Don’t overlook Utah this season! After a blazing 4-0 start in 2024—highlighted by a 49-0 shutout against Southern Utah—the team faltered when Cam Rising got injured, ultimately finishing 5-7. But Kyle Whittingham isn’t dwelling on the past. With Devon Dampier now leading the offense and a tough offensive line poised to control the line of scrimmage, Utah is regaining momentum. And it’s not just the offense impressing—the arrival of the 2-time Gatorade Player of the Year is generating buzz and injecting game-changing energy. This team is hungry, disciplined, and ready to roar.

Utah freshman defensive tackle Pupu Sepulona is already making noise despite having just two years of football under his belt. He only began playing during his junior year of high school, but his 6-foot-2, 274-pound frame and explosive athleticism have quickly turned heads in fall camp. Now, Sepulona could have stuck with basketball or volleyball, but instead, he committed to football at Utah and joined the team late this summer. But what fueled the decision of the two-time MaxPreps Hawaii Basketball Player of the Year?

Well, it’s none other than Kyle Whittingham and his coaching staff that made him so sure about the team. Talking about his decision, Sepulona said, “I decided on Utah because I believed in myself that I could play at this level. I believe that I could play against the Power Four and the Big 12 Conference. I believe that when I met with the coaches, I believed that because they could get my game to the next level: Luther Ellis, coach; Whittingham man, coach; and (Morgan) Scalley.”This guy racked up five state championships in basketball, volleyball, and football over the past three and a half years at St. Louis.

But before Sepulona even set foot on the St. Louis campus as a freshman, his reputation was already well established across Hawaii’s youth basketball scene. “He was a man child back then,” once recalled Dan Hale, the school’s athletic director and head basketball coach. “When he hit high school, he was, I mean physically, he was ready to go. The footwork, you can work on that all you want, but at the end of the day, it’s a gift to have that.” So, he had size and even passion for basketball, but he saw football as the clearest path to excelling at the college level. And these are ambitions also shaped by faith and family. 

“My dad, he’s always working two jobs every single day I barely see him throughout the week, even my mom,” Sepulona once said. “For me, I want to work hard too, to meet them halfway, because in the future, I want to take care of them and for them to not work another day.”

So improving a kid who’s already exceptional is the coach’s favorite job. And Kyle Whittingham and his team are making sure they do it in the best possible way. The result is that Sepulona is already making an early impact on the fall camp. “I haven’t learned all of this from what they’re teaching me back in high school, because, you know, I’m a newcomer to the sport, but I’m just, I’m just grateful and blessed for them giving me this opportunity,” Sepulona said. On top of that, he came in when Utah’s defensive tackle room was already undergoing a major reset.

That’s right. After losing both of their starters from last season, Kyle Whittingham’s team is relying on freshmen. With players like Karson Kaufusi and Pupu Sepulona pushing for early roles, veterans like Dallas Vakalahi, Aliki Vimahi, and Jonah Lae’ae are up to help them with an easy transition. Still, the competition is wide open. Now, if Sepulona intends to be a difference-maker, he has to make a long-lasting impact on his team. But there’s a reason why he’s already a star.

Defensive tackle coach Luther Elliss has been quick to notice Sepulona’s abilities, calling him “very athletic, strong, physical, explosive,” and saying he’s one of the players who’s truly impressed him despite only being with the team a short time. Elliss also pointed out that Sepulona and several other young tackles arrived at fall camp already in great shape and at a solid weight. What stands out even more, he said, is their “mental toughness,” the drive to improve every day during a challenging offseason and camp.

As for Sepulona, he credits his background in multiple sports for helping him compete early in a talented room. During his senior year in Hawaii, Sepulona recorded 18.5 tackles, including 10 for loss and 6.5 sacks — five of which came in a single game against Kamehameha High.

Now, with their defense, their offense is also stepping up.

Kyle Whittingham’s fall camp development

Kyle Whittingham and his Utah coaching staff are constantly learning at fall camp, with each practice unveiling facets of the 2025 Utes, from the wide receiver pecking order to the potential of the freshmen. After ten practices, and with fifteen still ahead, Whittingham feels the team is progressing nicely and building confidence before their August 30th opener against UCLA.

Now, on offense, the WR battle is heating up. “We feel like we’ve identified the top seven or eight guys [whom] are going to be the travelers, and that we’re going to sink all the reps into the rest of the way. So that group is really starting to gel, I guess you could say.” Whittingham said.

Well, the wide receivers have been among the first to show noticeable progress. Even Dampier expressed optimism about their growing rapport and highlighted one player in particular for an impressive performance during the scrimmage. “You can tell everyone’s getting more comfortable; it was just good to see us clicking on all cylinders,” he said. “I think Larry Simmons had a very big day for him. He’s getting more comfortable with it, and I thought we had a very good day all around—very limited drops. I think everybody was making plays.”

According to the latest camp reports, Tobias Merriweather, Larry Simmons, Creed Whittemore, Ryan Davis, and Daidren Zipperer appear to lead the depth chart. And we shall have clearer updates in the coming weeks for the other two or three spots.