01/02/13 - (DE) - *Joe Kruger, Jr, 6-6, 269 It was expected Utah defensive end Joe Kruger would follow his older brother Paul into the NFL given his talent. Apparently he wants to make that move sooner rather than later. The junior announced Wednesday he will enter the 2013 NFL draft. The 6-foot-7, 280-pound defensive end played in 37 of 38 games from 2010-12 with 14 starts. He finished the 2012 season with 30 tackles, including eight tackles for a loss and a team-high six sacks in 11 games.
"I am releasing this statement after much prayer, consideration and evaluation with my family in announcing that I have decided to forgo my final year of eligibility and enter the 2013 draft," he said in a statement. "These past three years, I have been honored to be a part of a very special group of teammates and coaches at the University of Utah. I have cherished what has been an amazing college experience."
Joe’s older brother Paul plays for the Baltimore Ravens while older brother Dave finished his career in 2012, logging 30 tackles at tackle. - Lya Wodraska, The Salt Lake Tribune
12/16/12 - (DT) - Star Lotulelei, Sr, 6-3, 311 2012 WALTER CAMP ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM: DL Star Lotulelei, Utah, 6-4 320 Sr., South Jordan, UT...Lotulelei, a two-time first-team all-Pac-12 selection, finished the season with 42 tackles, including a team-high 11 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. The senior also had four pass breakups, four fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. He leads the Pac-12 and is tied for second in the nation in fumble recoveries (4). - Utah football
12/16/12 - (DT) - Star Lotulelei, Sr, 6-3, 311 2012 AP ALL-AMERICAN FIRST TEAM: DT - Star Lotulelei, senior, 6-4, 320, Utah...Lotulelei (pronounced lo-too-le-LAY) becomes the fourth Ute to make the A.P. All-America first team and the second player at his position. In 1994, defensive tackle Luther Elliss became the first Ute to claim first-team A.P. honors. Others were offensive tackle Jordan Gross in 2002 and kicker Louie Sakoda in 2008. Elliss, Gross and Sakoda were consensus All-Americans, meaning they made at least three of the five major first teams (A.P., Walter Camp, AFCA, Sporting News and FWAA). Sakoda is Utah's only unanimous consensus All-American, having been selected to the first team by all five organizations in 2008.
The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Lotulelei, a two-time first-team all-Pac-12 selection, finished the season with 42 tackles, including a team-high 11 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. The senior also had four pass breakups, four fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. He leads the Pac-12 and is tied for second in the nation in fumble recoveries (4). - Utah football
11/30/12 - (RB) - John White, Sr, 5-07, 191 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: RB John White, Sr.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (C) - Tevita Stevens, rSr, 6-1, 307 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: OL Tevita Stevens, Sr.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (P) - Sean Sellwood, rSr, 6-3, 208 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: P Sean Sellwood, Sr.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (FS) - Eric Rowe, Jr, 6-1, 205 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: DB Eric Rowe, So.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (OG) - Sam Brenner, rSr, 6-3, 307 2012 ALL-PAC-12 SECOND-TEAM: OL Sam Brenner, Sr., Utah...has been selected Second Team All-Pac-12 for the 2012 college football season. Brenner allowed just one sack in 743 plays in 11 games during the season (Colorado stats were not available). He had 13 knockdowns, seven cuts and two pancake blocks. During his career, he played in 50 of 51 games with 25 starts. He allowed just two sacks total over the past two seasons. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (WR) - Reggie Dunn, Sr, 5-10, 178 2012 ALL-PAC-12 FIRST TEAM: RS Reggie Dunn, Sr., Utah...has been selected First Team All-Pac-12 for the 2012 college football season. Dunn's 51.3 kickoff return average would easily lead the nation had he enough returns to meet the NCAA minimum of 1.2 returns per game. But Dunn made the most of his 10 chances--setting an NCAA single-season record with four 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns. He also finishes his Ute career as the NCAA record-holder for career 100-yard returns (5), single-game 100-yard kickoff returns (2) and kick return average in a game (74.0). He tied the NCAA record for kick return touchdowns in a game from any distance (2). - Utah football
