Upcoming Event: Football versus No. 17 Cincinnati on November 1, 2025 at 8:15 p.m.
Football
vs No. 17 Cincinnati
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The University of Utah Athletics
2016 Signing Class Bios
2016 Signing Day Class Bios
Honolulu Star-Advertiser first-team all-state ... KHON Cover2 first-team all-state ... all-USA Hawaii second team ... Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Division first team ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... selected to play in the Polynesian All-American Bowl ... helped Kahuku HS win the Division 1 state title and go 13-0 in 2015 ... Kahuku reached the state semifinals in 2014 with a 9-3 record ... also plays basketball and competes in the high jump for the track and field team ... son of Brad and Ina Anae (pronounced uh-nigh) ... father played football at BYU from 1979-81 and was a two-time All-American (honorable mention in 1980 and third team in 1981) before being drafted by the USFL's Houston Gamblers ... uncle Robert Anae is the offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach at Virginia ... sister Adora Anae plays volleyball at Utah and was a first-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection as a sophomore in 2015 ... sister Pati plays volleyball at Portland State ... born Jan. 17, 1998.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... Deseret News 4A first-team all-state in 2015 ... Salt Lake Tribune all-state second team defensive lineman and honorable mention offensive lineman ... Region 7 Defensive MVP ... first-team all-region in 2014 and second-team all-region in 2013 ... No. 2 defensive end in the state of Utah by Scout.com and No. 15 overall prospect by Rivals.com ... three-star recruit by Scout.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com ... 141 career tackles with 8.0 sacks ... 69 tackles, 6.0 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries as a senior ... 46 tackles and 4.0 sacks in 2014 included an 11-tackle, two-sack performance against Woods Cross ... 26 tackles and a sack as a sophomore ... also plays baseball ... son of Steve and Karen Bills ... born May 22, 1998.
NJCAA first team All-American in 2015 ... has three years to play two ... No. 1 overall junior college prospect in the nation by Scout.com, which rated him as five stars ... No. 3-ranked juco prospect and four-star rating by Rivals.com ... 2015 Western States Football League Offensive Player of the Year ... first team all-WSFL in 2015 and second-team in 2014 ... helped Snow College finish No. 2 in the 2015 NJCAA rankings ... Snow won the 2015 WSFL championship and the Salt City Bowl ... served an LDS church mission in Colorado Springs ... has played offensive tackle for only two years after playing defensive tackle at Westlake HS (Utah) ... also played lacrosse in high school ... son of Grove Bolles (pronounced bowls) ... guardians are Emily and Greg Freeman ... married (Natalie).
All-CIF San Diego Section first-team wide receiver as a senior and second-team defensive back as a junior ... KUSI Silver Pigskin finalist ... three-star recruit by Scout.com and Rivals.com ... No. 6 cornerback in California by Scout.com ... eight career interceptions and 90 career tackles ... 73 career receptions for 1,288 yards and 17 touchdowns ... 61 catches for 1,162 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior ... also had 21 tackles and three interceptions in 2015 ... 51 tackles and four interceptions as a junior in 2014 ... 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against Granite Hills ... 18 tackles and an interception as a sophomore ... 23 career kickoff returns for 772 yards (33.6 average) included 13 returns for 509 yards (39.2 average) his junior season ... 99-yard kickoff return for a score against Mission Hills ... also runs track ... personal-best time of 11.14 in the 100 and 22.31 in the 200 meters ... son of Tyrone and Ingrid Burgess ... brother, Isiah Hennie, plays football at Sacramento State ... full name is Terrell Joseph Nathanial Burgess ... born Nov. 12, 1998.
