Three Utah Football Players Invited To NFL Combine
Feb 13, 2025, 10:40 AM | Updated: Feb 14, 2025, 12:54 pm
SALT LAKE CITY—Three Utah football standouts will be headed to the NFL Combine in a couple of weeks.
Utah’s defensive leaders, Karene Reid and Junior Tafuna, and tight end Brant Kuithe will all be in Indianapolis later this month for a few days of testing, interviews, medical check-ups, and more. The event runs from Feb. 24 to March 3. Live coverage from the NFL Network starts on Feb. 27 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
This is one of the major events to take place in the draft process. An event where prospects can show off their physical and mental strengths in front of teams.
RELATED: ESPN Projects Improved Utah In The 2025-26 College Football Playoff
Utah DT Junior Tafuna
Tafuna was an All-Conference selection in each of his four seasons and was named Freshman of the Year in 2021. Over the past two years, he has become the heart and soul of the defense, providing the emotional leadership it needed.
He played in 48 games and started 45 of them. He finished with 108 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 9 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 3 fumble recoveries.
Tafuna had a great week of exposure at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. After a week of consistently strong play, Tafuna’s draft stock has benefitted significantly.
RELATED: Utah Football Hosted 2026, 2027 Prospects For Junior Day
Utah LB Karene Reid
A two-time All-Pac-12 selection, Reid provided Utah with playmaking and leadership over the course of his four seasons. Reid suffered an injury that cost him multiple games, and he battled through the lingering effects for the rest of the season.
RELATED: Devon Dampier Provides Big Advantage For Jason Beck, Utah Football
He played in 43 games, starting 39, and had a knack for taking the ball away from the opponent. He finished his career with 238 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 3 interceptions, 9 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries.
Reid also had a very good week at the Senior Bowl and finished tied with the lead in tackles during the game itself.
Utah TE Brant Kuithe
Unfortunately for Kuithe, an injury cut his 2024 season short. He ended the season with 35 receptions for 505 yards, six touchdowns, and a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Kuithe was incredibly productive. He finished third all-time in receiving yards at Utah with 183 receptions for 2,387 yards and 22 touchdowns. He added 25 carries for 188 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, which speaks to his overall ability and impact.
Despite the injury history, Kuithe has a sizeable body of work to evaluate. A dynamic offensive weapon, Kuithe showed off his tremendous blend of qualities and skills even after the two season-ending injuries. The opportunity for him to be in Indianapolis is significant.
The NFL Combine
The NFL released the list of players invited to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday. A total of 329 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s event, which will take place in Indianapolis from February 24 through March 3.
Utah led the in-state schools with three invites. BYU’s Tyler Batty and Utah State’s Jalen Royals were the only other in-state players invited to the event.
