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The University of Utah Athletics
Camp Report Day 15: Jaylen Dixon Finding His Stride
8/16/2019 1:38 PM | Football
SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah football program has one practice remaining in fall camp after wrapping up day 15 today at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Tomorrow's practice will be followed by the 2019 Utah Red Zone Fan Fest.
Fans will get the chance to meet with student-athletes from all 20 sports. Fan Fest will take place Saturday, Aug. 17 from 6-8 p.m. on the Rice-Eccles Stadium south plaza. There will be no charge for parking and admission. The Utah Red Zone will be set up on the south plaza selling merchandise and Mystery Boxes will be available again this year for $50, going on sale at 6 p.m. on the south plaza.Â
For today's episode of Fall Camp Report with Bill Riley, Devin Lloyd stopped by to chat with the voice of the Utes. Lloyd is a sophomore out of Chula Vista, Calif., that played in all 14 games for the Utes last season.
With camp coming to an end, head coach Kyle Whittingham announced last night during a team meeting that junior tight end Ali'i Niumatalolo would be earning a scholarship. Niumatalolo, who has been with the program since 2017, found out about his scholarship through a special video from his father, the head coach for Navy football.
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Friday Feature: Jaylen Dixon
From Kansas City, Kan., to Frisco, Texas, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Sophomore wide receiver Jaylen Dixon has had quite the journey in his football career, but when he looks back at his beginnings – it was all about the basics.
"When I think back to when I was around five or six, I was playing for this team in Kansas City back where I am from," Dixon said. "We weren't really playing football, more so Power Rangers on the field because we didn't know the game much, so we were just trying to have fun at that point."
Dixon's passion for the sport continued and his days of playing Power Rangers were short as he gained momentum in the football world as a wide receiver that had serious breakaway speed. Dixon moved to Frisco, Texas and quickly became an asset for Lone Star High School both on the field and on the track.
Utah fans know Dixon for his deep route speed, which was developed early on in his career as a standout track and field athlete in high school. While Dixon enjoyed his time on the track, he always saw himself sprinting down the gridiron instead of inside a lane.
"I never really saw myself running track in college," he said. "I did love track and I did love to run in high school, but I was always more focused on football because I just knew what I wanted to do in life."
That focus became apparent during his time at Lone Star after he earned all-state in 2015. He was a two-time all-district selection, earning All-Purpose MVP in 2016 after finishing with 1,239 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior.
With the right numbers under his belt as a wide receiver, it didn't take long for colleges around the area and the country to notice the talent that Dixon was displaying each and every week. When Utah came knocking, Dixon admits he didn't know much about the program, but a familiar face was there to help him in his decision.
"Jason Shelley was my quarterback in high school and he committed here and I talked to him about it and thought maybe we could be a package deal," Dixon said. "So I came out on my visit and saw the mountains and immediately thought that this was a place I could see myself at. Then I met with the coaches and the team and it just felt really comfortable. Most places weren't like that."
After dazzling the coaching staff with his speed during his redshirt season in 2017, Dixon was ready to hit the field in 2018 as a redshirt freshman. Playing in Rice-Eccles Stadium can be intimidating to some underclassmen, but Dixon's experiences playing in Texas helped him prepare.
"Texas high school football is ridiculous," he said. "The crowds and the student sections were crazy. Coming here, it wasn't exactly the same, but it definitely got me ready for a big crowd."
Dixon didn't seem discouraged by the bright lights of Pac-12 football last season, finishing second on the team in receptions and yards. He led the team with 18.4 yards per catch with seven of his 32 receptions being for 35-plus yards.
Dixon got the work done on the field last season, but he credits help from a friend when it came to the mental side of the game.
"Demari Simpkins has been a huge influence on me since getting here, more so mentally," Dixon said. "He comes and checks on me, so he has helped me learn to not get down on myself and to try and stay focused."
For Dixon, staying focused also means making sure to stay on top of his school work as he pursues his degree in criminology. Although he doesn't have a career picked out in the field yet, the classes he is currently taking have sparked an interest in him.
"I am in a lot of criminal courses and it is something I really enjoy," he said. "I feel like I have some time to decide on specifics of what I want to do with it, but it really intrigues me to learn about the kinds of things that people do, what makes people commit certain crimes or do certain things that most people wouldn't do. It is all about the psychological part of it."
Whether it has been in the classroom or on the field, Dixon has quickly gotten his footing as a student-athlete here at Utah. And being over 1,200 miles away from home, he has been lucky enough to do it with his second family.
"It is just a big family here," Dixon said. "I never thought it would be like this. I always heard that in college you had these little cliques that people stuck to, but for us, we are one big team. We are all friends and that is what really makes this place special."
