Utah lands commitment from 3-star WR Deamikkio Nathan
Utah has been on some sort of hot streak over on the recruiting trail since the beginning of June.
Since that time period, the Utes have had five commits, headlined by soon to be 4-star running back Ricky Parks last week — who is now paired with 4-star quarterback Peter Costelli to make a dynamic backfield.
Toss in 3-star defenders Trey Reynolds (LB), Viliami Pouha (DE) and Tevita Fotu (DT) and 3-star offensive lineman Koli Faaiu and Utah's class was starting to look extremely well-rounded.
But one of the biggest things missing from the class was somebody to catch the ball from Costelli and block for Parks on the outside. That is no longer a problem after the Utes secured the commitment from 3-star wide receiver Deamikkio Nathan out of Texas.
Nathan's recruitment came within an hour after news broke that Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley was staying with the program. Scalley was originally placed on leave after news broke that he used a racial slur with a recruit in 2013 — but following the results of the independent investigation, Scalley was reinstated.
As one of the first commits of the 2021 class, Costelli has made it a mission to reach out to prospective commits and one of those players happened to be Nathan. But it was wide receiver coach Guy Holliday who led the way in his recruitment, ultimately securing the talented pass catcher.
Utah's class is now ranked No. 79 in the country and No. 9 in the Pac-12 — moving up 12 spots in the nation and one spot in the conference with the commits of Parks and Nathan.
For a breakdown of what Nathan brings to the Utes, read below...
DEAMIKKIO NATHAN
*3-star, Wide Receiver
*6-foot, 185-pounds
*South Grand Prairie High School — Grand Prairie, Texas
Nathan is the type of recruit who is only going to get better with the older and more mature he gets. He already possesses a lot of the natural ability and skillset to thrive, but is still growing into his body and learning the finer points of the game.
He's extremely well built at his age, already playing bigger than his size suggests and showcasing a physical component to his game that is hard to come by in high school. He should put on even more weight once he gets into a collegiate strength and conditioning program, which will only heighten his overall skillset.
He shows good short area quickness and the ability to climb over the top of defenses, while showcasing flashes of ability to be a threat with his run-after-catch ability.
But even with his positives, there is still some room for growing.
He needs to become more consistent with using his hands overall, whether it be catching the ball or blocking. He also needs to work on his high-point capabilities because he's listed at only 6-foot, so he will need to fight for jump balls.
Utah only signed one wide receiver from the 2020 class, but two other players were signed as athletes and could see time on the offensive side of the ball. Juniors Bryan Thompson, Solomon Enis and Britain Covey are the expected starters for the upcoming 2020 season while senior Samson Nacua, junior Jaylen Dixon and freshman Devaughn Vele should all contribute on that side of the ball
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