Brant Kuithe provides support in Utah passing attack

The sophomore tight end has a bright future if he keeps making plays like he did Saturday night

Brant Kuithe isn't the most well-known name in Utah's offense. That honor goes to either running back Zack Moss or quarterback Tyler Huntley. More household names include wide receivers Britain Covey, Bryan Thompson or Samson Nacua.

Any of those names are not only known to Utes fans, they're also sure to show up on scouting reports of opposing teams. 

But lost amongst the multitude of playmakers Utah now possesses lies a tight end who's quietly making his mark as the most dangerous pass catcher in an offense that's averaging 34.7 points per game.

Kuithe entered last Saturday's showdown against UCLA with 17 catches for 274 yards and three touchdowns on the season, very respectable numbers but they have allowed him to fly under the radar.  

After Saturday's performance against the Bruins, that may no longer be the case. Kuithe posted career-highs of five catches for 132 yards, including a touchdown. 

But according to head coach Kyle Whittingham, Kuithe's performance is a small sample of what the 6-foot-2, 235-pound pass catcher is capable of.

"He’s just a tremendous athlete and it’s not anything we scripted differently other than he just happened to shake free more often than he had in the past," Whittingham said of Kuithe's performance. "He has been playing really great football for us all year long, but he’s a tremendous weapon. He’s a tough match-up. ... He’s only a sophomore too."

Kuithe now leads the Utes in both touchdowns (4) and catches (22) on the season, while ranking second in receiving yards (402). He's quickly emerging as Huntley's favorite target, providing a valuable outlet while showcasing the ability to win one-on-one battles.

Moss is arguably the conference's top running back, if not one of the best in the entire country, and trams will undoubtedly load the box and try to take him out of the game. This means that Huntley will need to throw the ball for the Utes to win, and to do so, Kuithe will be a big part of that solution.

If No. 7 Utah is to try and make some noise in the CFB playoffs, most notably winning its final two regular season games before meeting No. 6 Oregon in the Pac-12 championship, a lot of it will rely on Kuithe.