Utah Utes tight end Brant Kuithe will be returning once again.
Kuithe announced on social media Monday morning that he will play for the Utes in 2023 instead of entering his name in April’s NFL draft.
The news comes as Kuithe, Utah’s most important receiving target, played in just four games in 2022 after he tore his ACL Sept. 24 against Arizona State.
Kuithe returned to the Utes in 2022 after it appeared he could have been a relatively high draft pick last spring.
The 2023 season will be Kuithe’s fifth as a Ute. A native of Katy, Texas, the 6-foot-2, 219-pounder was named to the All-Pac-12 second team for three consecutive seasons from 2019-2021 before getting hurt this fall.
In his career, Kuithe has tallied 148 receptions for 1,882 yards with 16 touchdowns.
Kuithe’s decision comes as Utah’s other elite tight end from last season, Dalton Kincaid, has declared for the draft. The Utes’ third tight end, Thomas Yassmin, announced Sunday night that he will return to Utah in 2023.
There has still not been public word about whether or not quarterback Cam Rising will return to the Utes in 2023 or enter the draft after he sustained an injury in the Rose Bowl that head coach Kyle Whittingham said “doesn’t look good.”