Utah

The Utes have looked to add more speed so they can have a chance against the uber-athletic PAC-12. Last season, the lack of speed at playmaking positions severely hurt the Utes against conference opponents, and Coach Kyle Whittingham knows that the only way to gain an edge is to add more talent at skill positions.

Utah brings in nine wide receivers, tight ends and running backs, along with line help to reload a strength of the defense. The most notable of the recruits is Andre Lewis, a four star commit from Diablo Valley College in California.

Utah State

Utah State is working hard to bring in talent under the new coaching staff led by Matt Wells. The Aggies are led by talented sophomore quarterback Chuckie Keeton, and finished 11-2 under Gary Anderson.

The Aggies had a strong defensive effort last season, finishing with the seventh best defense in the country, giving up only 15.4 points a game.  In an attempt to bolster the offense, the Aggies recruited 12 offensive players, including six wideouts and running backs. Two of the wide receivers, Ronald Butler and Hayden Weichers, have top end speed, running the 40 meter in 4.5 seconds.

BYU

BYU struggled with injuries on the offensive line last season, with four players suffering season ending injuries. Bronco Mendenhall and Robert Anae recruited eight new offensive lineman, hoping to find multi-year starters in Brayden Kearsley, De’ondre Wesley, and Thomas Shoaf.

With the healthy return of Taysom Hill next season, Anae will look to install more quarterback running plays than in his previous time as offensive coordinator. With the return of Kyle Van Noy, the defense will hope to find someone to step up and fill the void left by the departure of Romney Fuga on the defensive line.

Look for Moroni Laula-Pututau and Talon Shumway to have opportunities to compete for time on offense, and for Chasen Anderson to have a strong role on defense in the future. The Cougars are also strengthened by the missionary recruits, with eight players coming back after their two-year mission. Watch any BYU game and you’ll be sure to hear a few of them mentioned, especially referring to how their age gives them advantage over younger players – it’s a broadcast cliche that must be met.

More information on football recruits for all of your local universities (we see you, Weber State and Southern Utah) can be found by clicking here.