Landen King Hints at Utah Landing Auburn Transfers
In a somewhat mysterious post on X, Utah tight end Landen King seemingly hinted that Utah might be a frontrunner to land transfers out of Auburn.
King, who committed to Auburn out of high school as the No. 29 tight end in the 2021 recruiting class (247Sports Composite Rankings), transferred to the Utes and had a breakout year in 2023.
It’s unclear if King’s post was targeted at a specific Auburn Tiger, but there are a few players who might fit the mold.
The most exciting of which is none other than Ja'Varrius Johnson. Johnson was a senior wide receiver for the Tigers in 2023, entered the transfer portal in the offseason, and already holds an official offer from the Utes.
According to On3, Johnson is currently split between transferring to UCF and Utah. Their prediction model currently gives the Utes around a 47% chance to land the transfer wideout.
Johnson, who accumulated 64 catches for 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns during his time with the Tigers, would be a monumental acquisition for the Utes. Especially considering former No.1 option, Devaughn Vele, recently declared for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Besides Johnson, Robby Ashford could be another Auburn transfer the Utes might be targeting. Ashford, who first committed to Oregon, has been on the Tigers’ roster since the beginning of the 2022 season.
As a 6’3 dual-threat quarterback, Ashford played several games as Auburn’s starter in 2022. He would lose the starting position in 2023, but still play 10 games for the team and become a phenomenal rushing threat at quarterback. In total, Ashford rushed for 217 yards and five touchdowns on the season.
Although the starting quarterback position on Utah's roster is almost assuredly reserved for Cam Rising, the team could use depth at the quarterback position.
With some controversy over the use and readiness of Brandon Rose after the team’s most recent bowl game, it’s unclear if there is a viable backup to Rising for the 2024 season. The team has the option of going with incoming freshman Isaac Wilson, but might choose to opt with experience over raw talent. If the team prefers the first, Ashford could be an intriguing option.
Up to this point in the transfer cycle, all available information says the Utes have yet to offer Ashford. However, the offseason is just beginning, so there is still plenty of time to make additions.
King, who has connections with the Tigers’ program, might be the key to the Utes landing these transfers. Hopefully, his mysterious tweet pans out for the Utes, as both Johnson and Ashford would be big pickups for the program.
