Utes Sign 24 To National Letters of Intent
Feb. 2, 2005
| 2005 UTAH FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS | |||||
| Junior College (6) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Hometown (Last School) |
| Brian Hernandez | WR | 5-11 | 180 | Jr. | Phoenix, Ariz./Pima CC |
| Soli Lefiti | DE | 6-4 | 250 | Jr. | Kaneohe, Hawaii/Palomar CC |
| Tolifili Liufau | DL | 6-1 | 300 | Jr. | Waikiki, Hawaii/Fresno CC |
| Brett Ratliff | QB | 6-4 | 195 | Jr. | Chico, Calif./Butte College |
| Eric Shyne | DB | 5-10 | 180 | Jr. | Pomona, Calif./Reedley CC |
| Reggie Turner | LB | 6-1 | 239 | Jr. | Culver City, Calif./West Los Angeles JC |
| High School (18) | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Hometown (Last School) |
| Zane Beadles | OL | 6-4 | 275 | Fr. | Sandy, Utah/Hillcrest HS |
| Tony Bergstrom | OL | 6-5 | 251 | Fr. | Salt Lake City/Skyline HS |
| Greg Bird | LB | 6-2 | 200 | Fr. | Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain HS |
| Lance Bordeleau | TE | 6-4 | 230 | Fr. | Simi Valley, Calif./Royal HS |
| Grayson Dart | DB | 6-0 | 164 | Fr. | Layton, Utah/Northridge HS |
| Kevin Dunn | QB | 6-3 | 216 | Fr. | Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS |
| Kenape Eliapo | DL | 6-0 | 270 | Fr. | San Francisco, Calif./South San Francisco HS |
| Randy Faletoi | DL | 6-2 | 290 | Fr. | Honolulu, Hawaii/McKinley HS |
| Joe Giuliani | DB | 6-1 | 180 | Fr. | Simi Valley, Calif./Oaks Christian HS |
| Chris Joppru | TE | 6-5 | 235 | Fr. | Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka HS |
| Semisi Livai | LB | 6-0 | 240 | Fr. | Kahuku, Hawaii/Kahuku HS |
| Darrell Mack | RB | 6-0 | 197 | Fr. | Spring Valley, Calif./Monte Vista HS |
| Brice McCain | DB | 5-9 | 170 | Fr. | Terrell, Texas/Terrell HS |
| Kyler Rushton | DB | 6-0 | 195 | Fr. | Las Vegas, Nev./Cimarron HS |
| Andrew Smart | LB | 6-2 | 210 | Fr. | Salt Lake City/Brighton HS |
| Sean Smith | RB | 6-2 | 206 | Fr. | Pasadena, Calif./Blair HS |
| Tyler Williams | OL | 6-1 | 291 | Fr. | Mililani, Hawaii/Kamehameha HS |
| Marquis Wilson | WR | 5-11 | 160 | Fr. | Draper, Utah/Juan Diego HS |
Zane Beadles
Offensive Line
6-4, 275, Fr. HS
Sandy, Utah
Hillcrest HS
First-team all-state, all-region lineman played both ways for Hillcrest High (Utah) ... Hillcrest team captain and three-year starter did not miss a game during his high school career ... won team's "Top Lineman" award as a senior after recording 92 tackles, 6 sacks and an interception for the defense and not allowing a sack as an offensive tackle ... lettered three years in baseball and two in basketball ... second-team all-region baseball player in 2004 was the team captain as a junior ... National Honor Society ... ranked 37th out of a class of 542 with a 3.92 GPA ... son of Brad Beadles and Jamie Legerski ... father played baseball for Wyoming and mother played basketball for Wyoming ... has three siblings ... full name is Zane Beadles ... born in Casper, Wyo., on Nov. 19, 1986.