Attended Chaffey College from 2014-15 and played football one season ... had 39 receptions for 543 yards (13.9 ypc) and three touchdowns in 2014 ... named SCFA Central League Player of the Week after a school-record 247 yards and two touchdowns against Moorpark ... listed in the College Football America 2015 Yearbook on its junior college Starting Lineup ... Chaffey played in the 2014 Western State Bowl ... three-star prospect by both Scout.com and Rivals.com ... ran track at Chaffey and recorded season-best times of 10.86 in the 100 and 22.12 in the 200 in the spring of 2015 ... originally committed to Washington State out of Rancho Cucamonga High School in 2013 and redshirted at College of the Desert the following fall semester ... attended three California high schools: Norco, St. Paul and Rancho Cucamonga ... son of Andre and Annisha Dana ... born Nov. 30, 1995.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... selected to the 2015 All-USA California Football Team ... rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... 100 career receptions for 1,244 yards and 19 touchdowns ... as a senior in 2015, had 45 receptions for 600 yards and 10 touchdowns (as well as five pancake blocks) ... 50 catches for 585 yards and eight touchdowns his junior season at San Clemente HS ... 135 receiving yards and two touchdowns against Laguna Hills ... helped San Clemente win back-to-back Sea View League championships ... also saw time at quarterback, completing 34-of-56 passes (60.7%) for 428 yards and five touchdowns in his career ... plays basketball and in his fourth season on the varsity team, is already the winningest basketball player in school history ... son of Chad and Nicole Fotheringham ... father played quarterback at Pacific ... 3.9 GPA ... born Oct. 11, 1997.
2015 Deseret News 5A MVP and first-team all-state ... 2015 Salt Lake Tribune first-team all-state and All-Salt Lake Tribune Team ... 2015 Region 4 Defensive MVP ... three-star recruit according to Scout.com ... 79 tackles and 7.5 sacks his senior season at Herriman HS (Utah) ... 10 tackles in win over Lone Peak in the 2015 Utah 5A state championship game ... caught a 24-yard touchdown pass and helped Herriman's defense hold Sky View to minus 22 rushing yards in the 2015 state semifinal game ... did not play football as a junior in 2014 ... in 2013, attended San Leandro HS (Calif.) ... also played rugby and basketball in high school ... played on the USA Rugby Boys High School All-American team ... trained with the London Wasps' rugby team in 2013 ... family is originally from Tonga ... brother Joe played football at Illinois ... brother Anthony plays football for Arizona ... name is pronounced leck-ee fo-too ... born Aug. 23, 1998.
Enrolled in classes at Utah in January ... rated as Arizona's No. 6 overall prospect and third among offensive linemen in the 2014 class by the Arizona Republic ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... No. 12 overall prospect in Arizona by Rivals.com ... azcentral first-team all-state as a senior ... first-team all-state, all-section and all-division as a junior in 2013 ... second-team all-East Valley Tribune in 2013 ... had 41 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack in 290 pass attempts as a junior ... named to the 24-7Football.com All-D1 team and the all-Paradise Valley Unified School District team as a senior ... 2014 Division I-II all-Academic team ... October 2013 Horizon Athlete of the Month ... 18 pancake blocks as a sophomore ... son of Beth and Jeff Grant ... one brother and one sister ... full name is Jake Bradley Grant ... born Aug. 16, 1996.
Two-way player (linebacker and receiver) was named to the 2015 Long Beach Press-Telegram All-Area Dream Team as a linebacker ... invited to play linebacker in the 2015 Semper Fi All-American Bowl ... three-star recruit by Scout.com ... career totals included 108 tackles, 17.0 sacks, 723 receiving yards (10 TDs), 2,296 all-purpose yards and 25 total touchdowns ... transferred to Long Beach Poly HS from Verbum Dei HS for his senior year ... 33 tackles (4.0 sacks), three caused fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 112 receiving yards (7 catches) and two touchdowns in his only season at Long Beach Poly ... as a junior at Verbum Dei, had 58 tackles (13.0 sacks) and two interceptions ... also had 1,338 all-purpose yards, including 543 rushing yards, 541 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns as a junior ... in just five games as a sophomore, he rushed for 669 yards and five touchdowns (7 total TDs) and had 17 tackles ... son of Tynieka Hart Jackson ... first name is pronounced duh-veer ... born July 23 1998.
