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SALT LAKE CITY — Devaughn Vele is ready for a breakout season.
The sophomore receiver out of San Diego, California, is most recognized for the touchdown catch he made on an accidental flea flicker call from quarterback Cameron Rising on the road at USC. But he was also one of Utah's best receivers on the outside, even if he only finished with 23 receptions for 389 yards in 2021.
If you haven't heard his name yet, it's time to get acquainted.
Vele is trending to be a household name for the Utes in the upcoming season after a serviceable 2021 season and a much-improved spring camp, where he has all but solidified the WR1 title — or X receiver — on Utah's roster.
At a recent spring scrimmage, Vele made highlight catch after highlight catch; and his connection with Rising is only growing. The two look like naturals on the field together, and there's no reason to believe that connection won't continue in fall when Utah kicks off the 2022 season against Florida and looks to repeat as Pac-12 champions.
All of that may come in good time, but Vele is ready to take the reins of a dynamic offense that features Tavion Thomas, who rushed for 20 touchdowns last season, and a plethora of talented tight ends, led by Brant Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid, who make the Utah offense run — and that's to say nothing of the offensive line and other additions to the team like dynamic running back Jaylon Glover.
There's plenty to point to on Utah's offense — a welcome change over Kyle Whittingham's record-setting tenure at Utah — but Vele looks to notch his name among the best on the roster.
"There was a stretch in the season where I thought Vele was one of the best receivers in the Pac-12, and then he gets an injury here, injury there and then things slow down," wide receivers coach Chad Bumphis said. "But if we're that same group every single day, we've got everything we need in that room."
That room is led by Vele, as well as other veterans receivers looking to make a splash in 2022, such as Solomon Enis and Jaylen Dixon. It's a room with veteran talent but one that has often been overshadowed by slot receiver Britain Covey or a dynamic tight end group that became more en vogue under offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig's guidance.
If Utah wants to be an 11-, 12-, 13-personnel team and continue to highlight its tight ends and running backs, it's an opportunity for Vele and the other receivers to feast on offense, too.
"As a wide receiver, this is the perfect offense," Bumphis said. "You know what you're gonna get, you're gonna get man-to-man in your face every rep, right? And to me as a wide receiver, that's the most disrespectful thing you can do to me. Don't press me and play me man-to-man with no help over the top, and we've got to have that mentality that that is disrespectful.
"Once we get that and we absolutely hate to lose, we'll be the group we can be. Cause talent wise, we've got some stuff, but it's a mentality that don't disrespect me, don't play me one-on-one; I'm going forward, you're going backwards; I know where I'm going, you don't; I should win every time, and we've got to think like that. And when we do, we can be really good."
Cam Rising with a 17-yard back shoulder TD strike to Devaughn Vele. Placed perfectly.
— Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) April 16, 2022
Vele is having himself a spring.
For any of the wide receivers, according to Bumphis, it starts with confidence and consistency — and that includes Vele.
In the past, Vele admitted he lacked the confidence at times — he didn't always believe he could win the battle against his defender — but through his training, Bumphis said he's become "very confident, he's seen himself make some plays, and he's comfortable." It's helped lately that Bumphis has kept Vele in more consistent spots on the field, too.
Though Vele can line up in any one of the various receiver designations — X, Z, R — he's been a constant fixture lately as the X receiver, and the front-runner as Utah's WR1. It remains an "open competition" for any of the other receivers in the room to compete for the spot, but Vele is running away with the title.
"He's seeing himself make some plays and it's been more consistent," Bumphis said. "And he can be that player for us; he's special. He's a 6-foot-5 guy with crazy athleticism — catch radius is unbelievable. He can do what we need him to do, and it changes the offense."
And for Vele's part, he believes he can be that guy, too — the dominant wide receiver that can make big-time plays in big-time games. He's shown it in practice and has had glimpses on the field, but it's time for more.
And Cam Rising with a beautiful strike to Devaughn Vele for a 44-yard strike, just 2 yards outside the end zone.
— Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) April 16, 2022
"It's all about believing. Nothing begins until your mentality is straight," Vele said. "You've got to make sure your mental is right. If you line up, you can be the best player there is in the world, but if you line up across and there's a DB standing in your face and you think you can't win, you're not going to do anything.
"So that's what I had to get through my head, and coach Bump has helped me a lot with helping that mentality. ... It's that small thing. It's just having that mentality, having that dog mentality that anybody that lines up against me, I'm still gonna win. It's not no 50-50 balls, it's a 70-30 or an 80-20 — something like that."
Vele has the mindset and he's made some remarkable catches in practice in spring, but it's about maximizing that talent on the field when the bright line shine down. But if you believe what he's selling, buying the stock now might pay dividends in the future.