11/30/12 - (DE) - Trevor Reilly, rSr, 6-4, 245 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: LB Trevor Reilly, Jr.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (OT) - Jeremiah Poutasi, So, 6-5, 322 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: OL Jeremiah Poutasi, Fr.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (TE) - Jake Murphy, Jr, 6-4, 252 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: TE Jake Murphy, So.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (DT) - Star Lotulelei, Sr, 6-3, 311 2012 ALL-PAC-12 FIRST TEAM: DL Star Lotulelei, Sr., Utah (2)...has been selected First Team All-Pac-12 for the 2012 college football season. Lotulelei, considered by many as the best defensive tackle in college football and last year's Morris Award winner as the best defensive lineman in the Pac-12, faced double or triple-teams on virtually every play this season. Still, he leads the Pac-12 and is tied for second in the nation in fumble recoveries (4) and his 42 total tackles includes a team-high 11 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. Lotulelei also has four pass breakups and three forced fumbles (tied for fifth in the league). - Utah football
11/30/12 - (DE) - *Joe Kruger, Jr, 6-6, 269 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: DL Joe Kruger, Jr.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (DE) - Nate Fakahafua, Jr, 6-3, 250 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: DL Nate Fakahafua, So.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/30/12 - (SS) - Brian Blechen, Sr, 6-2, 218 2012 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION: DB Brian Blechen, Jr.,...has been selected All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the 2012 college football season. - Utah football
11/29/12 - (RB) - John White, Sr, 5-07, 191 PAC-12: NFL DRAFT PROSPECT WATCH - WEEK 13: 3. RB John White, 5-8, 188, Utah: Why he has the third spot: White had an up-and-down season with most of the downs coming in the first half of the year. In Utah's first five games against FBS opponents, the senior running back didn't hit the 100-yard mark once. However, the ups began in Week 9 when White went for 105 yards in Utah's win over Cal. Since then, White has hit the 100-yard mark in every game the Utes have played, including a season-high 168 yards in Utah's win over Colorado on Saturday.
Season stats (12 games): 218 carries, 1,041 yards, 8 touchdowns; 15 receptions, 123 yards, 1 touchdown. Player ranking: White is ranked 449th overall and is the 35th-highest rated RB in CBSSports.com's latest player rankings. Up next: Season complete. NFL Draft, April 25-27, 2013. - John Breech, CBSSports.com
11/23/12 - (WR) - Reggie Dunn, Sr, 5-10, 178 Reggie Dunn responded to Marques Mosley's 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with one of his own 13 seconds later, and Utah used five takeaways to outlast Colorado 42-35 on Friday. The Utes (5-7, 3-6 Pac-12) doubled their season total with four interceptions of Nick Hirschman, and Dunn extended his NCAA record with his fifth career 100-yard kickoff return - and his fourth this season.
The Buffaloes (1-11, 1-8 Pac-12) finished with their worst record since the school's inaugural 0-4 campaign in 1890. They also failed to win a game at home for the first time since 1920. The Utes, who had lost all five of their road games coming in, trailed 28-20 heading into the fourth quarter but outscored the Buffs 22-7 down the stretch. - AP Sports
11/18/12 - (DT) - Star Lotulelei, Sr, 6-3, 311 DT Star Lotulelei's candidacy for the Bednarik Award -- given to the nation's best defensive player -- had to take a hit Saturday against Arizona. He had three tackles and a fumble recovery but did little to stop the Wildcats' running game. He also committed a costly penalty just moments into the fourth quarter after Utah had stuffed Arizona on third down at the Utes' 5. Lotulelei drew a hands-to-the-face penalty that gave the Wildcats an automatic first-and-goal at the 2, instead of facing a fourth-and-2 at the 5. Arizona scored one play later to tie the game at 24.
11/18/12 - (SS) - Brian Blechen, Sr, 6-2, 218 SS Brian Blechen had a tough game, twice allowing the Wildcats to get crucial first downs when he couldn't make a one-on-on tackle. Ka'Deem Carey broke free from him at the Arizona 5 and ran for 28 yards to the 33 to ignite the Wildcats' first scoring drive, a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter. Then in the fourth quarter with the Utes trailing 31-24, Blechen had QB Matt Scott in front of him on a second-and-6 at the Arizona 31. A Blechen tackle at the spot would've forced a third-and-6 or longer situation, but Scott spun away from him and dove for the first down to take more valuable time off the clock. Blechen did manage nine tackles and a forced fumble.
