The tough injury news keeps on coming for Utah football.
Tight end Thomas Yassmin will have season-ending surgery, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said on his coaches show on ESPN 700.
“It’s a shame to see Thomas get injured and he will have a season-ending surgery this week,” Whittingham said.
It’s the fifth season-ending injury for the Utes this year, with running backs Micah Bernard and Chris Curry, wide receiver Mycah Pittman, and defensive end Logan Fano all out for the year.
Yassmin, who stepped up in the absence of Brant Kuithe last season, had 13 receptions for 301 yards and six touchdowns, including a 72-yard reception against Arizona State and a 60-yard touchdown in the Pac-12 championship game against USC.
With Kuithe out to start the season, Yassmin was set to have a larger role in the offense, but that never materialized as he had just 30 yards on five receptions ahead of Utah’s game at Oregon State. Yassmin had his best game of the season against the Beavers, with three receptions for 59 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown for Utah’s only score of the game, but was injured in the contest and missed Utah’s win over Cal.
Miki Suguturaga, who has two receptions for 30 yards, will see an increased role.
“Miki, he has been a defensive end this whole time here, converted in the spring and I think he’s done a solid job,” tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham said.
Landen King, who has been trying to gain weight from 225 pounds at the start of the fall camp to a target goal of 240-245 pounds, also figures to see more run at tight end. King has two receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown.
“Landen is a very good receiving tight end. In his development, what I would like to see more of is him putting on bulk and getting up to the weight of a true tight end. He’s got to take that upon himself and make sure that he is adding weight every single week to get to that level where we can line him up half the line of scrimmage against a 270-pound defensive end and feel good about it,” Freddie Whittingham said.