Top 5 Utah Utes Headlines: June 6 - June 12

A review of the top five Utah Utes headlines from the previous week.

The following is a list of the top five Utah Athletics headlines for the week of June 6 - June 12.

5. Former Utes Alex Smith & Eric Weddle named to 2023 ballot for College Football Hall of Fame

On Monday, Two former Utes, Alex Smith and Eric Weddle, were named to the 2023 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

4. No longer under the radar, Devaughn Vele believes Utah needs to step up and go further than ever before in 2022

After an impressive 2021 season, Devaughn Vele explained in the first episode of his exclusive podcast, "4th and 17," that Utah has the ability to go further than ever before in 2022.

“I’m excited for this year. I’m excited for a lot of guys. We’ve got a lot of good talent this year…I have a really good feeling that we’re gonna be a really good team this year. We’re gonna surprise a lot of people, shock a lot of people, and no better way to do that than playing Florida in the first game. We can show people that Utah football is here to stay," Vele said.

Individuals can listen to Vele's exclusive podcast here.

3. Recruiting: Three-star running back Marquise Collins sees an opportunity to 'develop and compete' after Utah visit

This past weekend, the University of Utah hosted a number of recruits, including highly talented and sought after three-star running back Marquise Collins from College Station, TX. After recently making his top-five last week, Collins was impressed with his visit and recognized a fantastic opportunity to join a talented running back room.

"Having an opportunity to play for Utah means a lot to me, especially knowing the history of running backs there. I think that brings great opportunity for me be able to get developed and compete," Collins explained.

2. Recruiting: Four-star linebacker Liona Lefau is considering Utah because of their ability to develop NFL talent

To no surprise, as one of the best linebackers in the nation, Lefau's taken notice of one of the best college defenses in the nation. On top of the way that they play, Lefau was also impressed with their recent success in terms of developing NFL talent. Just as other recruits have mentioned, Devin Lloyd's story is showing what Utah is capable of, no matter who you are or where you come from.

"[Devin Lloyd] shows that its possible for me to make it from where I am at. I know that they have the right tools to get me to where I want to be in the NFL," He added.

1. Recruiting: Four-star defensive lineman Anthony James shares how his visit to Utah exceeded expectations

This past weekend, the University of Utah hosted a number of recruits, including highly talented and sought after four-star defensive lineman Anthony James from Wylie, TX. Having recently de-committed from Texas A&M back in May in order to further explore other offers, James was blown away by what the Utes are building in Salt Lake City.

"I didn’t expect to love SLC like I did," Anthony said.

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