Tony Bergstrom
Offensive Line
6-5, 251, Fr. HS
Salt Lake City
Skyline HS
2004 all-state and Region 3 Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player ... Skyline team captain ...three-year starter ... in 2002 and 2003 Skyline made the state finals ... in 2004, Skyline won the region and made the state semi-finals ... also lettered three years in basketball and two years in track ... high honor roll three years ... academic all-state ... College Board AP Scholar Award ... National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame 2004 Scholar-Leader-Athlete nominee ... plans to serve an LDS church mission before coming to Utah ... son of Steven and Lori Bergstrom ... both parents are Utah graduates ... is the youngest of four brothers ... cousin Ryan Roberts played baseball for the Chicago White Sox ... enjoys waterskiing, tennis, ice fishing, hiking, genetic research, biology and medicine ... full name is Steven Anthony Bergstrom ... born Aug. 6, 1986.
Greg Bird
Linebacker
6-2, 200, Fr. HS
Mesa, Ariz.
Red Mountain HS
All-state defensive back was also an all-region defensive back, linebacker, punter and wide receiver ... named region Two-Way Player of the Year ... Mesa City (Ariz.) Player of the Year ... set Red Mountain High records for receiving yards (1,095) and yards per catch (24.8) ... also lettered four years in track and two in basketball ... son of Robert and Laurie Bird ... one of six kids ... full name is Greg Thomas Bird ... born June 17, 1986 in Rexburg, Idaho.
Lance Bordeleau
Tight End
6-4, 230, Fr. HS
Simi Valley, Calif.
Royal HS
All-league, all-county and all-CIF first team ... Ventura City Lineman of the Year ... named all-area by the Ventura County Star ... Daily News' honorable mention all-area team ... as a senior, caught 28 passes for 348 yards and 4 TDs ... led Royal High School (Calif.) to the Marmonte League title in 2004 ... played in the 2005 East-West Shrine Game ... son of Michael and Karen Bordeleau (pronounced board-a-low) ... one sibling ... enjoys wakeboarding and snowboarding ... full name is Lance Tyler Bordeleau ... born Sept. 17, 1986.
Grayson Dart
Defensive Back
6-0, 164, Fr. HS
Layton, Utah
Northridge HS
First-team all-state by the Salt Lake Tribune and second-team by the Deseret Morning News ... first-team all-area and all-region ... Northridge High (Utah) team captain ... played for Northridge's state football championship team in 2002 ... 2004 stats included 71 tackles, 6 interceptions, 56 receptions for 889 yards and 8 TDs ... honor student ... plans to serve an LDS church mission before coming to Utah ... son of Roger Dart and Kathy Boydstun ... both parents graduated from Utah State, where his father ran track ... brother Brandon played defensive back for Utah in 1996, 1999 and 2000 ... one of four children ... enjoys reading, poker and wakeboarding ... full name is Grayson Chasel Dart ... born on a Ute Indian Reservation in Vernal, Utah, on Aug. 25, 1986.
Kevin Dunn
Quarterback
6-3, 216, Fr. HS
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Santa Barbara HS
All-league in 2003-04 and 2004 all-county ... Santa Barbara High (Calif.) MVP and team captain ... set school passing record with 3,332 yards... does everything left handed except throw ... son of Dr. James and Ronda Dunn ... father graduated from USC, but played football and baseball at Wyoming ... one brother ... enjoys guitar ... full name is Kevin Vrooman Dunn ... born Jan. 24, 1987.
Kenape Eliapo
Defensive Line
6-0, 270, Fr. HS
San Francisco, Calif.
South San Francisco HS
First-team all-league linebacker will play defensive line at Utah ... league Player of the Year ... son of Kenape and Tunufai Eliapo ...both parents are in the ministry ... one brother ... name is pronounced ken-ah-pay, ee-lee-ah-po) ... enjoys singing and basketball ... born Mar. 22, 1986.
