Patrick Kinahan: Kincaid latest example of Utah's ability to produce NFL players

SALT LAKE CITY — Look no further than Dalton Kincaid as the prime example of Utah football's core foundation to identify and develop talent.

Kincaid is expected to go early in this week's NFL draft, possibly in the first round to a team seeking an excellent pass-catching tight end. Not bad for a player without lofty credentials coming out of high school in Las Vegas.

"I think we are better than anybody in the country at developing talent," said cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah. "Identify good talent and then develop it. Develop it better than anybody else."

Like many other players before him, several of whom advanced to the NFL, Kincaid came to Utah with little fanfare and virtually no stars next to his name. It wasn't even a stretch to consider his inclusion to the roster a wasted scholarship since tight ends Cole Fotheringham and Brant Kuithe were already playing well.

At 6-foot-4, Kincaid mostly played basketball growing up before giving football a shot his senior year at Faith Lutheran. Despite amassing nearly 750 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, he drew little interest from recruiters and decided to attend the University of San Diego.

After two relative successful years, he transferred to Utah in time for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He blossomed the last two seasons, probably even more than expected.

"I do feel it was the right guy at the right time," said tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham, who originally thought Kincaid possessed NFL talent. "Fortunately, at the time, we didn't have a ton of competing SEC teams offering half a million dollars in NIL at the time when he was coming out. That happened later, apparently. ... We knew he had big-time ability. To his credit, he put himself in a position to be able to do what he did by his work ethic, by being very coachable and combining that with natural talent that you can't coach."

For the unaware, Whittingham's reference to the SEC and NIL was in response to a story that made the rounds last summer. As it goes, the thinking was rather than Kincaid play second fiddle to Kuithe, at least one program from the Southeastern Conference was thought to offer him a substantial amount of money off name, image, and likeness to transfer.

Turns out, staying put paid off.

After Kuithe suffered a season-ending injury in the fourth game, Kincaid seized the opportunity to practically the highest degree possible. In a performance that will become legend as the years pass, Kincaid had 16 receptions for 234 yards and one touchdown in Utah's thrilling 43-42 win over previously unbeaten USC in October at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

"Becoming such a featured target in our offense definitely helped him." Whittingham said.

Going into last season, Notre Dame's Michael Mayer was considered to be college football's best tight end. But multiple mock drafts and experts have Kincaid going in the first round ahead of Mayer, who had 11 receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns in a win over BYU last October in Las Vegas.

The scouting report at NFL.com lists Kincaid's strengths as a "fluid route runner with the athleticism and play speed to create mismatches against lesser coverage." Weaknesses include a liability as a run blocker.

But a word of caution here: underestimate at your own risk

"He's a complete package," Whittingham said. "I can enthusiastically co-sign and endorse him to any of the NFL personnel as far as somebody that they would love to have on their roster. ... He just has such a natural instinct and feel. I can tell you I'm really, really happy for him and that things have worked out the way that they have so far. I expect him to do great things at the next level, too."

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