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Saiosi Aiono knows what he's supposed to say.

Asked if he was keen to the idea of moving back to tackle in case Sam Tevi or Jackson Barton weren't ready to start, Aiono said he told coaches what he said when he was an underclassman.

"I'm ready to go," he said. "Whatever I need to do to get on the field. Wherever they want me to play is where I'll play."

That doesn't mean he's not thankful that he gets to stay where he is after all.

Utah's senior center has been playing center since last season, and he likes it there. Aiono can throw his 310-pound body in the inside, where he feels most comfortable. And all those hours working on center-quarterback exchange are for something.

"We come out here at least 10 minutes before every practice to work on C-Q exchange, because the play doesn't start without that happening," Aiono said. "You've really got to make sure that's down. We have about 30-40 snaps before practice."

Aiono's experience has allowed him to appreciate the differences between quarterbacks: "Kendall taps me on the hip before every single snap, that's how I know he's back there."

The Californian was named to the Rimington Award watchlist preseason, and figures to be one of the stalwarts on Utah's experience-heavy front. And with Tevi taking on tackle, the Utes like having the guy they can trust with the snaps in his proper place.

And so does he.

"It's definitely nice to be at center," he said. "That's where I was supposed to play."

Commit catch-up

Even as the biggest, tallest kid around, Utah's latest commit only recently began to think about a future in football.

Spokane's Scott Peck had played basketball all his life, and it wasn't until his sophomore year at Central Valley High that he filled out and learned to use his size to his advantage on the gridiron.

Peck told The Tribune earlier this week that while he was playing in a basketball tournament, his head coach leaned over to his dad and said, "You know he's going to have to fall in love with football, right?"

Luckily for Utah, he did.

Listed at 6-foot-7, 280 pounds, Peck chose the Utes over an offer from nearby Washington State, among others. He was drawn by the honesty of offensive line coach Jim Harding, he said, and Utah's old-school values.

Harding is a "really straightforward guy, and he's not going to feed you a bunch of BS," Peck said. "There's been a couple of other schools that have told me, 'Oh, yeah, we're the best …'"

"He said it's all about family down here, it's not all about the flash. Sure as heck, I went down and visited [earlier this month] and it was all about family."

Peck said he plans to take an official visit for the homecoming game against Cal and does not plan to visit any other school.

He is the second committed offensive lineman in the 2016 class, joining Southern California's Tucker Scott.

Satin helmets out at practice

It's well-known by now that Utah is preparing to get the red out with satin red helmets against Michigan.

Players were wearing them to practice on Thursday, albeit without circle-and-feather decals and the "U." logo. But only some players had it.

"If you're not on the travel squad, then you're not going to be dressing," Kyle Whittingham said. "So you won't have the helmet."

While nothing is final until the season kicks off, some of the players sporting satin helmets offers a clue to which freshmen might contribute this year. Among those newcomers who had satin helmets Thursday (by no means a complete list): receiver Britain Covey, receiver Saiosi Wilson, receiver/tight end Caleb Repp and offensive tackle Darrin Paulo.

Mending fences over cupcakes

Special delivery for Utah football.

On Thursday, the Utah football Twitter account produced a photo of an apparent mea culpa from magazine Popular Mechanics for its college football issue, which suggested Utah was a "cupcake" game for Michigan. The gift they sent? A batch of Heaven Cupcake's finest to the football facility.

Running backs coach Dennis Erickson hadn't heard about the treats by Thursday's practice.

"I like cupcakes," he said. "I can't wait to get over there and get one."

But taking his tongue out of his cheek, Erickson expressed to him the "cupcake" issue that blew up on social media earlier in the week wasn't a big deal. While Utah may still have a copy of the issue in the locker room, at this point, very little extra motivation is needed for Sept. 3's opener.

"If you can't be mentally and physically ready for your first game on national TV against a great opponent, you shouldn't be playing," he said. "That cupcake deal, I've seen a lot of things like that. That's got nothing to do with anything."

Except maybe dessert.

Twitter: @kylegoon