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Fans will get the chance to meet with student-athletes from all 20 sports. Fan Fest will take place Saturday, Aug. 17 from 6-8 p.m. on the Rice-Eccles Stadium south plaza. There will be no charge for parking and admission. The Utah Red Zone will be set up on the south plaza selling merchandise and Mystery Boxes will be available again this year for $50, going on sale at 6 p.m. on the south plaza.Â
For today's episode of Fall Camp Report with Bill Riley, Devin Lloyd stopped by to chat with the voice of the Utes. Lloyd is a sophomore out of Chula Vista, Calif., that played in all 14 games for the Utes last season.
With camp coming to an end, head coach Kyle Whittingham announced last night during a team meeting that junior tight end Ali'i Niumatalolo would be earning a scholarship. Niumatalolo, who has been with the program since 2017, found out about his scholarship through a special video from his father, the head coach for Navy football.
Â
.@AliiNiumatalolo YOU'RE ON SCHOLARSHIP!
A very special thank you to Ali'i's father, @NAVYCoachKen, & the entire @NavyFB Team for making this moment possible. #NavyFB #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/9ipCdfrv2O— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 16, 2019
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Friday. It's a mood ?? #goutes pic.twitter.com/PeLlPVDZP3— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) August 16, 2019
Friday Feature: Jaylen Dixon
From Kansas City, Kan., to Frisco, Texas, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Sophomore wide receiver Jaylen Dixon has had quite the journey in his football career, but when he looks back at his beginnings – it was all about the basics.
"When I think back to when I was around five or six, I was playing for this team in Kansas City back where I am from," Dixon said. "We weren't really playing football, more so Power Rangers on the field because we didn't know the game much, so we were just trying to have fun at that point."
Dixon's passion for the sport continued and his days of playing Power Rangers were short as he gained momentum in the football world as a wide receiver that had serious breakaway speed. Dixon moved to Frisco, Texas and quickly became an asset for Lone Star High School both on the field and on the track.
Utah fans know Dixon for his deep route speed, which was developed early on in his career as a standout track and field athlete in high school. While Dixon enjoyed his time on the track, he always saw himself sprinting down the gridiron instead of inside a lane.
"I never really saw myself running track in college," he said. "I did love track and I did love to run in high school, but I was always more focused on football because I just knew what I wanted to do in life."
That focus became apparent during his time at Lone Star after he earned all-state in 2015. He was a two-time all-district selection, earning All-Purpose MVP in 2016 after finishing with 1,239 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior.
With the right numbers under his belt as a wide receiver, it didn't take long for colleges around the area and the country to notice the talent that Dixon was displaying each and every week. When Utah came knocking, Dixon admits he didn't know much about the program, but a familiar face was there to help him in his decision.
"Jason Shelley was my quarterback in high school and he committed here and I talked to him about it and thought maybe we could be a package deal," Dixon said. "So I came out on my visit and saw the mountains and immediately thought that this was a place I could see myself at. Then I met with the coaches and the team and it just felt really comfortable. Most places weren't like that."
After dazzling the coaching staff with his speed during his redshirt season in 2017, Dixon was ready to hit the field in 2018 as a redshirt freshman. Playing in Rice-Eccles Stadium can be intimidating to some underclassmen, but Dixon's experiences playing in Texas helped him prepare.
"Texas high school football is ridiculous," he said. "The crowds and the student sections were crazy. Coming here, it wasn't exactly the same, but it definitely got me ready for a big crowd."
Dixon didn't seem discouraged by the bright lights of Pac-12 football last season, finishing second on the team in receptions and yards. He led the team with 18.4 yards per catch with seven of his 32 receptions being for 35-plus yards.
Dixon got the work done on the field last season, but he credits help from a friend when it came to the mental side of the game.
"Demari Simpkins has been a huge influence on me since getting here, more so mentally," Dixon said. "He comes and checks on me, so he has helped me learn to not get down on myself and to try and stay focused."
For Dixon, staying focused also means making sure to stay on top of his school work as he pursues his degree in criminology. Although he doesn't have a career picked out in the field yet, the classes he is currently taking have sparked an interest in him.
"I am in a lot of criminal courses and it is something I really enjoy," he said. "I feel like I have some time to decide on specifics of what I want to do with it, but it really intrigues me to learn about the kinds of things that people do, what makes people commit certain crimes or do certain things that most people wouldn't do. It is all about the psychological part of it."
Whether it has been in the classroom or on the field, Dixon has quickly gotten his footing as a student-athlete here at Utah. And being over 1,200 miles away from home, he has been lucky enough to do it with his second family.
"It is just a big family here," Dixon said. "I never thought it would be like this. I always heard that in college you had these little cliques that people stuck to, but for us, we are one big team. We are all friends and that is what really makes this place special."
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Players Mentioned
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