Utah Utes football helmet. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah Utes look to reunite with former tight end recruit

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated May 12, 2025 6:09 PM ET

As they round out their 2025 roster, Kyle Whittingham and his Utah coaching staff have reached out to a familiar face in the transfer portal.

South Dakota transfer Hayden Erickson spent the first three seasons of his career with the Utes before transferring to play for the Coyotes ahead of the 2024 campaign. Now, roughly four years after his journey began as a walk-on, Erickson has received an offer to return to Utah for his fifth season.

A product of Lehi High School (Utah), Erickson previously joined the Utes in the spring of 2021. He had limited opportunities come his way during his first stint with the Utes, as he was buried on depth charts that featured the likes of Dalton Kincaid, Brant Kuithe and Thomas Yassmin. Erickson went on to appear in six games over the next three years without recording a single receiving stat in that span.

Happy to say that @Utah_Football offered!!@FWhittinghamJr @AlphaRecruits15
— Hayden Erickson (@hayden7232) May 12, 2025

However, given that the Utes lost significant depth at tight end to the portal, graduation and pros this offseason, they could look to add another experienced player at the position. Bear Tenney (Sacramento State), Carsen Ryan (BYU), CJ Jacobsen (Louisville) and Landen King (Duke) have departed via the portal, while Caleb Lohner is one of the newest members of the Denver Broncos after being picked in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The rise of redshirt freshman Hunter Andrews has been promising. Utah also explored moving 6-foot-4, 220-pound redshirt senior Otto Tia to the tight end spot toward the end of the spring window. Still, it remains to be seen what role the Utah State transfer will serve in his first season with his new team.

Erickson appeared in all 14 games with the Coyotes last season, recording one catch for 38 yards against Northern Iowa back in October.