Randy Faletoi
Defensive Line
6-2, 290, Fr. HS
Honolulu, Hawaii
McKinley HS
Originally signed in 2004, but spent last year completing academic requirements ... two-time all-stater was first team in 2002 and second team in 2003 ... Junior All-American ... three-time all-star ... won four letters for football at McKinley High (Hawaii) ... son of Felu and Grace Faletoi (pronounced fal-a-toy) ... nephew of former Ute and current NFL running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala ... has five siblings ... full name is Randy Ola Faletoi ... born May 15, 1986.
Joe Giuliani
Defensive Back
6-1, 180, Fr. HS
Simi Valley, Calif.
Oaks Christian HS
First-team all CIF and all-county as a junior and senior ... three-time first-team all-league ... Oaks Christian High (Calif.) co-MVP ... school record for career receptions (100), receiving yards (1,779) and interceptions (14) ... 25 career receiving touchdowns, including 14 his senior year ... won team's "Hitter of the Year" award in 2004 and Coaches award in 2003 ... Oaks Christian High was the 2004 state champion and 2003 CIF champ ... four-year letterman in both football and basketball ... team was the 2002-03 CIF basketball champion ... honor roll ... home schooled until high school ... son of Mike Giuliani ... one brother and one sister ... full name is Joseph Michael Giuliani (pronounced jewell-ee-an-nee) ... born Mar. 7, 1986.
Brian Hernandez
Wide Receiver
5-11, 180, Jr. JC
Phoenix, Ariz.
Pima CC
Mid-year JC transfer is already enrolled in classes at Utah ... has two years of eligibility ... attended Georgia Tech in fall of 2002 and then walked on to Arizona State in spring of 2003 ... transferred to Pima Community College in spring of 2004 and made first-team all-region, first-team all-conference and honorable mention JC Gridwire All-American ... 50 receptions for 767 yards and 8 touchdowns in the regular season ... prepped at Mountain Pointe High School (Ariz.), where he was the four-time Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year ... first-team all-region as a senior and second-team his junior year ... all-around MVP at the University of Miami football camp following his junior year ... Mountain Pointe's team captain as a senior in 2002 ... first-team all-region receiver and returner in 2002 and the Central Region Offensive Player of the Year ... also made the all-city, all-Southeast Valley and all-Tribune teams as a senior ... 5A state all-star team ... set Mountain Pointe records for receptions in a season (49), receiving yards in a season (699), career receptions (75) and career receiving yards (1,233) ... College Football Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete ... competed for 2002 5A state champion track team ... on state champion 4x400 relay and runner-up 4x100 relay team ... Tempe City Outstanding Athlete of the Year ... National Honor Society ... graduated 18th out of a class of 516 ... son of Julio and Karen Hernandez ... oldest of six children ... sister Katie attends Arizona State and brother Scott plays football at Mesa Community College ... full name is Brian Julio Hernandez ... born April 13, 1984.
Chris Joppru
Tight End
6-5, 235, Fr. HS
Minnetonka, Minn.
Minnetonka HS
All-state, all-conference, all-metro ... as a senior in 2004, had 47 receptions for 725 yard and 6 TDs ... led Minnetonka High (Minn.) to the class 5A state championship ... team also won Classic Lake Conference and sectional title ... also lettered in track and basketball ... basketball team captain and Most Improved Player ... son of Sheldon and Kay Joppru ... father played basketball and football at North Dakota and later played in the World Football League ... brother Bennie was an All-America tight end at Michigan and a second-round draft pick of the Houston Texans ... brother J.J. lettered two years at Arizona ... full name is Christopher Mark Joppru ... born Feb. 6, 1987.
Soli Lefiti
Defensive End
6-4, 250, Jr. JC
Kaneohe, Hawaii
Palomar CC
First-team all-Mission Conference while at Palomar JC ... Palomar was the 2003 Mission Conference co-champion ... prepped at Kaneohe High (Hawaii)--the 2002 state runner-up ...first-team all-state and Hawaii all-star ... also lettered in basketball at Castle High School ... son of Joe and Sue Lefiti ... name is pronounced so-lee la-fee-tee ... born Apr. 2, 1985.
