Utah defensive tackle Devin Kaufusi is savoring his final college football fall camp.
“August just flies by. It’s like August isn’t a real month anymore. It’s just football, day-in and day-out, from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m,” he said. “Everyone’s been able to let the personalities shine through but take the criticism that’s needed and better themselves and their rooms as leadership and position groups. Fall camp’s been good.”
The 6-foot-7, 283-pounder from Provo is looking forward to his final season of college football, which begins Sept. 3 when the Utes visit Florida at The Swamp.
“Devin has a lot going for him. He has length, he has size, he has a lot of things he can bring to the table.” — Utah defensive line coach Luther Elliss on Devin Kaufusi
But first, Kaufusi is actually enjoying the grind of fall camp.
“It’s my last year and you have that thought every day that this is my last year and that I need to go out there and keep it going,” he said. “I think I’m the oldest guy on the team now. I’m in a leadership position and I’m really making the most of it. … People are sacrificing, people are counting on us. Let’s make the most out of it. Let’s win some games.”
Kaufusi transferred to Utah from BYU prior to the 2020 season.
After playing the past two seasons with the Utes, Kaufusi could have finished his college career at the end of the 2021 campaign. But he decided to take advantage of his extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 and return for 2022.
For his final season with the Utes, his position coach is Luther Elliss, which is something special. Elliss was hired last winter.
Kaufusi’s dad, Steve, was a graduate assistant on Utah’s defensive staff when Elliss starred for the Utes in 1994. Later, Steve Kaufusi was elevated to defensive line coach. He spent 1995-01 with Utah before being hired by BYU. Steve was the Cougars’ defensive line coach from 2002-16.
Devin Kaufusi loves playing for Elliss.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s thrilling. The way he dissects the game and sees the game so differently with all the experience that he has, he’s really come in and hasn’t let us rest,” he said. “I’m the old guy in the room, but there are a lot of young guys. He has his bar and his vision set high for us. He knows what we can get out of ourselves. He’s doing everything he can to get us there. So it’s been fantastic having Luther back here and learning from him.”
Elliss appreciates what a seasoned veteran like Kaufusi can mean on a defensive line.
“Devin has a lot going for him. He has length, he has size, he has a lot of things he can bring to the table. Right now, he’s going to be in that rotation. He’s fighting for a starting job,” Elliss said. “I’m really looking forward to him using the tools that God’s given him, to use that length and leverage and continuing to help him develop that.”
Kaufusi is also providing leadership for the Utes. Earlier this year, he was voted a team captain.
“He’s a natural leader. He’s taken that role already with how he conducts himself and how he does things,” he said. “His leadership ability is very much intact. He’s using it to the best of his ability. I’m grateful to have him in the room.
“Anytime you have guys that are great leaders in your room, it helps you in coaching. You have some guys that don’t get it and they can lean over and ask Devin or someone of his caliber and they can help them out.”
“This year, being voted captain was huge. It’s something that I think about every day. It’s more of a conscious effort,” Kaufusi said. “Coming in as a transfer, that was my biggest thing. I just wanted to earn the respect of my teammates. That’s the process here. That’s the family atmosphere and brotherhood that we have. I wanted to work hard enough that I could earn the respect of my teammates.”
Prior to this season, Kaufusi was on the team’s leadership council.
“That was such a huge blessing and accomplishment for me. Then to become a defensive captain, after Mika (Tafua) and Devin (Lloyd) and so many other great leaders that coach Whitt always mentions from last season, it’s definitely some big shoes to fill,” he said. “It’s the biggest shoes I’ve had to fill in my life.
“Just being able to be compelling to my teammates and helping them get better in the film room, in the weight room, on the field, after practice, in the classroom. We’re all trying to get each other there, to the vision that the coaches have for us and that standard.”
Kaufusi is doing everything he can to make his final season of college football a memorable one.
