Should we do a daily feature on Ute Players…What do you think? Devaughn Vele:

[Ute Dub]

This is Devaughn Vele (WR, picture below (he’s on the left)) 6’4″ 205 lbs out of Sand Diego, CA. Kyle Whittingham said this week that Devaughn is the biggest [positive] surprise in spring camp and currently the 4th best WR on the team behind Covey, Dixon, Enis. Vele is bigger than Bryan Thompson by 2 inches and will play the same spot as the UofU to ASU transfer. Vele will play opposite of Enis, as Covey and Dixon will mostly play inside, although last season Vele did play in the slot a little. Vele will have an advantage in the red zone because of his height and a good wingspan, thus making his catch radius very large. Last season, Vele caught a 9 yard pass in trafick against USC. He is a redshirt freshman according to the UofU Football roster, but is older than most, having served a 2 year LDS mission. Vele has actually been in the program for 3 years now, wut? In HS he played for III-A Rancho Bernardo and in the State Championship game gained 126 yard receiving with two touch downs and an interception in a win. If this top 4 receiver group can stay healthy, this might be the best year to absorb the losses at WR – Only because the TE group is so good with Kuithe, Fotheringham and Kincaide. Kuithe is really a receiver, right guys?

[idahoute]

Nice bio, Thanks!

We need DV and SE to get open in space!  CB will make the throw.  CB is not here to hand the ball off.  I believe we will throw more this year than recent past.

[Utesbyfive]

Our trio of great TEs, plus Covey, Solo, Dixon and Vele… We damn well better throw more.

[Ute Dub]

Micah Bernard can play slot as well so look to see him catch some passes out of the backfield and i’m sure Ludwig has audibles where he moves Bernard to the slot from the backfield to force the linebacker to show his coverage. I think the throw game will do well. Hope I didn’t jinx it by calling it the throw game.

[stbone]

There are frequently concerns because Devaughn is a walk-on. This was not because of his lower-level athleticism, but rather because his HS did not feature him. Devaughn’s HS team was very run-heavy, and so Devaughn was not featured in the offense. However, Devaughn did everything he was asked to do (he was brought in as FS at key moments in big games) and was always (every game I saw) the best athlete on the field. He is a tough kid and a great competitor. I don’t know how the recruiting services missed so badly on him, but I am glad that the U got him.

[2008 National Champ]

recruiting rankings shouldn’t have anything to do with his being a walk-on. Whitt doesn’t need to consult 247 or Rivals before offering a kid a scholarship.

[stbone]

Recruiting rankings have everything to do with whether you offer a scholarship. A coach’s job is to get the best players at the lowest cost. Because Devaughn was unappreciated by rankings groups, the demand for his services was very low, and Whit was able to get him very, very cheap.

[2008 National Champ]

no, the player’s ability as shown on tape and based on coach’s research into said player is what leads to an offer. if a recruiting ranking happens to agree with the coach’s assessment, great.

take a look at the offers Utah has made for this years class. There are 2 RB’s and 2 WR’s who do not have a ranking on 247 that have received offers (i didn’t go through all positions since my point was already made).

Getting a good player that others overlooked is how Whitt built the program. But to my original point, the fact that Vele did not have a recruiting ranking has nothing to do with whether he walked on. If it did, then the reverse would be true also and every kid with a ranking would be on scholarship at Utah.

[stbone]

I think you missed my point.

Demand is driven up by ratings. Not being rated hurts demand. You don’t give scholarships to players that you can get without a scholarship, because not all players pan out.

[CB]

Recruiting rankings have everything to do with whether you offer a scholarship

 

Guess what stbone. 247sports had Devin Lloyd ranked as a high 2 star, and had Nephi Sewell as a low 2 star. We all know they missed big time on arguably the best LB duo in the country. Our coaching staff is elite at identifying talent, and that includes recruits that don’t have rankings on 3rd party sites. So no, you’re wrong buddy.

[AlohaUte]

You can thank me (not really), he was in my ward when he was in High School. I was chatting with him in the hall and asked about playing after High School. He said he hoped to land at a Pac-12 school. I told him he needed to end up at Utah! He chuckled and said something like “I’d take it”. Lo and behold, a couple years later he’s at the U.

[AlphaUte]

I can’t wait anymore. They’re going to be good.