With a young football team last year, the University of Utah didn't lose many players following its surprising 7-4 season. Still, the Utes have been out beating the bushes for new players and are happy with the bunch that will sign this week.
Before the week is over, the Utes are expected to sign 20 players for the 1996 season. Four junior college players have already signed and the Utes are expecting to ink about 14 high school players and a couple of JC players this week.Wednesday is the first day players are allowed to sign national letters of intent. Each player's signing becomes official when it reaches the hands of the coaches.
The Utes don't have many holes to fill from last year's team, losing just five starters and 12 seniors total. The Utes are losing two starters from the offensive and defensive lines as well as slotback Henry Lusk. With no big holes to fill, Ute coach Ron McBride was looking for good athletes at a variety of positions.
McBride has been out of town since last week and is unavailable for comment, but longtime Ute assistant Sean McNabb says this year's recruiting class could be one of the Utes' best ever.
"We have had unprecedented success from top to bottom," said McNabb. "We're very happy with the people we're signing."
Although the Utes filled a variety of positions, they concentrated mostly on defensive lineman, offensive linemen, defensive backs and quarterbacks.
Among the top players who have already made verbal commitments are Nin Burns, a wide receiver/defensive back from Covina, Calif., Charles Bungert, a 327-pound offensive lineman from Camarillo, Calif., and Darnell Arceneux, a quarterback from Honolulu. All three were listed among the top players in the West by Blue Chip Illustrated Magazine.
Burns, a 5-10, 170-pound speedster who also returns kicks, chose Utah over UCLA, Arizona, Washington and Cal. He's being touted by some as an "Erroll Tucker with size" and will most likely play defensive back.
Bungert, whose father played for Utah in the late 1960s, will be the biggest player on the team and could play right away.
Arceneux passed for more than 2,000 yards this season, despite missing the first two games with an injury. An all-around athlete, he would like to play basketball as well as football for the Utes.
The Utes have already signed four junior college players, including JC quarterback Jon Crosswhite, a 6-3, 210-pounder from Foothill JC.
A third quarterback expected to sign with Utah is Olympus' Lance Rice, the grandson of Robert Rice, of whom the Utes' stadium is named after.
Other JC transfers include Terry Noyce, a wide receiver from Citrus JC, C.J. Johnson, a tight end from Mt. San Jacinto JC and Militoni Fatfehi, a 6-4, 265-pound defensive lineman from Foothill JC. Other transfers expected to sign Wednesday are receiver Dan Jones of Mesa JC and defensive back Jamal Allen of Fullerton JC.
Among the local players who have committed to play for Utah are Justin McQuivey, an offensive lineman from Bountiful, Sam White, an offensive lineman from Union High and Justin Boudreau, a defensive lineman from Clearfield.
The Utes open spring practice in early April and open the 1996 season Aug. 31 at Utah State.