Utah Football: Bringing In A Few Key Official Visitors From The Transfer Portal
Dec 17, 2024, 10:37 PM | Updated: Dec 18, 2024, 2:22 pm
Offensive Coordinator Jason Beck. Getty Photo.
SALT LAKE CITY— Utah football has been on a bit of a roll since landing quarterback Devon Dampier last week. The staff added six more commitments over the weekend, and have an opportunity to keep that momentum rolling this week as well.
With Jason Beck leading the way in Utah’s offensive makeover, the program will welcome a few visitors to campus for official visits that could help in that regard.
Currently, running back Wayshawn Parker, receiver Joseph Williams, and offensive tackle Kalolo Ta’aga will be on campus for official visits over the next couple of days.
Running Back Wayshawn Parker
Parker is arguably the top running back in the portal and one of the top players, regardless of position. He finished the 2024 season with 735 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns, while adding another touchdown and 108 yards on 11 receptions.
After a fantastic true freshman campaign at Washington State, Parker has been a bit of a hot commodity. He originally had visits scheduled for Arizona, Ole Miss, USC, and Utah but swapped out Ole Miss for UCLA before ultimately canceling his visits to the two Los Angeles schools.
This is now down to Arizona and Utah, and the Utes will get the last word before his decision. Not only that, but Utah’s new running back coach was his position coach at Washington State, which has given Utah a bit of an upper hand in his recruitment.
Plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Utah’s chances with Parker.
Receiver Joseph Williams
A 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver that made an instant impact as a true freshman this season. He caught 30 passes for 588 yards and 5 touchdowns, which largely came in the back half of the schedule.
That’s made him one of the most coveted players in the portal this cycle. Williams has already completed two visits(USC and Mississippi State) and has two more (Washington and Colorado) following his time in Salt Lake City.
He’s a big priority for Utah and would provide a big boost in the receiver room. After a terrific freshman season, Williams could step into a big role in a new offense at Utah. Of the three, this one feels like it will be the toughest competition, but Utah will be in the thick of it for him.
Offensive Tackle Kalolo Ta’aga
A 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive tackle from USC, Ta’aga should be a fairly familiar name for Utah fans. Ta’aga was a recruit in last year’s class that Utah was heavily involved with. His recruitment ultimately boiled down to USC and Utah before he committed to the Trojans.
Ta’aga will arrive in Salt Lake City tomorrow after an official visit to Arizona. Tackle isn’t a big need for Utah, but adding a player with Ta’aga’s potential never hurts.
He redshirted this season at USC and will have four seasons of eligibility. He needs some development but has tremendous potential and would be an ideal fit behind Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu.
Arizona will be tough competition, given Ta’aga was previously committed to Brent Brennan at San Jose State. However, Utah has a very good chance of adding him to the mix.
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It won’t be finalized until tomorrow, but Utah could add another visitor for Wednesday and is working to finalize other visits over the weekend.
