threat signal callers in the country, Sharp made the announcement on Friday night, picking Kyle Whittingham's team over Baylor, Mississippi State, Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas State and Houston. In addition to those schools - from whom he had scholarship offers - Sharp was receiving interest from Ohio State, Alabama and LSU.

It amounts to a big win for Utah, as Sharp was the top ranked quarterback prospect on the recruiting board. As an athlete, Sharp h...

Before this spring, Makol Mawien was a relative unknown.

Then the 6-foot-9 center from Granger High enjoyed two of the most productive months of his young basketball career.

Last week, Utah offered Mawien a scholarship, the first hard offer the Utes have doled out for the Class of 2015. Mawien has been on Utah’s campus in an unofficial capacity. He plays AAU basketball for the Utah Prospects Under-16 team. It’s the same AAU team that Brekkott Chapman plays for, the 6-9 power forward from Roy High School who is the top recruiting target for the Utes in the 2014 class.

Utah volleyball player Shelby Dalton is one of 13 Pac-12 players who are beginning a tour of China this weekend.
The team, led by USC coach Mick Haley, will compete in six matches against Chinese teams.
Some of the matches will be shown on the Pac-12 Networks. For more information, check out the schedule on the league's website.
- Lya Wodraska
...

Bobby Hartzog, a 5-foot-10 receiver out of Houston, Texas, has had a change of heart and has decided Utah is the place for him to play college ball.
Hartzog committed to the Houston Cougars less than two weeks ago after participating in a junior day.
However he said he had regrets soon after the announcement.
"I think I committed too soon," he said. "Me and my parents have been talking about it and we just decided Utah was the place for me."
Hartzog, who has run a 4.49 in the 40, will play corner for the Utes, but said where he plays wasn't a factor in his decision.
"I'll play either one," he said. "I just want to play football."
He is a former teammate of Hipol...

Utah's athletics department set a record for its multi-year Academic Performance Report released Tuesday with Utah averaging 981 in the report, an improvement from its previous best of 978 set a year ago.
The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation of student-athletes on scholarship. The NCAA minimum requirement is 925.
The Utes' gymnastics team was recognized for a multi-year APR that ranks in the top 10-percent of all Division I gymnastics teams with a perfect 1,000 multi-year APR, to tie for first in the Pac-12 with Arizona and California.
Women's cross country tied for second with an APR of 994 and football ranked third with an APR of 963.
Other teams j...

Utah's men's basketball team is adding a familiar name to its staff as former player Chris Burgess is joining the staff as an undergraduate assistant coach.
Burgess transferred from Duke to Utah in 1999 and started 21 of 27 games in which he played in the 2000-01 season.
Unfortunately his career was hampered by injuries, including one to his right plantar fascia that ended his senior year prematurely. He was averaging 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds at the time of his injury.
Following his college career, Burgess played for the Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards from 2002-06 as well as playing overseas.
"He will be a valuable asset to our program due to his ...

An official offer has gone out to Kyle Kuzma - a 6-foot-8 small forward from Michigan - The Tribune has learned.

Kuzma is known on the AAU circuit as a shooter. He's a three-star prospect with official offers from Texas A&M;, Penn State and Rhode Island, along with Utah.

He has additional interest from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Temple. He is a member of the class of 2014.

Kuzma was born in Flint Michigan - a place where Michigan State does much of its recruiting. He plays his high school basketball in Philadelphia at Rise Academy. In a recent interview he said he patterns his game after Klay Thompson, who plays for the Golden State Warriors. Ironic, because video ...

Utah's gymnastics team was recognized by the NCAA in an NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program Public Recognition Announcement on Wednesday for its continued success in academics.
The gymnastics team has been in the top 10 percent of all gymnastics teams in the Academic Performance report which accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation.
The Utes also posted the highest GPA among all Utah varsity teams in 2012-13 with a 3.772 GPA. Team member Hailee Hansen was recently named to the Capital One Academic All-District VIII at large first team for her 3.958 cumulative GPA.

...

The Pac-12 made a big splash with Monday's announcement of its Student-Athlete Health Initiative, which will be a $3.5 million commitment in research grants aimed at improving student-athlete health and well being.
A majority of the focus will be on researching ways to limit cumulative head trauma in sports, particularly football where the rate of concussions continues to be a concern.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said stricter limits will be imposed for contact in practices than the five days the NCAA currently allows. The limits will be announced at the Pac-12 media day on July 26.
While some college football fans might be fearful of any rules that could be perceived as s...

