Ute walk-on Wallace Gonzalez a 'pleasant surprise'

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SALT LAKE CITY — Incoming walk-on freshman Wallace Gonzalez has not picked up a football in competition since his high school days in California more than three years ago.

Drafted by the Houston Astros in 2011, the former wide receiver at Bishop Amat Memorial High School decided to pursue a career in baseball. But after three years in the minor leagues as an outfielder for Astros’ rookie league affiliate in Greeneville, Tennessee, Gonzalez is ready to try his hand at football again.

“I was going to play football if I didn’t get the money I wanted, but I ended up going the baseball route and now I’m here,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a huge transition. It’s kinda weird getting hit again, but I’m getting used to it again. It feels good to be back out here.”

Although a walk-on for the upcoming season, Gonzalez is already impressing Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, who called him a “pleasant surprise” at the conclusion of Tuesday’s training camp.

“It’s only been two days and he hasn’t had gear on yet, but what we’ve seen so far — he’s 275 pounds, light on his feet, soft hands — we’re anxious to see what he does when he gets the gear on,” Whittingham said.


It's challenging, but I think I've picked up a lot, especially the two installments they've put in the last two days. I'm kinda getting back into it; it's kinda like riding a bike, so everything is coming back slowly. I think I should be all right.

–Wallace Gonzalez


Gonzalez, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, is not only returning to the game of football, but has moved from the wide receiver position to a tight end position that, he said, will take some adjusting.

“I’m not used to all this tight end footwork and stuff like that, but they’re helping me out,” he said. “It’s challenging, but I think I’ve picked up a lot, especially the two installments they’ve put in the last two days. I’m kinda getting back into it; it’s kinda like riding a bike, so everything is coming back slowly. I think I should be all right.”

Gonzalez said one of the biggest transitions to the tight end group, though, has been trying to manage the linebackers, who are bigger and stronger than the cornerbacks he’s used to dealing with. Additionally, having to pick up blocking schemes is something that is a little foreign and will take some time to learn, he said.

Despite the hurdles ahead of him, Gonzalez said everyone in the program has welcomed him and has helped him feel comfortable in the program.

“My first day here yesterday everybody came up and introduced themselves to me,” he said. “Westlee (Tonga) and all the other tight ends are really helping me adapt to the offense.”

Already, Gonzalez has had a decent showing in training camp, grabbing several passes and helping stabilize the offensive line in an up-tempo offense. With Gonzalez’s size and ability to catch the ball like a receiver, Utah may have another effective tight end in the mix for the next four seasons.

Camp notes

The defense is progressing quickly with its new blitz packages, but Whittingham said he expects the offense to catch up in the next few days. ... Whittingham said he's pleased with the tempo the team is running two days into training camp. "We’re still a little bit off of where it needs to get. But it’s far better than it was at any point in spring ball." He said he expects all of college football to shift to an up-tempo offense in the coming years. ... Right tackle is one of the positions on the offensive line that is still in question. Whittingham said there are a few options, but no one has separated themselves yet.

Contributing: Jeremiah Jensen

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