Here are 15 Players in the Transfer Portal that Utah Fans Should Keep an Eye On

The transfer portal officially opened just two days ago on December 5th, and it closes on January 18th. This year, 1000’s of college athletes have already added their names to the list, including a couple Utes.

Here’s a list of who has already committed to transfer to Utah, what Utes have entered the portal, and 15 names to keep an eye on over the next 43 days:

Committed to Utah

Stanford senior LB Levani Damuni declared his commitment to the Utes today. Damuni was the leading tackler and a team captain for the Cardinal last season. He should be an instant impact player for the Utes in 2023.
BYU DE Logan Fano: Logan’s brother Spencer just committed to the Utes yesterday, which just happened to be the same day Logan entered the transfer portal. Logan suffered an ACL injury last spring, but he should be healthy by the start of next season. The DE room is going to be STACKED. UPDATE: Fano committed to Utah 12/07/2022

Transferring from Utah

DB Malone Mataele: After the emergence of Sione Vaki, playing time began to dwindle for Mataele.
LB Ethan Calvert: An injury delayed Calvert’s career before it could ever really get started. The highly-rated linebacker should get an opportunity wherever he lands.
LB Mason Tufaga: With so much talent ahead of him, Tufaga has gotten buried a bit on the depth chart. This one is unfortunate to see, as his potential was sky-high and he had only been with the program for two seasons. In the same class as Calvert, the 2021 4-star prospect will be coveted by several teams. Both Oregon and USC were recruiting him in 2021.
DE Tyler Wegis: Wegis joined the Utes in the 2020 class as a 210-pound defensive end. He had the speed to get around the edge but needed to add weight at the collegiate level, and it just hasn’t happened. So many new faces have stepped ahead of him on the depth chart (Elliss, G.Reid, O’Toole, etc.), that it’s understandable why he would look for opportunities elsewhere.
TE Landon Morris: Morris joined the Utes last season from the transfer portal via Syracuse. He had the potential to be a good fit in the Utes TE-friendly offense but ultimately has decided to move on. This could be an indication that Kuithe and possibly Yassmin are staying.

15 Names in the Portal to Watch

*IMPORTANT UPDATE: Hearing rumors that DeVaughn Vele, Cam Rising, and Brant Kuithe are all leaning towards STAYING for the 2023 season. If true, disregard any WR or QB transfers. Dalton Kincaid has already declared for the NFL draft, and Yassmin is not likely to return (but this could change) so the Utes could still use a TE from the portal. Also, the Utes may be able to land a commitment from 2023 high 4-star TE Walker Lyons, which may fill this need.

Right now, CB is the most important piece the Utes need from the transfer portal to supplement Broughton, Vaughn, and Marks with Clark Phillips III officially declaring for the NFL draft. However, with the commitments from two 4-star 2023 recruits CJ Blocker and Smith Snowden, the Utes may already have the depth they need there as well.

Arizona State CB Keon Markham: With the anticipated loss of Clark Phillips III, the Utes will need a little more experience at the corner position going into next season. Markham has been on the field every season he’s been with the Sun Devils, and was previously recruited by Utah. The former 4-star recruit would be a solid addition to the secondary.
Snow College WR Marquis Montgomery: Back in November, the Utes brought Montgomery in for a visit. The Utes gave him his first major FBS offer back in August, and since that time, it seems like everyone else has joined the party. Even just in the past few days, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and USC have come calling.
LSU CB Damarius McGhee: Another long shot, McGhee was also offered a scholarship by the Utes two years ago. He’s a little taller than Harris, and has just about as much potential.
UNLV WR Kyle Williams: Williams has recorded over 400 yards receiving and at least 2 touchdowns in each of his three seasons with UNLV. Last season, he finished with 541 yards and 5 TD’s. He had an offer from Utah during the 2020 recruiting cycle.
Washington State WR Donovan Ollie: The Utes offered Ollie a scholarship way back in 2018. It’s possible the two still have mutual interest. Ollie had a career-best 491 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns last season for the Cougars.
Vanderbilt QB Mike Wright: The dual-threat QB from Vanderbilt could be a great option to lead the Utes if Johnson still needs time to develop. Last season, Wright threw for 974 yards, 12 TD, and only 4 INT. He also ran for 517 yards. He received an offer from Utah in 2020.
California K Dario Longhetto: Kicker is a position of great need for Utah. Longhetto has plenty of experience and has never missed inside 29 yards. He’s also only missed twice inside 39 yards and has the ability to hit from beyond 50 yards. He has only missed 2 extra points in 73 tries.
Arizona State K Jace Feely: Yes, that name sounds familiar. That’s because he is the son of long-time NFL kicker Jay Feely. Just a freshman, Jace has only kicked one extra point in his collegiate career, but if he can kick anything like his father, he would be a huge upgrade for the Utes.
Fresno State CB Cale Sanders: Update: Sanders has committed to SMU.
USC WR Jake Smith: Update: Smith has committed to Arizona State
Washington State WR De’Zhaun Stribling: Update: Stribling has committed to Oklahoma State
Florida CB Avery Helm: A former 4-star recruit, Helm has not gotten the playing time he expected while playing for the Gators. He has seen action in all three seasons but has not been a full-season starter. He received an offer from the Utes in 2019, and just had Morgan Scalley in his home on December 6th. Update: Helm has committed to TCU
Arizona WR Dorian Singer: He’s getting several offers after adding his name into the portal, but as a former Ute recruit, Utah still has a decent shot at landing him. Singer had a breakout year last season for the Wildcats, netting 1,105 and 6 TD’s. Oregon, Colorado, and many others have made offers. Utah offered him on December 5th. UPDATE: Singer has committed to USC.
Cal Poly TE Josh Cuevas: The Utes made an offer to the Cal Poly standout on 12/5/22. Cuevas had 58 receptions for 678 yards and 6 touchdowns with the Mustangs. He seems like the perfect fit for the Utes, but the competition is fierce. He also has offers from Oklahoma State, Michigan, Washington, and many others. Update: Cuevas has committed to play at Washington.
Oregon TE Moliki Matavao: The former 2020 4-star prospect had an offer from the Utes and has great size at 6’6″, 256 lbs., and has proven to be a downfield threat with 10 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown with the Ducks last season. While primarily used as a blocker, he might get more receiving opportunities with Utah. Matavao entered the portal on 12/12/22. Update: Matavao has committed to play at UCLA.
Mississippi State WR Rara Thomas: Right after entering the transfer portal two weeks ago, the Utes made an offer to Thomas. He caught 44 passes for 626 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. There is a lot of interest out there for his service, especially coming from Georgia. Update: Thomas has committed to Georgia.
Idaho State WR Xavier Guillory: Guillory had a breakout season for the Bengals last season, hauling in 52 passes for 785 yards and 4 touchdowns. Having just brought in FB/TE Logan Kendall from Idaho State last season, the Utes might add another athlete from Pocatello. The Utes made an offer to Guillory November 28th. Update: Guillory has committed to Arizona State.
Texas A&M CB Denver Harris: A 5-star recruit just a year ago, it would be a long shot for the Utes to land Harris. However, the Utes defense is stacked, and Harris would have an immediate opportunity to start and make a meaningful impact for Utah. Jaylon Johnson, Clark Phillips III, Denver Harris…it has a nice ring to it. Harris was given an offer from the Utes a year ago. Update: Harris has committed to LSU