Tolifili Liufau
Defensive Line
6-1, 300, Jr. JC
Waikiki, Hawaii
Fresno CC
Played two years of junior college ball at Fresno City College ... Fresno CC won the conference in 2004 and played in the Nor Cal Bowl ... prep career was at St. Louis High School (Hawaii) ... two years all-state and three years all-conference ... All-American his junior year ... enjoys playing rugby ... son of Sosaia Liufau and Liuaki Taufa ...one of three children ... name is pronounced toe-lee-feely lee-oo-fow ... nickname is Dre ... full name is Tolifili Hefakala Andre Liufau ... born Aug. 13, 1984.
Semisi Livai
Linebacker
6-0, 240, Fr. HS
Kahuku, Hawaii
Kahuku HS
First signed with Utah in 2001 before leaving for an LDS church mission ... enrolled in classes at Utah in January 2004 and will participate in spring ball ... all-star was Kahuku High (Hawaii) team captain ... Kahuku won 2000 state championship ... honor roll ... son of Siuaki and Fusi Livai ... both parents are teachers ... full name is Semisi Makasini Livai ... name is pronounced sa-mee-see levi ... born Sept. 28, 1982.
Darrell Mack
Running Back
6-0, 197, Fr. HS
Spring Valley, Calif.
Monte Vista HS
First-team all-state, all-CIF and all-league as a senior in 2004 ... East County MVP and Union Tribune first team ... rushed 247 times for 2,452 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2004 ... as a junior, he made first-team all-CIF and all-league and was East County Rookie of the Year ... MVP of the CIF Championship after rushing 52 times for 254 yards ... 2003 season rushing totals: 237 attempts for 1,626 yards ... raised by grandparents Larry and Fairleigh Moore ... enjoys deep sea fishing and golf ... first name is pronounced du-rell ... born Oct. 10, 1986.
Brice McCain
Defensive Back
5-9, 170, Fr. HS
Terrell, Texas
Terrell HS
All-state and all-area ... all-district as a running back and defensive back ... county and Terrell High (Texas) MVP ... played cornerback, wide receiver and running back and returned punts and kickoffs ... also lettered in basketball and track ... ran 100 meters in 10.3 seconds ... on 400 meter relay team that placed second in the state (40.6 seconds) ... son of Darrell Brockins and Tammie McCain ... has six siblings and two stepbrothers ... brothers Tony and Ricky play college basketball ... born Dec. 10, 1986.
Brett Ratliff
Quarterback
6-4, 195, Jr. JC
Chico, Calif.
Butte College
All-conference in 2004 ... set Butte College career touchdown record (41) ... MVP of 2003 Tri-Counties Bank Holiday Bowl, which Butte won ... also played in 2004 bowl game ... attended high school at Chico High (Calif.) ... all-conference ... Chico HS team captain and Offensive Player of the Year ... set school records for average passing yards per game (249.0) and single-game attempts (56) and completions (36) ... Chico High was conference champ in 1999 and 2000 ... son of Gaylon and Karen Ratliff ... father played football and ran track for Cal Poly Pomona ... nickname is Ratty ... born Aug. 8, 1985.
Kyler Rushton
Defensive Back
6-0, 195, Fr. HS
Las Vegas, Nev.
Cimarron HS
First signed with Utah in 2001 before leaving for an LDS church mission ... enrolled in classes at Utah in January 2004 and will participate in spring ball ... all-state and all-conference junior and senior years (1999-00) ... 2000 conference defensive MVP ... Gatorade Nevada player of the year ... Cimarron High (Nevada) team captain ... school record for most interceptions ... played for state champion team in 1998 and >99 ... son of Stephen and Kelley Rushton ... father graduated from Utah State (mother also attended USU) ... full name is Stephen Kyler Rushton ... born Oct. 14, 1982 in St. George, Utah.
Eric Shyne
Defensive Back
5-10, 180, Jr. JC
Pomona, Calif.