Graduated from high school early and enrolled in classes at Utah in January ... 2015 Florida Gatorade Football Player of the Year ... two-time all-Broward County ... went 34-10 as a starter in four years at Hallandale HS, passing for 9,053 yards and 106 touchdowns ... 237-of-387 passing for 3,636 yards and 42 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions as a senior ... Hallandale finished 10-3 and advanced to the 5A regional finals for the first time in school history in 2015 ... set a state record with 71 pass attempts against St. Thomas Aquinas, throwing for 468 yards in the game ... passed for 515 yards against Jackson HS and 380 yards against Bishop Moore ... rushed 55 times for 219 yards, including 105 yards and two TDs against Dillard HS ... second-team all-state 6A as a junior when he passed for 2,227 yards (131-of-214) ... son of Ricky and Regina Huntley ... two brothers and one sister ... born Feb. 3, 1998.
District 15-6A honorable mention as a senior despite a shoulder injury that caused him to miss most of the season ... 40 tackles and two interceptions ... three-star prospect by Scout.com and 247Sports.com ... No. 17 Texas cornerback recruit by Scout.com ... Klein Oak HS reached the 2014 state quarterfinals his junior season ... Klein Oak's Defensive MVP against Austin Bowie and Klein ... scored on an 85-yard fumble recovery against Klein ... also competes in track ... son of Darlene Hawkins ... born Sept. 18, 1997.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... first-team all-Pioneer League defensive tackle in 2015 ... first-team all-Pioneer League offensive lineman as a junior ... started on both sides of the ball ... selected to the Polynesian All-American Bowl after his senior season ... three-star defensive tackle prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... 41 tackles (2.0 sacks) and a caused fumble as a senior at Leuzinger HS (Calif.) in 2015 ... also threw shot (43'0.00' best) and discus ... son of the late Amaleki and Fauniteni Lauaki ... legal guardians are Ed and Lizette Russell ... name is pronounced sa-meese-ee lao-walk-ee ... born July 19, 1998.
First-team all-WSFL and all-ACCAC in 2015 ... four-star recruit by Scout.com ... led Arizona Western with 93 tackles, including 16 TFL and four sacks as a sophomore ... also had two forced fumbles, an interception, a blocked kick and a fumble recovery in 2015 ... five double-figure tackle games ... season-high 15 tackles (3.0 TFL, 1.0 sack), an interception and a blocked kick against Pima ... Arizona Western played in the 2015 El Toro Bowl ... 66 tackles, 5.5 TFL, two sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery as a freshman ... prepped at Farrington HS in Hawaii ... Farrington made the state semifinals in 2012 ... all-OIA honorable mention basketball player ... name is pronounced loo-uh-fah-ta-songa ... born in Tonga on Oct. 14, 1995.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... 2015 first-team All-USA Utah Football Team ... Salt Lake Tribune second-team all-state as a senior ... rated the No. 7 overall recruit in the state of Utah by Scout.com ... named to the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl and the Polynesian All-American Bowl ... helped East HS (Utah) win the 2015 4A state championship ... attended two other high schools in Utah (played as a freshman at Hunter HS, but did not play his sophomore year at West) ... full name is Johnny Vaoita Maea (pronounced ma-ay-ah) ... born Apr. 27, 1998.
Named the running back MVP at the Rivals Camp Series in Miami ... led Hallandale HS (Fla.) with 1,098 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on 145 carries as a senior ... also had 25 receptions for 425 yards and four touchdowns ... rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries (17.1 yards per rush) against Stranahan HS and was named the HSPN Sports Player of the Game ... 128 yards rushing with two touchdowns, along with 83 yards receiving and one TD against Coconut Creek ... played at Mater Academy Charter his first three years of high school ... had 50 carries for 305 yards and three touchdowns as a junior ... also caught six passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns in 2014 ... 156 yards rushing and 54 yards receiving as a sophomore, when he also played defense and made 58 tackles ... related to Santana Moss, an All-American at Miami who had more than 10,000 yards receiving during a 14-year NFL career, and Sinorice Moss, a second-round draft pick out of Miami who spent six years in the NFL ... full name is Zaccheus Malik Moss ... born Dec. 15, 1997.