Looking at a report by Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News, it appears the Utes are doing Ok financially, with the Utes receiving $4,079,028 in distribution funds for the 2011-12 year. While that amount is far below Stanford and Oregon, which led the league with $15,651,602 and $15,200,450 in revenue, Utah's haul is much higher than it was getting in the MWC, where $1.2 million was considered a good amount.
Utah will receive a larger chunk in the coming years as it moves to full membership in 2014-15. The Utes will receive a 75 percent cut in 2013-14.
Such fiscal reports might show progress for the Utes in revenue, but Utah athletic director Chris Hill maintains Utah is far fro...

The Arena Auditorium opened in 1982 for the University of Wyoming.

For the first time in thse 31 years, the Arena will be renovated.

Nothing serious. Just a makeover, a few renovations for a school that can't afford to see its marquee venue fall behind the remainder of the Mountain West.

Why should Utah fans care?

Well because, the Arena Auditorium may as well be a twin sister to the Huntsman Center.

In this video - http://www.gowyo.com/allaccess/?media=390139 - one can see that the dimensions, inside and out, are a dead ringer to the Huntsman.

With the Huntsman scheduled for upgrades, this could be a sneak peak at what's to come on the hill...

Utah fans had better get accustomed to late kickoffs in the Pac-12, as it appears the Utes are destined to play several late games in 2013 just as they did a year ago.
The league announced Wednesday that home games against Oregon State on Sept. 14 and against UCLA on Thursday, Oct. 3 will kick off at 8 p.m.
Both will be televised by FOX Sports 1, FOX's new national network that will replace the Speed Channel in the cable and satellite lineups in August.
The league also announced Utah's home game against Utah State on Thursday, Aug. 29 will kick off at 6 p.m. and will be televised by FOX Sports 1 as well.
Utah's home game against Weber State on Sept. 7 will start at noon a...

Utah's athletic teams set a department record for their highest cumulative GPA for the spring semester. The teams averaged a 3.153 GPA for the spring, up from their previous high of 3.136 in the spring of 2012. According to the school's release, 278 out of 434 athletes made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll with a GPA of 3.0 or better for 2012-13.

- Lya Wodraska
...

The 6-foot-8 power forward out of Roy High school has played well enough on the AAU circuit this spring to land himself two premier invites.

Chapman will attend the Pangos All-American Camp. He will also attend the NBA Top 100 Camp, annually the most difficult camp to get an invitation from. The last Utah player to receive an invite there was Kyle Collinsworth, who will be a sophomore at BYU next season.

While Chapman is at the Pangos Camp, he is expected to take a visit to UCLA. He received an original offer from the Bruins. Then Ben Howland got fired. The new coaching staff saw Chapman play well at an AAU event in Kansas City and re-solidified the offer.

Chapman st...

At the end of his freshman season, Utah freshman forward Jordan Loveridge weighed in at 242 pounds.

The power forward/small forward looks a little different now.

Loveridge is a little smaller now, 227 pounds to be exact. That's the product of a strict workout plan, along with smarter eating habits. He doesn't want to stop there, as Loveridge could enter his sophomore season at 220 pounds.

His weight has always been something for him to watch. And while Loveridge was matchup problem as a stretch power forward this year in Larry Krystkowiak's offense, his goal is to move to small forward at some point in his Ute career.

That probably won't happen this year, at l...

Most Utah fans remember Tim Davis as a two-time offensive line coach for the Utes, once in the 1990’s and then again in 2011.

Now, he will be remembered for something different.

Now the offensive line coach at the University of Florida, Davis made national news this week, referring to Alabama coach Nick Saban by the name of Satan.

According to Sports Illustrated, Davis was addressing a booster club in Melbourne Florida when he made the controversial comments.

“I’ve always wanted to work with Will,” Davis said. “Will’s ...

Two weeks ago, Austin Montgomery committed to Utah basketball. Yesterday, the 6-foot-8 power forward made it official.

An athlete from out of Georgia, Montgomery will immediately leave to serve an LDS Church Mission in Texas. He will be on academic scholarship when he returns to Salt Lake City in two years.

Utah still has a scholarship left over in the 2013 class. Odds are the Utes will hold it for next year. There is the small chance they could use it this year if someone emerges that the coaching staff thinks can help.

With all of the off-season changes, the roster appears to be set.

Utah appears to have depth in the backcourt, with a number of newcomers. A f...

