Utah Utes receive commitment from 2021 prospect Jonah Elliss
The Elliss legacy lives on in Utah.
Jonah Elliss, a three-star linebacker and the top prospect in the state of Idaho, announced his commitment to Utah on Friday evening. The addition of Elliss to the Utes keeps alive their family legacy alive in red and white as his father Luther was one of the best defensive tackles in Utah history, being named a first-team All-American as a senior.
"I've felt like Utah was the place for me, I've been close to announcing for a little bit now," Elliss said in 247sports article. "Utah has definitely one of my higher options since I really started being recruited, I’ve enjoyed getting to know the coaching staff better and feel really comfortable with them. I'm excited to have my commitment in place and Utah is a great school and I just am very excited to be joining the program."
According to 247sports, Elliss, at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, is ranked the No. 91 outside linebacker in the country. He chose the Utes over offers from Washington State, Louisville and Boise State.
It's still undetermined where Elliss will play for the Utes.
While he's deemed an outside linebacker and that's clearly where he's most comfortable, the offensive coaches at Utah have been discussing about him potentially playing tight end.
Regardless of where he plays for the Utes, Utah is adding somebody of high character who adds an intriguing blend of athleticism and size that could really pan out once he dedicates himself to a position.
It's most likely that Elliss will stay on the defensive side of the ball in a safety/outside linebacker mold depending on how his body develops over the coming years. He's not insanely athletic, but he's extremely fluid which allows him to move well in the passing game if needed but he must become more explosive if he's to actually thrive in the role. He's tenacious at the point of attack and loves to play physical, but keeps good mind to stay broken down and technical.
Elliss has the pedigree to thrive in the sport as his dad was a first round pick of the Detroit Lions in 1995, playing with them through 2003 where he earned two Pro Bowl nods. He then played a final season in 2004 with the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, his older brother Kaden starred at the University of Idaho from 2014-2018 before playing for the New Orleans Saints since 2019.
With the addition of Elliss, Utah is now up to eight commits in the 2021 class; joining QB Peter Costelli (Mission Viejo, California), WR Deamikkio Nathan (Grand Prairie, Texas), RB Ricky Parks (Tampa, Florida), OL Kolinu’u Faaiu (Bothell, Washington) on offense — Snow College DT Tevita Fotu, Bingham High DE Viliami Pouha and LB Trey Reynolds (Queen Creek, Arizona) on defense. Costelli, Parks, Nathan and Reynolds have all been names SI All-American nominees.
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