Enrolled in classes at Utah in January ... rated the No. 1 offensive tackle in Washington by Scout.com ... all-state as a senior ... two-time first-team all-Greater Spokane League ... helped Central Valley reach the state playoffs in 2015 after the team won just three games the year before ... also played basketball and participated in track and field (shot, discus and hammer throw) ... son of Rob and Christy Peck ... one sister ... full name is Robert Scott Peck ... born Oct. 23, 1997.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... ranked the ninth-best recruit in the state of Utah by Rivals.com ... two-time honorable mention all-state at Cottonwood HS ... first-team all-region as a senior in 2015 ... 60 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble, pass breakup, two fumble recoveries and a blocked punt his senior season ... also had 74 all-purpose yards (48 rushing, 26 receiving) in 2015 ... 90 tackles, six sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and an interception as a junior ... 23 tackles as a sophomore included 13.5 sacks ... 23 tackles with four sacks as a freshman ... played basketball as a freshman ... son of Howard and Taina Pututau ... brother Howard signed with Utah in 2014 before going on a mission and will be a freshman at Utah this fall ... full name is Tofua Ofa-Ki-Nuusila Pututau (pronounced foo-uh poo-too-tao) ... born Jan. 29, 1998.
Two-time first-team All-Sea View League ... all-CIF Southern Section Southwest Division as a junior ... helped San Clemente HS (Calif.) to two CIF-SS Southwest Division runner-up finishes ... also played basketball as a sophomore ... son of Lance and Stacy Scott ... father was a two-time all-WAC center for Utah and a fifth-round NFL draft pick who had a six-year career with the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants and New England Patriots (1995-2000) ... born July 14, 1997.
Enrolled in classes at Utah in January ... as a senior at Hallandale HS (Fla.), he had 38 receptions for 506 yards and seven touchdowns ... four catches for 137 yards (34.3 average) and two touchdowns vs. Bishop Moore HS ... rushed 15 times for 47 yards in 2015 ... played quarterback at Miramar HS (Fla.) as a junior, passing for 574 yards ... honorable mention all-Broward County in 2014 ... also had 45 rushes for 371 yards, as well as six touchdowns and four receptions for 54 yards his junior season ... son of Lamar Simpkins and Denise Scott ... five brothers and two sisters ... brother Jamar Simpkins plays football at Western Michigan ... honor roll ... full name is Demari Keion Simpkins (pronounced da-marr-ee) ... born May 28, 1998.
Second-team all-WSFL as a Snow College sophomore in 2015 ... 68 tackles with 11.5 TFL (2.0 sacks) ... also had a pass breakup, forced fumble and fumble recovery ... career-high 16 tackles (2 TFL) and a pass breakup against Eastern Arizona ... 11 tackles (2.0 TFL) vs. New Mexico Military ... three tackles for loss against both Pima and Arizona Western ... as a freshman in 2014, he had 45 tackles (7.5 TFL), two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery ... season-high 12 tackles included three TFL against Eastern Arizona ... first-team all-state in 2011 at Lone Peak HS (Utah) ... 2011 Region 4 Defensive MVP ... had 134 tackles with 11 TFL, six sacks and three forced fumbles his senior year ... also rushed 28 times for 259 yards and a touchdown ... earned the Utah Blaze 'Ironman' Award after recording 18 tackles in a semifinal win over Jordan HS ... son of Sione and Melanie Taufa ... full name is Mailau Kurtis Taufa (pronounced tao-fa) ... born Apr. 22, 1994.
