Utah Utes 2021 Recruit Lonyatta "Junior" Alexander Highlights
With the NCAA extending the recruiting dead period all the way until June 30, now is an extremely important to continue to connect with recruits via phone, text, facetime, etc.
Any chance that Utah coaches have to be in contact with recruits, they must take full advantage of it for the upcoming 2021 class as only Peter Costelli (4*, QB) and Tevita Fotu (JC, DL) are the only commits thus far. Creating relationships with the prospects and setting up on-campus visits for when the dead period ends will be vital if head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff want to build on the success of the program's greatest recruiting class when the Utes finished with the No. 29 class in the country last year.
"We feel really good about this class," Whittingham said after the singing of the 2020 class. "Our net has been cast fairly wide now and we have guys from all over the country. More than anything though, we are now able to stand toe-to-toe and win some of these battles with high profile schools. If you look at our recruits and their offers, we are beating some really good schools - schools we couldn't even be in the conversation with six or seven years ago."
Now we are going to look at some of Utah's top targets in the 2021 class...
Lonyatta "Junior" Alexander
*4-star, Wide Receiver
*6-foot-3, 189-pounds
*Kennedy Catholic HS — Burien, WA
Alexander, much like his high school teammate Jabez Tinae, is high on the Utes and could immediately come in and be a difference-maker for an unproven Utah receiving corps.
He's a very fluid receiver who finds himself able to gain separation from his defender because of his size. Has the ability to find the holes in zone coverages and uses sharp breaks to get himself open.
By far one of his best attributes is that he's fearless going over the middle, not afraid to get hit, and catches the ball with soft hands.
He does lack top-end speed, needs define his route-running technique and become more physical when it coms to blocking on the perimeter.
Right now, Washington is expected to get Alexander's services as the hometown school, but Utah's lack of wide receivers and inexperience at the position could provide some drama. Tinae and Alexander have talked about playing together in college so they could be a package deal, one that Utah could really use.
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