Utah Utes WR prospect Makai Cope is an SI All-American nominee

It may be the month of July, 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. Makai Cope, who was recently named an SI All-American nominee, could be that game-changer the Utah needs.

Cope is one of the late bloomers of the 2021 class and could make an instant impact the second he arrives onto a college campus. He's start and stop abilities are sensational and his burst off the line of scrimmage is some of the best in high school football, but there are needs to for finer route running which should come as he gets older.

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 Cope can do at the next level...

Just had a great convo with @UteReef33 and man I am excited to receive an offer from the University of Utah!!#GoUtes @coachkeith_1k @Scott_Schrader @GregBiggins @RyanWrightRNG @LemmingReport @adamgorney @eagle88me @EliteAthletes_ @_groundzer0 @ChrisNTrevino @BrandonHuffman pic.twitter.com/TkONkp0TwI
— Makai Cope [MAC] (@makaicope) April 10, 2020

Prospect: WR Makai Cope
Projected Position: Wide Receiver
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-2, 190 pounds
School: Culver City (Calif.)
Schools of Interest: Stanford, Arizona State, Kansas State, Michigan, USC, Utah, UNLV and Northwestern.

Frame: Slender but dense build with ideal arm length. Long, sprinter-like legs.

Athleticism: Cope can stop and start on a dime, and use his long strides to high step last-ditch arm tackles he just created for himself. He covers 10 yards in his first five strides off the line; he’s explosive from zero momentum. No surprise he has a track background.

Instincts: No stranger to the middle of the field, frequently running crossing routes and weaving through traffic on tunnel screens. Unaffected by contact immediately after the catch.

Polish: He’ll be making a big leap in terms of the level of competition at the next level, but he did have success during one-on-ones at various unpadded camps. His skill set and high-point ability are most effective out wide and deeper downfield on 50/50 balls.

Bottom Line: Cope isn’t fast-twitch, but has enough juice in his feet to work for his style of play. We’ll be on the lookout for more precise route running in his senior season, and, of course, that signature sidestep.

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