Vele as a TE/slot receiver

[chinngiskhaan]

Any chance Vele bulks up and takes over DKs role?

[SteelUte]

Na, We have Kuite and Yasmin. We need a threat out wide.

 

[chinngiskhaan]

We don’t need receivers. We need players that can get open and catch the ball. Vele has not demonstrated the ability to get open against smaller/faster DBs. He would fare muuuuch better against linebackers if could put on 15 lbs and keep his current level of speed/quickness. There is a reason he is rarely targeted despite the fact that he has great hands… it’s because he can’t get open. He isn’t going to magically get faster this offseason.

Either the scheme needs to adjust, or he needs to change positions… or he isn’t going to get the ball more.

[Utah]

I’d vote no. You have Kuithe and Yassman. You also have McClain. We don’t talk about him much but when he was a freshman at USC he was seen as the next great WR until he got hurt. It was off the field weirdness that had him leave USC. And he came to Utah as a WR and has switched to TE. He played more and more as the season went on. If he had potential to be USC’s best WR as a freshman, then I think it’s worth it to not write him off either. 

And, if spring ball goes poorly for him, I bet we will bring in another TE after spring ball when then next wave of transfers happens. 

We desperately need WR’s. We need Vele at WR. Heck, I hope a big time WR transfers after spring ball and we can convince him to come here to play with Rising. Then we’d be stacked almost everywhere. 

[concerned]

IIRC, McLain came from UCLA.  Also IIRC, his first year here he was tagged as being lazy.

[Rick]

Concerned,

I don’t know anything about McLain before he came to Utah except that he was at USC.

[Johnny]

McClain Bio

[Utah]

Dude, get your story straight. Don’t throw out lies and accusations that make others look bad when you don’t know. 

https://www.deseret.com/2022/4/15/23025190/utah-football-munir-mcclain-kyle-whittingham-tight-ends-pac-12?_amp=true

https://www.conquestchronicles.com/platform/amp/2019/8/12/20791997/usc-football-munir-mcclain-having-a-strong-showing-in-fall-camp

https://usc.rivals.com/news/munir-mcclain-usc-football-next-up

[PhiladelphiaUte]

Vele doesn’t have the body type/bone structure to pack on “Kinkaid” levels of muscle/weight.  He’ll still need to add muscle to ensure his NFL draftability, but he’ll never reach the requisite size for a “TE” spot.

[Trailgoat]

Agree on goto WR threat, just that guy other teams need to keep an eye along with Kuite and the speedy slots. Having Kuithe on the field alone is a big coverage problem for teams. Props to Cam putting the team on his back getting the ball to Parks and Dixon in space after Kincaid went out. Parks is no joke, he’s going to have a BIG year next Fall. Curious to see if Cope, Mbanasor, Johnson, or others in the WR room step up and become that goto WR threat. Mbanasor has all the raw talent and frame to emerge as a possible goto ball hawk on the outide the Utes badly need. Cope got some good reps this past season.

[noneyadb]

Vele at TE? He’d have to put on 40+lbs not 15. Not happening. Rising would have a better transition to TE over Vele. Honestly Rising probably needs to make that move to get playing time at the next level.

[RustyShackleford]

Not a chance. However utah needs a legit WR1 that can get open on anyone. We saw in the RB that no one could get open so Penn st just blitzed and got to the QB before anyone was open.