Reedly CC
Started college career at Washington before transferring to Reedley Community College ... has two years of eligibility remaining ...first-team all-conference at Reedley ... key stats included 6 interceptions, 5 blocked field goals and 6 blocked punts ... Reedley won the Northern California championship and played in the Producers Dairy Bowl ... three-sport high school athlete (football, basketball, track) was all-conference and all-CIF in football ... league MVP ... rushed for over 1,600 yards as a junior and senior at Pomona High (Calif.) ... son of Larry and Pinky Shyne ... three siblings ... born July 6, 1982.
Andrew Smart
Linebacker
6-2, 210, Fr. HS
Salt Lake City
Brighton HS
First signed with Utah in 2002 before leaving for an LDS church mission ... enrolled in classes at Utah in January 2004 and will participate in spring ball ... first-team all-state as senior in 2001 and honorable all-mention all-state in 2000 ... 7 blocked kicks and 12 sacks ... scored 2 defensive touchdowns ... Brighton High (Utah) football and basketball team captain ... two-time all-region basketball player was honorable mention all-state in 2000-01 season ... Brighton played in 2000 state basketball championship game ... Salt Lake Tribune Prep of the Week ... honor roll student has 3.70 GPA ... son of Terry and Debbie Smart ... both parents attended BYU ... three sisters and two brothers ... full name is Steven Andrew Smart ... born Dec. 20, 1983 in California.
Sean Smith
Running Back
6-2, 206, Fr. HS
Pasadena, Calif.
Blair HS
All-conference, all-state, All-American ... league Offensive Back of the Year ... led Blair High School (Calif.) to its best record in 10 years as a senior ... rushed for over 1,500 yards, with 18 rushing touchdowns ... also had 547 receiving yards and over 400 yards in kickoff returns ...son of Barbara Smith ... born July 14, 1987.
Reggie Turner
Linebacker
6-1, 239, Jr. JC
Culver City, Calif.
West Los Angeles JC
Western State all-conference ... helped West Los Angeles CC to the 2004 American Bowl with a 75-tackle season ... also had 6 sacks and recovered 2 fumbles ... prepped at Westchester High (Calif.) ... all-city and all-conference in both football and baseball ... threw two no-hitters ... won Westchester's Student-Athlete award twice ... son of Elonda Turner ... born June 23, 1984.
Tyler Williams
Offensive Line
6-1, 291, Fr. HS
Mililani, Hawaii
Kamehameha H
All-state pick by both daily newspapers ... all-league ... played for West team in East-West All-Star game ... played for Kamehameha High's (Hawaii) 2004 state championship team ... enjoys weight lifting and still holds the world record for ages 13-15 in the 275-pound weight class, bench pressing 397 pounds ... participated in YMCA Leadership program ... Shriner's Hospital volunteer ... on senior class advisory board ... member of Big Brothers, Big Sisters ... son of George and Myla Williams ... father went to BYU and Chaminade and mother attended UCLA before graduating from Hawaii ... two brothers ... full name is Tyler Kaina Williams ... born Feb. 28, 1987.
Marquis Wilson
Wide Receiver
5-11, 160, Fr. HS
Draper, Utah
Juan Diego HS
Three-time all-state and 2A Utah state MVP ... set state records for career touchdown receptions (35), receiving yards (2,370) and yards per reception (21.7) ... other career totals include: 109 receptions, 43 rushes for 532 yards (12.4 average), 6 rushing touchdowns, 9 touchdowns off of interceptions ... led Juan Diego High (Utah) to 2A state championship in 2002 and 2004 ... also lettered in basketball and track ... three-time all-state in basketball and team captain two years ... basketball team was 2003 region champion ... 2A state 100-meter champion in 2003-04 and 200-meter champion in 2003 ... plays the saxophone ... also enjoys painting and drawing ... son of Sean Robinson and Derrick Fisher ... one brother ... first name is pronounced mar-keeze ... full name is Marquis Keith Wilson ... born Nov. 11, 1986.
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