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Utah Football lands Wayshawn Parker and Na’Quari Rogers

Posted on by Taylor Reeves
Utah Football lands Wayshawn Parker and Na’Quari Rogers

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah football landed two big commitments on Friday, both running backs.

The big one is former Washington State running back Wayshawn Parker. He announced his commitment and will follow running backs coach Mark Atuaia to Salt Lake City.

Prior to Parker’s announcement, On3’s Pete Nakos reported that former New Mexico running back Na’Quari Rogers had also signed with the program.

These are two significant additions to the running back room, which has been a position of need in the transfer portal cycle.

Wayshawn Parks is committed to Utah

Parker follows coach Atuaia to Utah and this is a big win for the Utes. Parker is coming off a fantastic freshman season at Washington State.

He finished the 2024 season with 735 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns while adding another touchdown and 108 yards on 11 receptions.

He narrowed his recruitment to Arizona and Utah, and the Utes will have the final say on his decision.

This is a significant win for the Utes, who needed a good stud after being eliminated from the group this season.

Na’Quari Rogers commits to Utah

The former New Mexico running back was one of the first players to receive an offer from the new offensive team.

Although Rogers wasn’t the backup for the Lobos, he was a constant source of production.

The 5-foot-11, 208-pound back finished the season with 74 carries for 382 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Kalolo Ta’aga commits to Utah

Stuffing the offensive line with promising big men is always a good thing. Utah added another with USC transfer Kalolo Ta’aga.

He was a priority recruit for Utah last year. Ta’aga committed to the Trojans over the Utes in the final days before the early signing period.

Now Utah welcomes the 6-foot-1, 315-pound player to the O-Block. Ta’aga has a very high ceiling due to his combination of athleticism and physique.

He will need to continue to develop, but considering what Utah already has at tackle, it’s an ideal situation for him and Utah.

Blake Cotton is committed to Utah

After his official visit to Utah earlier this week, Cotton made his pledge to the Utes. With his addition, Utah continues to improve the depth and flexibility of the defensive secondary.

At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Cotton is the third defender with a similar build. Over the course of his three-year career at UC Davis, Cotton limited his opponents shooting percentage to under 48% and deflected 9 passes.

He comes to Utah with three seasons of experience and one season remaining.

Joseph Williams is committed to Utah

There was a need for recipients because so many were leaving the program. Landing Williams is a big deal for Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck and receivers coach Micah Simon.

At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Williams has the size and athleticism to play outside and inside. Utah needed a receiver with production and experience, and Williams brings that. Williams accumulated 30 balls and 588 yards, most of them in a four-game span in which he caught 21 passes for 461 yards. He’s the guy who can take on an important role and hit the ground running.

Williams now joins Creed Whittemore in the transfer class. That gives Utah two promising receivers, but the staff will likely continue to push for another receiver to bolster depth.

Donovan Saunders commits to Utah

At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Saunders has an exciting mix of size and athleticism for the cornerback position.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about his recruitment is that Saunders was a top priority for Utah in last year’s portal cycle. He ultimately ended up at Texas A&M but attended Salt Lake City and was considered a top option for Utah. Now he ends up at College Station in Utah after a year.

Saunders is the second cornerback that has been committed since the portal opened. Utah has worked quickly to fill the cornerback room with size and athleticism. Saunders is a very good addition to the room.

Michael Washington Jr. commits to Utah

https://twitter.com/MykeWash03/status/1868497144061272443

With a height of 1.80 m and a weight of 100 kg, Washington has good size for the running back position. Utah didn’t have a bigger back capable of handling a heavy workload, but Washington is taking care of that.

Washington had a solid campaign with New Mexico State in 2024. He totaled 725 yards and 8 touchdowns while adding 9 receptions for 74 yards and another touchdown.

Before this year, he played three seasons with Buffalo. In 39 career games, Washington has totaled 420 carries for 1,844 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. He added 45 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

Creed Whittemore commits to Utah

On Sunday, the Utes continued their winning streak after bringing in their fourth newcomer of the weekend. Former Mississippi State receiver Creed Whittemore announced his commitment to the program.

Whittemore is a 5-foot-11, 185-pound pass catcher and prototypical slot receiver. He totaled 15 receptions for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

He was previously considered a four-star prospect out of high school in Gainesville, Florida. He comes to Utah with three seasons remaining after redshirting this season.

Jaxson Jones commits to Utah

Jones was a member of Oregon’s 2024 class and appeared in just one game this season. The 1.90 m tall, 100 kg man has a lot of potential and is closely linked to the program. His father, Daniel Jones, played receiver at Utah from 1997 to 1998.

As a recruit, Jones showed a lot of potential as a linebacker and edge rusher. Jones was a top three-star prospect last year and committed to Oregon after withdrawing a commitment to Washington. He held offers from Michigan and USC, among others.

Orion Phillips is committed to Utah

After losing its own player to the portal and ultimately the Texas Longhorns, Utah wasted little time in addressing the situation.

Utah secured the commitment of former Missouri player Orion Phillips.

A native of Australia, Phillips averaged 43.5 yards per punt, including 71 yards long. Phillips also caught 12 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Jeremiah Caldwell commits to Utah

Caldwell will transfer to Utah after one year at Garden City CC. He was once a four-star composite prospect in the 2022 recruiting class.

Caldwell was a Michigan State native and his high school recruiting was limited to Louisville, Kentucky, Michigan State and Iowa State.

He ultimately chose Louisville, but transferred to Miami (OH) after a year. After one season there, he moved to Garden City CC.

At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Caldwell played both cornerback and safety. He finished last season with 32 tackles, 6 interceptions and 7 pass breakups.

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Utah currently has seven total additions and continues to be heavily involved in several other targets. The program hosted several players over the weekend and will continue to welcome prospects to campus in the coming days.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts the Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to beat the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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