This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The story of defensive tackle Pasoni Tasini comes a year late, given that Tasini signed with Utah out of Snow College last February — following in the footsteps of former Badgers Star Lotulelei and Tenny Palepoi.
In fact, 2014 was the second time Utah signed Tasini and he was elsewhere by fall. The Hawaii product took his official visit to the U. with Palepoi in 2012, but he didn't qualify and so replaced Palepoi in Ephraim instead of joining him permanently in Salt Lake City.
Now, a running joke for Tasini's new teammates is how long they've been waiting for him. After a big play, he said, they tell him: "It took you forever."
At 6-foot-3, 294 pounds with a 425-pound max bench, Tasini is a "very physical kid," said defensive coordinator John Pease.
"He's green as grass as far as where to go and how to play the techniques and stuff, but every once in a while, he just kind of thumps somebody like Stevie [Tu'ikolovatu] does and you go 'Oooh. That's pretty good. Now let's see if we can harness that horse and let him run.' "
Tasini was a team captain at Snow, recording 44 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup in 2013. Badgers coach Britt Maughn said Tasini barely missed qualifying to play for Utah last year, when he ended up sitting out and using his redshirt.
"He was at like a 2.48 [GPA], and he needed to be at a 2.5," Maughn said.
So Tasini continued to live in Ephraim with his uncle, Fred Taukei'aho, and took the final classes he needed to become eligible this summer.
It was lonely. "I missed playing," he said. "I missed hearing from the boys."
He considered following his Utah recruiters, defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake and defensive line coach Ilaisa Tuiaki, to Oregon State. But OSU has different qualifying standards that would have required him to pay for more classes out of his own pocket, he said.
Instead, Tasini called safeties coach Morgan Scalley and coach Kyle Whittingham, who told him he was still welcome at the U. for his final two years of eligibility.
Pease said Tasini is still getting accustomed to the amount of effort required at this level, where it's not enough to coast on natural ability.
"A couple of times he's standing out there when the ball's being thrown and he's kind of watching the ball, and I tell him, 'That's a $400 seat. Not many people have that seat in the middle of the 50-yard line and get to watch the game. Get your backside running after that ball.' "
But that's normal for guys playing at a new level, Pease said. Tasini describes Utah's talent level as "insane" and said he's happy to compete against the likes of Tu'ikolovatu, Lowell Lotulelei, Filipo Mokofisi and Viliseni Fauonuku.
Even if Tasini doesn't play much right away, he's impressed enough that he's entering the conversation when Whittingham and his teammates are asked about the defensive tackle rotation.
And that's a lot more than nothing.
Welcome back • Marcus Sanders-Williams wanted to be a running back, and why not?
A 5-foot-11, 222-pounder with good speed for his size, Sanders-Williams played offense as a true freshman before he was moved to linebacker to shore up the position as a sophomore.
Earlier this year, wanting another crack at offense and feeling "homesick" for Las Vegas, Sanders-Williams left the Utes and explored the possibility of transferring to another school. By that time, though, there were few with a free scholarship for an unproven running back.
Welp, he thought.
"Maybe running back's not my position," he said. "Maybe defense is the side I'm supposed to be on."
So he called Utah, and coaches agreed to honor his scholarship. On Saturday, after Sanders-Williams' first practice since leaving, Whittingham said they were "elated that he decided to come back."
Whittingham expects that Sanders-Williams will redshirt and battle for a starting job next year after Jared Norris, Gionni Paul and Jason Whittingham vacate the top three spots.
A test of courage • "Don't go down." "Stay up." "Kill yourself." "We're going to fight today."
Utah's sideline sounded like a war movie after Saturday's practice as coaches made players run wind sprints for a half-hour in the blazing sun.
After a while, you'll forget it hurts, players were told as their group waited its turn and they were sprayed with water bottles by Utah's staff.
A couple stumbled and began to fall as trainers, teammates and coaches propped them up for another round. You can tap out, Whittingham told them, to which nearby players and assistants screamed, "Don't tap out!"
After the merciful final whistle, Whittingham was pleased. Conditioning hasn't been especially strenuous during this year's camp, he said, but "sometimes the players need their courage tested. Today was one of those days, and they passed with flying colors."
(A brief) injury update • Senior wideout Kenneth Scott didn't return to practice Saturday, as Whittingham thought he might, but Scott and redshirt freshman wideout Raelon Singleton might be back Monday, he said. The team hasn't disclosed their injuries.
"If we'd have brought [Scott] back today and he'd have had a tweak, then we're in bad shape."
Twitter: @matthew_piper