Utah Utes Do-It All Star Sione Vaki Declares For 2024 NFL Draft
Dec 8, 2023, 9:04 PM | Updated: Dec 11, 2023, 12:08 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah football will be without do-it-all star Sione Vaki next season as he declared for the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday night on Instagram.
Vaki started the year on NFL Scout’s radars as a standout safety and further cemented their interest after showing off his explosive ability on the offensive-side of the ball when injuries piled up for the Utes.
Vaki only spent two seasons with Utah (he served a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints mission before) but quickly made his presence known as a freshman last season and continued that trajectory and more in his sophomore year.
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Sione Vaki Impact Efforts For Utah
Due to injuries stacking up for the Utes, Vaki stepped in and played running back for Utah starting against the Cal Golden Bears in addition to playing safety for the defense.
Vaki’s second notable game playing two-ways came against the USC Trojans the following week where the versatile player was Utah’s leading receiver. He recorded 5 catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns to lift the Utes to victory.
Vaki really showed off his two-way ability one more time No. 5 Washington helping to keep the Utes in the game with big plays on both sides of the ball.
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The talented player played in 26 games for the Utes with 17 starts and seven total appearances on offense.
Defensively Vaki racked up 51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, one interception, and two pass breakups in 2023 while also carrying the ball 42 times on offense for 317 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, Vaki caught the ball 11 times for 203 yards and three more scores.
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 X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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