It was a double dose of good news for Utah football on the in-state recruiting front Wednesday.
Just before 2 p.m. local time, three-star defensive lineman Karson Kaufusi of Skyline High announced his commitment to the Utes, while Skyridge High offensive lineman Darius Afalava revealed his final four, which included Utah.
Kaufusi is the fifth commitment to the Utes’ 2025 recruiting class, coming just two days after another defensive lineman, Sione Motuapuaka of Las Vegas, committed to Utah.
Who is Karson Kaufusi?
Kaufusi is rated a three-star prospect and the No. 16 recruit in Utah in 247 Sports’ composite rankings. The 6-foot-4, 252-pound lineman also has a composite player rating of 0.8444.
Kaufusi had 23 tackles and a sack during the 2023 season for Skyline, per the Deseret News preps database.
His commitment comes during a busy month for college football recruiting — Utah will host more than 35 recruits on official visits in June, according to 247 Sports, and Motuapuaka’s commitment came shortly after his visit to Salt Lake City.
At the time of his commitment, Kaufusi also held offers from BYU, Washington, Arizona and San Diego State, among others, according to 247 Sports. His uncle, Jason Kaufusi, is a former Utah defensive lineman and is Washington’s defensive line coach/defensive run game coordinator.
Who is Darius Afalava?
Afalava is rated the top interior offensive line prospect in Utah in the upcoming class and is currently No. 3 overall in the state, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Afalava also included Michigan State, Oklahoma and Washington among his top four that he announced on social media Wednesday.
Afalava took an official visit to Utah on June 3 and has also visited Oklahoma and Michigan State, according to 247 Sports’ Blair Angulo, with an official visit to Washington scheduled for June 21.
Afalava, a two-year starter at Skyridge, who’s played both right tackle and right guard, was named to the Deseret News’ 6A all-state first team last season.
Afalava, who has a 0.8878 composite player rating, is ranked the No. 26 overall interior offensive lineman in the 2025 class in 247 Sports’ composite rankings.