Two-time all-state linebacker earned first-team honors as a senior ... helped lead Miami Central HS (Fla.) to four state championships ... 135 tackles, 11 sacks as a senior ... forced a fumble in the 2015 state championship game that led to a touchdown ... named the 2014 all-Miami-Dade & Keys Underclassman of the Year as a junior ... led Miami-Dade County in tackles in 2014 with 167 stops ... also had 14 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in 2014 ... born Oct. 20, 1996.
As a senior, he was one of five national finalists for the Butkus Award, which honors the country's top linebacker ... No. 1 overall recruit in the state of Utah by Rivals.com ... No. 4 defensive end recruit in the West by Scout.com ... four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com ...two-time 4A all-state defensive lineman made the first team as a senior ... all-USA Utah first team in 2015 ... named to the all- Salt Lake Tribune Team ... Region 6 Defensive MVP in 2015 and Region 7 Defensive MVP in 2014 ... Region 7 first team as a sophomore ... selected to play in the Polynesian All-American Bowl ... 229 career tackles, 42.5 career sacks and seven career caused fumbles ... as a senior in 2015, he had 116 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, five passes defended and a blocked field goal ... 62 tackles, 17.0 TFL, 14.0 sacks, six quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles his junior year ... also rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown as a junior ... 48 tackles, 5.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception his sophomore year ... also plays basketball ... son of John Tupai and Anna Stowers ... name is pronounced max too-pa-ee ... born Nov. 12, 1997.
Enrolled in classes at Utah in January ... played at Santa Monica College in 2015 after transferring from Washington ... threw for 2,750 yards (180-of-265) and 31 touchdowns with just four interceptions ... passed for a season-high 408 yards (26-of-40) and four touchdowns in win over LA Harbor ... threw seven touchdown passes against Victor Valley, completing 18-of-24 passes for 383 yards ... played in five games with one start at Washington in 2014 after redshirting in 2013... in first NCAA start against Arizona State, completed 18-of-26 passes for 130 yards (2 INT) ... coming out of Narbonne HS (Calif.), he was listed as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback recruit in the nation by Rivals and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback by ESPN ... two-time CIF Los Angeles City Section Division I Player of the Year (2011-12) ... honorable mention Parade All-America ... Los Angeles Times 2012 back of the year and first-team all-area ... first-team MaxPreps.com Division I all-state and CalHiSports.com all-state ... played in the Cal State all-star game, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another to account for all three of his team's scores ... completed 191-of-266 passes (.718) for 2,886 yards and 39 touchdowns with just six interceptions as a senior ... also rushed for 396 yards and 10 TDs on 94 carries and served as the team's punter ... helped Narbonne HS to a 14-1 record, a second-consecutive L.A. City Section Division I championship and a berth in the CIF South Regional championship game in 2012 ... led Narbonne to an 11-3 mark and the city title as a junior, completing 211-of-339 passes (.622) for 3,247 yards and 34 touchdowns ... ran for 587 yards and 11 scores on 102 carries ... as a sophomore in 2010, was 200-for-317 for 2,597 yards and 23 touchdowns and was the only sophomore on the all-city team, earning first-team quarterback honors ... went 8-of-12 for 130 yards and two scores as a freshman ... also played basketball ... son of Troy Williams Sr. and Kimberly Williams ... one sister ... honor roll in high school ... full name is Troy Marc Williams ... born Sept. 11, 1994.
Enrolled in classes at Utah in January ... placed 30 of his 63 total punts (47.6%) inside the 20-yard line as a freshman at Santa Barbara CC in 2014 ... averaged 39.8 yards per punt ... long punt of 77 yards ... averaged 45.6 yards per punt and placed five of his eight punts inside the 20 against Santa Monica ... did not play football in 2015 ... was on the reserves for Perth in the West Australian Football League in 2012 ... two-year ACC Honorary Athletics Representative at Lumen Christi College (high school) from 2006-07 ... son of Marty and Penny Wishnowsky ... born Mar. 3, 1992.