11/18/12 - (FS) - Eric Rowe, Jr, 6-1, 205 FS Eric Rowe was one of the few Ute defenders to have a big game. He finished with a career-high 16 tackles and had two pass breakups and was the player that seemed to make the open-field tackles that prevented TDs.
11/18/12 - (K) - Coleman Petersen, Sr, 6-2, 192 K Coleman Petersen scored on a 3-yard run on a fake field goal that was a well-designed play with holder Sean Sellwood tossing the ball between his legs to Petersen to keep the defense from getting a jump on pursuit of Petersen to the corner of the end zone. Petersen added a 25-yard field goal.
11/15/12 - (QB) - Jordan Wynn, rJr, 6-1, 208 It was a little more than two months ago that Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn retired from football following a shoulder injury, and now he'll be coaching quarterbacks instead. Hawaii coach Norm Chow told the Salt Lake Tribune that Wynn will be joining his staff in January. "The time we were together, I enjoyed it immensely," Chow said. "He is going to take our quarterbacks and be our quarterbacks coach, and I'm really excited." Chow coached Wynn at Utah in 2011, when he served as the Utes' offensive coordinator. This is his first season as head coach at Hawaii, and he has been handling both the head coaching duties and quarterback coaching duties. It's a task that Chow said has proven to be "a lot to handle." Wynn retired from football rather than undergoing a fourth shoulder surgery. He injured his left shoulder -- his nonthrowing shoulder -- during an overtime loss to Utah State on Sept. 7. It was the third consecutive year in which Wynn's season was ended by a shoulder surgery. Wynn threw for 4,637 yards, 33 touchdowns and 17 interceptions during his four years with the Utes. - Tom Fornelli, CBSSports.com
11/14/12 - (RB) - John White, Sr, 5-07, 191 PAC-12: NFL DRAFT PROSPECT WATCH - WEEK 11: 3. RB John White, 5-8, 188, Utah: Why he has the third spot: After rushing for more than 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, big things were expected from White in 2012. But he got off to a slow start this year, not hitting the 100-yard mark once in the Utes' first six FBS games after hitting it eight times in 13 games last season. White's hitting his stride now though, having reached the century mark in each of Utah's last three games, including a season-high 142 yards against Washington on Saturday. Season stats (10 games): 171 carries, 761 yards, 7 touchdowns; 12 receptions, 85 yards, 1 touchdown. Player ranking: White is ranked 447th overall and is the 35th-highest rated RB in CBSSports.com's latest player rankings. Up next: White might put up some eye-popping numbers in the Utes' final two games of the regular season. Over the next two weeks, Utah will face the Pac-12's 11th- and 12th-ranked run defenses in Arizona and Colorado. This is the same Colorado run defense that surrendered a conference-record 366 yards to Wildcats RB Ka'Deem Carey on Saturday. - John Breech, CBSSports.com
11/13/12 - (DT) - Star Lotulelei, Sr, 6-3, 311 Week 11 Rewind: BYU, Utah Pass-rushers Give Beehive State Its Sting...The average football fan might be surprised with how highly the state of Utah would rank in a national competition for NFL prospects. Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei didn't have a big statistical night against the University of Washington but that's largely because the Huskies double-teamed him most of the game. When he was assigned just one blocker, Lotulelei demonstrated the quick hands and feet that belie his 6-3, 320 pound frame. Lotulelei, the reigning Morris Trophy winner, has been my top-rated prospect much of the year. I'll be the first to admit that the defensive tackle hasn't been as consistent as I would like but he clearly possesses some special attributes. As mentioned, he's quick. He's also quite strong, showing the heavy hands and upper body strength to rip violently free from blocks. He used his great strength to simply bull rush through Washington left guard Dexter Charles for a sack late in the third quarter with the Huskies nursing a 21-15 lead. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com
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