Solomon Enis Zeroing In On Near-Perfect Collegiate Career Ending With Utes
Dec 23, 2022, 3:19 PM
Utah Utes wide receivers Solomon Enis (21) gains yards after catching a pass during a college football game against the SDSU Aztecs played on September 18, 2021 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY- Utah wide receiver Solomon Enis’ collegiate career is rapidly coming to an end and in perhaps the most perfect, “put a bow on it” way possible. On Signing Day in 2018, Enis was down to two schools, Utah where he ended up and Penn State where he was a legacy kid.
Enis’ father, Curtis, was a star running back for the Nittany Lions from 1995-1997 where he was a consensus first-team All-American. Now, in the lead-up to Enis’ final collegiate game, there will be a battle between dad’s school versus son’s school, and you better believe there is a little competitiveness there.
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“You don’t really get to see a school like Utah play Penn State,” Enis said. “This the first time. If we win, I can hold that over his head for however long that I want. I think it’s just unlimited bragging rights from that point.”
Despite the two men kind of being on opposite sides for the 109th Rose Bowl, Enis says his dad will be “team Utes” come game day. He just doesn’t want to know about any of the hullabaloo in the lead up. For Enis himself, thinking about how everything in his college career would lead up to the same crossroads he faced in high school is a wild thought.
“It’s crazy how full-circle it really comes,” Enis said. “From Signing Day 2018 to picking between these two schools and now finishing my college career playing the school I didn’t go to. It’s crazy and it’s funny because my dad has said he doesn’t want to hear no interviews, no phone calls, nothing. He’s going to the game, and he’ll be wearing Utah stuff, but it’s crazy to see it come full circle.”
Tough Decisions
Enis talked about his recruitment and the very tough decision he had to make at just 18 years old. Follow in his dad’s footsteps, or do something uniquely his own? Ultimately, blazing his own path was the choice Enis made and while he’s happy to be with the Utes, he also admits there is still that element of “what if?”.
“It’s still a tough decision to this day,” Enis said. “Even leading up to signing day it was chaotic. Hearing from my family, hearing from my friends- I was 18 years old making a big lifetime decision and I went with my gut and just went with it. It was a tough decision then and I still think about it all the time, but I’m blessed, and God has a plan for me. I’m here for a reason and taking it head on.”
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History Made
Perhaps the biggest reason Enis ended up with Utah was to help make his own history. Enis may not have the flashiest personal stats, but when it comes to what he and the rest of the teams he has been on have accomplished, few signing classes can compare in Utes’ history.
Four Pac-12 Championship appearances, two championship wins, and now two Rose Bowl appearances with a potential win in the future will be tough to beat when it comes to looking at what exactly the signing class of 2018 has helped Utah accomplish. The closest comparison is probably some of the Fiesta Bowl players such as Brian Johnson that also were around for the Sugar Bowl.
Coming out of high school, where Enis was personally very decorated, this was exactly the situation he hoped to be in- making team history.
“I think that was the biggest thing coming here,” Enis said. “I had a lot of personal accolades, but team-wise, I wanted to win the Pac-12 Championship. I’d never won a championship outside of track in high school. Going four times and winning twice, I mean, not a lot of people can say that. Especially, for Utah. Back-to-back first time in history- my name and a bunch of other guys’ names are in that book forever so I’m grateful and blessed to be a part of this team with amazing people.”
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Additionally, Enis is proud of the doors he feels like himself and other more highly rated players have opened for Utah, proving high-quality talent can still come into a place that values culture above all else and fit right in, helping it to continue to grow.
“It feels good,” Enis said. “From years when Jaylon Johnson was a highly rated recruit, myself, and then Clark coming in and now you’re seeing Utah is averaging four-star recruits every signing class from that point on, it’s good to see. The culture that’s being built here and the brotherhood that everyone preaches about because it’s real, it’s just such a good thing to see, the team building up and becoming THAT team on a national stage. Now you’re starting to get that rolling effect that Utah is going to consistently get those players and the culture is never going to change. I think that it’s a good payoff.”
A Different Mindset For Unfinished Business
There is no doubt Enis and the rest of the Utah football program are excited to be back at the Rose Bowl in such a quick turnaround. However, Enis says while there is still excitement, there is that sense of needing to finish the job from a season ago against Ohio State. Last year, Enis says they were taking their environment in versus this year already knowing what is up.
“I think it was the same for the Pac-12 Championship,” Enis said. “I think last year in the championship for example, we were taking it in. It was the first time. This year it was like we had been there before; we know how to handle it and we just had to execute and do our jobs. Now with the Rose Bowl, it was great to be there for the first-time last year and we took it in and enjoyed it, but now we have to come out with a win. I know it was a great game, a close game with Ohio State, but now we have to finish. I think that is the biggest statement we have to leave on this game coming up.”
While making that statement is important on a personal level to every individual currently playing with the Utes, Enis says it goes far beyond that. There are two players that should still be with the team-who wanted and believed so deeply that Utah could be Pac-12 Champions and Rose Bowl attendees that the Utes want to make sure are well-represented and remembered forever. Those two players of course, are Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe.
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“Just from even last year, their presence has never left,” Enis said. “Especially for the guys who were here and went through that. It’s just getting the job done. We came up short last year and now we just have to finish. You don’t want to walk away without holding up that Rose Bowl trophy. I think that is what everyone’s mindset is on, and I feel very good about our preparations so far. We just have to finish and go into the game and play Utah football.”
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports
