Really wish we could have picked up Tufele.

[jamarcus24]

It would have meant more to us than just his talent.  Utah has blown it with instate recruits this year.  Going by Scout’s rankings 6 of the top 10 recruits in this state are going to Pac-12 schools and 2 are byu guys (with many people expecting that to be 3 here soon).  We have 1.  We have to start winning these battles.  Kalani is going to make it really hard for Kyle to win the in-state Polynesian kids.

Having said that, I like that we’re back in Texas this year and I like that we’re seeing needs on offense addressed.  Hopefully we round out the day hanging onto all the commitments we picked up over the last year.

[Anonymous]

I am not saying Utah couldn’t use Tufele or didn’t want him but this was kind of a weird year for Utah. With push forwards and limited recruiting offers I kind of think this year is a mulligan. 

Maybe I am being delusional but it was everyones shot to take advantage of Utah this year. As far as TDS-P goes playing them for the next few years validates them so I don’t worry about Sitake so much.  

[houhi43]

The hard part is that Utah cannot compete with the other “advantages” associated with these powerhouse schools. Yes, Utah has started an upward trend in football, but its the other intangibles that USC can offer that really make it difficult to keep these kids in state. I was listening to sports radio yesterday and the individual mentioned that football aside, some of these schools have in-depth networks to support kids who don’t make it to the NFL. So aside from the national prestige that comes from playing for schools like USC, you are also competing against schools with much deeper pockets and better support systems.

The fact that the Utes have pulled the kids they have, speaks volumes to the recruiting wizardry that Kyle and his staff employ. Given the losses we’ve had, I’m still pretty stoked at the class Kyle has won.

[jamarcus24]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with who we’re signing.  With a depleted secondary and a new OC we really needed speed and skill and that appears to be the focus of this class.  I understand the limitations Utah has, especially when compared to other P5 schools.  It’s more of an annoyance than a bother, for me anyway, that schools like USC, Stanford, Michigan, and even Washington now can come into our state and swing their weight around the way they can.

[houhi43]

We’re on the same page. Like other’s have said, we need to kick some ass, win the division, compete for the conference title and continue to grow the Utah brand. As you said, we are getting better every year and will get there one day.

[GameForAnyFuss]

There are some geographic issues we simply can’t change. Bottom line is, if a Utah kid is a P5-caliber player, he will go to Utah if he wants to be close to home, and he’ll go somewhere else if he wants to be away from home.

Proximity to home is an underrated aspect of recruiting nobody talks about.