Utah Utes 2021 prospect Velltray Jefferson is an SI All-American nominee

After decommitting from USC in February, three-star prospect Velltray Jefferson has seen his recruitment pick up a ton over the previous five months and for good reason — he's blessed with lots of potential at the college level and beyond

It may be the month of August, and the COVID-19 pandemic may be seriously hindering recruiting for most of the college football programs throughout the country. But for the University of Utah, head coach Kyle Whittingham and co. are off to a stellar start in recruiting compared to where they usually are this time of year.

Headlining Utah's 2021 recruiting class is quarterback Peter Costelli, one of the top-ranked passers in the country according SI All American's John Garcia.

Joining Costelli is one of the premier running backs in the country in soon-to-be four-star running back Ricky Parks out of Gaither High School in Tampa, Florida and Deamikkio Nathan, the wide receiver out of South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas.

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

Utah desperately needs help at the wide receiver position, and with Costelli and Nathan already on board, the Utes are looking to add maybe 2-3 more during the 2021 class. Velltray Jefferson, who was recently named an SI All-American nominee, could be that game-changer the Utah needs.

Jefferson is one of those recruits where if looks mattered, he might be the No. 1 prospect in the nation. Physically he's an athletic specimen who's ready to contribute at the next level. His only real downfall is that he never singled out a position in high school, so he will be raw wherever he goes.

But once he designates himself one spot, he should be to adapt and learn the intricacies to be a dominant collegiate player.

Over the coming weeks, SI will unveil its preseason top 10 for each of 14 position groups (kicking off with quarterbacks this week). SI will unveil its initial top 99 ranking, the SI99, on August 24.

The evaluation process will continue throughout the season “until the list of 1,000 contenders coalesces around just 25 young men who can say proudly they are the best of the best -- they are Sports Illustrated All-Americans,” said SI Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia Jr.

The candidates will be narrowed to 250 in October and 99 in November, and will culminate with 25 first-team Sports Illustrated All-Americans saluted at SI’s annual Sportsperson of the Year banquet in New York in December.

Here's a complete breakdown by Garcia regarding what Jefferson can do at the next level...

Prospect: Velltray Jefferson
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Fresno (Calif.) Edison
Schools of Interest: Arizona, Colorado, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Fresno State, Nevada, USC
Projected Position: Wide Receiver

Frame: Huge kid with a thick build. Great size already, will look even better as he gets his feet under him.

Athleticism: Moves really well even compared to opposing cornerbacks. Physical as hell. Unafraid of contact. Plays some safety, too. Might be a good fit there, but nearly all the film we evaluated was on the offensive side of the ball.

Instincts: He plays a tough brand of football. Good ball skills and he brings a lot to the table in terms of red zone tools. He’s a confident runner and he has some juice; He almost never goes down from the first contact.

Polish: Needs to work on footwork. Routes can be rounded and are far from precise, but he’s big and strong enough to make up for that right now. Only evaluating sophomore film.

Bottom Line: Jefferson has impressive size and speed as a 6’4 210-plus pound wide receiver. He put together an impressive sophomore year and deservedly received a lot of attention from up and down the west coast and over the country. We’re looking forward to watching him tear it up during his senior season.

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