Utes not lagging behind
National letter of intent day for college football programs is still four months away, but go to any recruiting Web site around and you will see that a lot of top teams already have 15-20 commitments.
Brigham Young University, for instance, already has 19 oral commitments -- 16 from high school seniors and three from junior college prospects. The Cougars only have four or five spots left.
With just nine known commitments, then, the University of Utah is seemingly behind the pack when it comes to gathering oral pledges, right?
Not really, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham told The Recruiting Trail recently.
First of all, Utah doesn't have the typical 25 scholarships available this year, Whittingham said, because the Utes have a bunch of missionaries returning that will take some of those spots.
"We only have about seven or eight more spots to give," Whittingham said when asked why Utah has a lower number of commitments than most programs. "Plus, we like to be able to have some spots to give as things get closer to signing day. You know, certain players may become available just prior to signing day."
Whittingham said when a program gets its commitments is irrelevant. Signing day is the only day when timing matters.
"My philosophy is, 'We don't want to rush things,' " he said. "We want to get the best players possible, and sometimes that means hanging on to a few scholarships later in the process so you have some room in case you find or come across a kid you really want."
For instance, Whittingham said former All-American defensive back Eric Weddle was a player the Utes discovered later in the process.
The term "soft commitment" has entered into the recruiting lexicon the past few years, and it seems that commitments don't mean as much as they used to. Last year, for example, Florida coach Urban Meyer was able to get several recruits who had committed to other schools to change their minds just before signing day.
"It is the exception, rather than the rule," Whittingham said. "I would say that most commitments stick, but not all of them."
Within Utah, the Utes have commitments from just three players: Bingham lineman Derek Tuimauga, Copper Hills lineman Sealver Siliga and Copper Hills receiver Kendrick Moeai. They have made scholarship offers to four others who remain uncommitted: Alta running back Sausan Shakerin, Timpanogos defensive end David Kruger, Cottonwood linebacker Lynn Katoa and Judge Memorial defensive back Lewis Walker.
But that doesn't mean Utah coaches have put their recruiting emphasis elsewhere, the coach said.
"The state of Utah is getting better each year," he said. "The state is putting out more D-I players each and every year. I can't put a number on what is left, but I know that we make the state of Utah a priority. We try to make sure we don't miss anybody."
Brigham Young University, for instance, already has 19 oral commitments -- 16 from high school seniors and three from junior college prospects. The Cougars only have four or five spots left.
With just nine known commitments, then, the University of Utah is seemingly behind the pack when it comes to gathering oral pledges, right?
Not really, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham told The Recruiting Trail recently.
First of all, Utah doesn't have the typical 25 scholarships available this year, Whittingham said, because the Utes have a bunch of missionaries returning that will take some of those spots.
"We only have about seven or eight more spots to give," Whittingham said when asked why Utah has a lower number of commitments than most programs. "Plus, we like to be able to have some spots to give as things get closer to signing day. You know, certain players may become available just prior to signing day."
Whittingham said when a program gets its commitments is irrelevant. Signing day is the only day when timing matters.
"My philosophy is, 'We don't want to rush things,' " he said. "We want to get the best players possible, and sometimes that means hanging on to a few scholarships later in the process so you have some room in case you find or come across a kid you really want."
For instance, Whittingham said former All-American defensive back Eric Weddle was a player the Utes discovered later in the process.
The term "soft commitment" has entered into the recruiting lexicon the past few years, and it seems that commitments don't mean as much as they used to. Last year, for example, Florida coach Urban Meyer was able to get several recruits who had committed to other schools to change their minds just before signing day.
"It is the exception, rather than the rule," Whittingham said. "I would say that most commitments stick, but not all of them."
Within Utah, the Utes have commitments from just three players: Bingham lineman Derek Tuimauga, Copper Hills lineman Sealver Siliga and Copper Hills receiver Kendrick Moeai. They have made scholarship offers to four others who remain uncommitted: Alta running back Sausan Shakerin, Timpanogos defensive end David Kruger, Cottonwood linebacker Lynn Katoa and Judge Memorial defensive back Lewis Walker.
But that doesn't mean Utah coaches have put their recruiting emphasis elsewhere, the coach said.
"The state of Utah is getting better each year," he said. "The state is putting out more D-I players each and every year. I can't put a number on what is left, but I know that we make the state of Utah a priority. We try to make sure we don't miss anybody."
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