John White, Utah's work horse of a running back, is getting an opportunity at the pro level as he has agreed to a contract with the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League, according to his representative, Derrick Fox.
The 5-foot-8 White was the only running back in Utah history to gain 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.
He set school records for career rushing yards per game (106.7) and career 100-yard games (14).
White also finished his career ranked sixth in career rushing yards (2,560), fourth all-time in career rushes (534) and tied for fourth in career rushing touchdowns (23).
White was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2012 and second team selection in ...

While there were no 'formal' discussions about the possibility of moving to an 8-game football schedule at the recent Pac-12 meetings according to Utah athletic director Chris Hill, the topic was certainly bantered about among the coaches, whose ultimate desire is to have a consistent format for all conferences.
As for Hill, he said he prefers keeping the 9-game schedule.
"I like playing as many Pac-12 teams as possible," he said.
One of the reasons he feels it is important to do so is for strength of schedule, a factor that will become a bigger player once college football employs its new post-season format.
"We feel that is why the Big Ten is going to nine games (in 201...

The Pac-12 held a teleconference today in a review of spring football. The two common themes were injuries and the coaches' wish of having some consistency in scheduling conference games.
The coaches believe it is important all conferences have the same number of conference games and a league championship game as college football incorporates a playoff system.
"If we are going to have a playoff, we should have some sort of stabilizing rules so it is consistent with every single team," noted Cal coach Sonny Dykes.
He also admitted he doesn't know how such a schedule could be created.
Kurt Kragthorpe, our Pac-12 blogger, will hit on that topic this week.

Like the ...

Star Lotulelei to the Carolina Panthers? We should have guessed that, given Carolina's history.
Lotulelei, taken as the 14th pick in the first round by Carolina in the 2013 NFL draft Thursday, joins a line of Utes who have played for the Panthers.
The current roster includes tackle Jordan Gross (1st round, No. 8, 2003) and receiver Steve Smith (3rd round, 74th overall, 2001).
Defensive back R.J. Stanford was taken in the seventh round (223rd overall) in 2010 before moving onto Miami.
Other players who had stints in Carolina are receiver Kevin Dyson (1998) and defensive tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu (2002).
In addition, former Ute Fred Graves (1969-71) coached the receivers ...

Star Lotulelei's big day has arrived with the NFL draft tonight. He has been projected to go from anywhere from No. 4 to Philadelphia all the way to No. 26 in Peter King's mock draft.
I'd be shocked if Lotulelei fell that far. His stock slipped some when his health was brought into question, but since recent heart exams showed his heart does function properly, I can't imagine teams would hesitate to take him.
Lotulelei isn't the only Ute who is hoping to get drafted. Joe Kruger left a year early, a decision that surprised the coaches and many observers who thought he may have benefited from another year.
Personally, I'd like to see Reggie Dunn get a chance too after his electr...

Utah fans have two more chances to catch the Utes in action this spring, with a practice scheduled today at the practice fields from 3-to-4:45 p.m. and the Red-White game on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
You can check out an interview with Utah coach Kyle Whittingham here on the Pac-12 Network, which is filming all the league's spring games.
Usually teams covet tape of opponents, but Whittingham said there isn't much value to the spring tapes for scouting purposes since the session is considered more of a teaching session for up and coming players rather than one based on strategy.
"It's still good to have them on hand and it's something to take a look at," he said. "But we...

Utah's gymnastics team claimed five of the 12 spots on the First Team Pac-12 All-Academic team which was released Wednesday.
Lia Del Priore (3.84, math teaching), Hailee Hansen (3.95, communications), Mary Beth Lofgren (3.9, Health-Ed), Becky Tutka (3.81, business) and Corrie Lothrop (3.7, Health-Ed) all made the First Team.
Georgia Dabritz (3.64, undecided), Nansy Damianova (3.49, Mass communication) and Tory Wilson (3.65, Biology) all made the second team.
The Utes left Wednesday for the NCAA Championships that start in Los Angeles on Friday. Utah is the 10th seed and will compete against Oklahoma, Alabama, UCLA, Michigan and Arkansas on Friday with the top three teams advan...

Even though senior Kelvin York hasn't been at full strength due to a lingering toe injury, Utah hasn't seen its talent level dip at the running back spot. If anything, the Utes are closing out their spring practice feeling very good about the position as senior Karl Williams, sophomore James Poole and junior Lucky Radley have all had strong sessions.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said following Tuesday's practice the battle between all four backs is a close one and said the Utes could play as many as four backs next season.
"There are a lot of ways we can use them besides just in the backfield," he said. "We will try to maximize the talent we have."
While York and Williams are k...