After a few breakout performances this season, big things are expected of Utah tight end Landen King going forward.
The depth beyond him in the tight end room for 2024 has been somewhat uncertain, though, with Thomas Yassmin suffering a season-ending injury late in his final year of eligibility, and no clarity on a potential return from Brant Kuithe, who missed the entire 2023 season while rehabbing a torn ACL.
Those questions, however, might finally have answers.
On Thursday morning, UCLA tight end and Beehive State native Carsen Ryan announced that he is transferring to Utah.
Meanwhile, Utes tight end coach Freddie Whittingham, in an interview with local media, seemed to indicate that he is expecting Kuithe to play for Utah in the ‘24 season.
Utah assistants had a media session to discuss everything from bowl prep vs. Northwestern, to the transfer portal, to recruiting, to players’ NFL draft declarations. After discussing King for the bulk of his availability, Whittingham was jokingly asked how he would coach Kuithe next year, merely in an attempt to see if he’d give a definitive answer on the redshirt senior’s plans, as his status has been shrouded in mystery and secrecy.
“Is that a loaded question?” Whittingham retorted.
However, his subsequent elaboration painted a picture of Kuithe’s return to the program.
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) talks with Utah Utes tight end Brant Kuithe (80) during warm up as the University of Utah prepare to take on San Diego State at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Sept. 17, 2022.
“I believe I’ll coach him just like I have the previous 10 years or whatever it is,” Whittingham began, facetiously referencing Kuithe first joining the Utes in 2018.
His answer then got more serious.
“The ways we’d be able to use him — in multiple formations and in multiple ways in the throw game; Brant probably doesn’t get enough recognition as a blocker, too — I know he’s not your traditionally-sized tight end, but he does have a lot of want-to and in run blocking as well, and he’s a physical kid,” Whittingham said. “So we plan on using him in all the variety of ways that we’ve used him in the past. And you don’t have to coach him much, because he’s so competitive and he’s a good practice player — people maybe don’t know that as much about him, that he’s a really good practice player, goes hard.
“And he’s got a lot on the line for this year if he wants to play in the league. He’s been out of football for almost two full seasons, and when you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind with the NFL personnel,” Whittingham added. “And so he needs to probably re-establish himself a little bit in that area as a true prospect, which, with the knee being healthy and with his motivation, I think he should pick up where he left off.”
We plan on using him certainly sounds promising to Utes fans. However they’ll want to wait for an official announcement before celebrating.
To the coach’s point about Kuithe putting himself back out there, the tight end has proven to be highly productive when he’s available — totaling a team-high 611 yards on 50 catches with six touchdowns across 14 games in 2021, and leading the Utes in receptions (34), receiving yards (602) and receiving touchdowns (6) over 14 games in 2019. However, Kuithe tore his ACL during the fourth game of the 2022 season, and has not played in a game since.
That appears poised to change.
As for Ryan, he spent the first three years of his prep career at Timpview High School, before finishing things out at American Fork. He was ranked the No. 3 tight end/Y by ESPN, and was considered a top-10 prospect in the state of Utah by 247Sports (8), ESPN (2) and Rivals (3).
He appeared in five games for UCLA in 2022, and totaled six receptions for 82 yards. In 2023, he played in 12 games and started eight, totaling 13 receptions, 205 yards, and three touchdowns.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pounder’s most productive game this past season, coincidentally, came against the Utes, as he had three catches for 69 yards, including one 45-yard grab.
