Sophomore tight end Brant Kuithe was one of the biggest surprises for the Utes a season ago. As a true freshman, Kuithe came in and made an immediate impact, compiling 227 receiving yards and a touchdown. In his second year as a Ute, Kuithe is ready to take on more responsibilities as the Utes push for their first Pac-12 crown.

Although fall camp has only started this week, the Utes have been hard at work for months over the summer, using player led practices and workouts to prepare for what they hope will be a big season. "[The summer] was good. just got a lot of work done. We had good chemistry with the team and just got a lot of work done and are progressing really fluidly," Kuithe said.

In his second year, Kuithe knows what to expect and the preparations that are necessary to be ready for Pac-12 football. He has entered camp with a commitment to build upon what the Utes accomplished a season ago. "I have the same mentality but a different focus. I'm just starting off the year trying to get back to where we left off last year. We're just trying to get better and progress in every single aspect of the game," he said.

Kuithe is one of the more versatile players on the Utah offense. With the ability to play traditional tight end as well as the "U back" position, which is a mix of tight end and fullback responsibilities, Kuithe brings a unique ability to cause matchup problems for opposing defenses. In his sophomore season, Kuithe expects to expand his game from what we saw a season ago.

"I'd say [I'll be used' about the same as last year. I'm going to block more than last year. I need to because I'm a tight end, but I also run routes and do what I do best - win the matchups, the one on ones with the linebackers and safeties. I'll just do what I'm supposed to do," he said.

Kuithe put in a lot of work over the offseason to bulk up and prepare to be used more as a blocker this season. "I worked on my technique and my footsteps a lot. I also gained about 10-15 pounds in muscle. So I think that will help me put on my pads and push guys better," he explained.

View Kuithe's full interview in the embedded video above.

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