Played in three games his senior season at St. Thomas Aquinas HS (Fla.) before being sidelined with a broken wrist ... 37 carries, 173 yards and one touchdown in 2015 ... also had two catches for 35 yards ... 25 rushes for 118 yards and a touchdown against Booker T. Washington ... as a junior, he averaged 11.8 yards per carry, rushing 34 times for 400 yards and five touchdowns ... also ran track ... clocked in 10.87 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.63 in the 200 meters ... placed fifth in the 200 meters at the 2015 FHSAA 4A District 13 meet ... son of Gary Cole and Tanya Henry ... born Jan. 15, 1997.
Bradlee Anae
Defensive End - 6-3 - 229 - Fr. - HS - Laie, Hawaii
(Kahuku HS)
Keaton Bills
Defensive Line - 6-4 - 274 - Fr. - HS - Draper, Utah
(Corner Canyon HS)
Garett Bolles
Offensive Line - 6-6 - 296 - Jr. - JC - Lehi, Utah
(Snow College)
Terrell Burgess
Cornerback - 6-0 - 182 - Fr. - HS - San Marcos, Calif.
(San Marcos HS)
Alec Dana
Wide Receiver - 6-2 - 186 - So. - JC - Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
(Chaffey College)
Cole Fotheringham
Tight End - 6-4 - 235 - Fr. - HS - San Clemente, Calif.
(San Clemente HS)
Leki Fotu
Defensive End - 6-5 - 276 - Fr. - HS - West Valley City, Utah
(San Herriman HS)
Jake Grant
Offensive Line - 6-4 - 279 - Fr. - HS - Scottsdale, Ariz. (Horizon HS)
Davir Hamilton
Linebacker/Receiver - 6-3 - 208 - Fr. - HS - Compton, Calif.
(Long Beach Poly HS)
Tyler Huntley
Quarterback- 6-1 - 180 - Fr. - HS - Dania, Fla. (Hallandale HS)
Nygel King
Cornerback - 6-0 - 169 - Fr. - HS - Tomball, Texas
(Klein Oak HS)
Semisi Lauaki
Defensive Line - 6-3 - 231 - Fr. - HS - Hawthorne, Calif.
(Leuzinger HS)
David Luafatasaga
Linebacker - 6-4 - 232 - Jr. - JC - Honolulu, Hawaii
(Arizona Western College)
Johnny Maea
Offensive Line - 6-4 - 308 - Fr. - HS - Salt Lake City
(East HS)
Zack Moss
Running Back - 5-10 - 206 - Fr. - HS - Hialeah Gardens, Fla.
(Hallandale HS)
Scott Peck
Offensive Line- 6-6 - 312 - Fr. - HS - Spokane Valley, Wash. (Central Valley HS)
Fua Pututau
Defensive Line - 6-2 - 242 - Fr. - HS - Salt Lake City
(Cottonwood HS)
Tucker Scott
Offensive Line - 6-4 - 288 - Fr. - HS - San Clemente, Calif.
(San Clemente HS)
Demari Simpkins
Wide Receiver- 5-10 - 176 - Fr. - HS - Miramar, Fla.
(Hallandale HS)
Kurtis Taufa
Linebacker - 6-2 - 236 - Jr. - JC - Highland, Utah
(Snow College)
Donavan Thompson
Linebacker - 5-10 - 214- Fr. - HS - Miami, Fla.
(Miami Central HS)
Maxs Tupai
Defensive End - 6-2 - 245- Fr. - HS - Taylorsville, Utah
(Murray HS)
Troy Williams
Quarterback - 6-2 - 197 - Jr. - HS - Carson, Calif.
(Santa Monica College)
Mitch Wishnowsky
Punter - 6-3 - 225 - Jo. - JC - Gosnells, Western Australia
(Santa Barbara College)
Devonta'e Henry-Cole
Running Back - 5-8 - 168 - Fr. - HS - Boca Raton, Fla.
(St. Thomas Aquinas School)