December is the new February in Utah's football program, just as coach Kyle Whittingham predicted last year.
In the third year of the NCAA's accelerated timetable for recruiting, the December signing period that goes from Wednesday through Friday is “continuing to gain momentum,” Whittingham said.
In the 2019 recruiting class, about half of Utah’s signees joined the program in December and the other half came in February. If this week plays out as the Utes hope, they could be left with only one or two scholarships available. That fits into the national trend, by Whittingham’s account, especially among Power Five programs.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Utes had 11 commitments from high school players, plus two quarterbacks transferring from other schools and five returning LDS Church missionaries. And they’re awaiting the decisions — or announcements, anyway — of as many as a half-dozen players who could significantly elevate the class, according to recruiting experts.
“We really like where we are right now and what we anticipate happening,” Whittingham said Tuesday. “We know the majority of our [recruits'] decisions; there's just a couple out there that are still in question.”
Among the players who have yet to announce their choices are Nate Ritchie, a safety from Lone Peak High School; Xavier Carlton, a defensive end from Juan Diego; Sione Fotu, a linebacker from Bingham; and Van Fillinger, a defensive lineman from Corner Canyon, who recently reopened his recruitment after originally committing to Texas. Connor O’Toole, a receiver from Albuquerque, N.M., is considering Baylor and Utah.
“I expect Utah's class to go from being solid to one of the best in school history,” said Andrew Fronce, managing editor of Ute Nation on the Rivals network.
The most prized target may be California cornerback Clark Phillips III, who has committed to Ohio State but visited Utah last weekend. Phillips will announce his decision Thursday.
Fillinger, Carlton and Phillips “would give the 2020 class a big bump, all coming from positions of need,” Fronce said. "Phillips would be one of the highest-rated prospects that Utah has ever landed, and would give them a player who could start as a true freshman."
The most proven signee will be quarterback Jake Bentley, a graduate transfer who started 33 games for South Carolina of the Southeastern Conference. Bentley will compete for Ute quarterback Tyler Huntley’s vacancy. Peyton Powell, transferring from Baylor, likely will have to sit out the 2020 season.
Of the Utes' 11 prep commitments, six are from Texas, where Whittingham now deploys three recruiters. “Obviously, to establish relationships, you've just got to go there all the time,” said defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley, who has worked in the Houston area since becoming a full-time coach in 2008.
The population base and football culture of Texas make it “an under-recruited area,” Scalley said. “There's a ton of players, and you've just got to do your homework before you go out.”
The Utes focus on Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Ty Jordan, a running back from West Mesquite High School, committed to Utah last week after pledging to Texas in September.
CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICAN?
Utah defensive end Bradlee Anae was named to the Sporting News All-America first team Tuesday, adding to his Walter Camp first-team selection last week. If he makes a first team selected by either the Football Writers Association of America or the American Football Coaches Association this week, Anae will be considered a consensus All-American. Anae would become the second Ute defensive lineman with that designation, following Luther Elliss in 1994.
