Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham during the first half against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Utah Utes receive another 2026 commit from 5-star kicker

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 4:42 PM ET

It's been a busy stretch of recruiting for Kyle Whittingham and the Utah football program.

In addition to hosting several star-studded prospects on official and unofficial visits to campus, the Utes have landed a few commitments from the class of 2026 over the past few days, including a trio of three-star recruits who were recently in Salt Lake City.

Heading into another big recruiting weekend around campus, Utah has landed a pledge from the JUCO ranks. Robert Petrich, a kicker from San Diego Mesa College, has committed to the Utes.

COMMITTED! @UtahFootball ❤️

Thank you @Utereef33 & @JakeCookus for the opportunity to become a Ute! Excited to get to work!@SDmesafootball @CoachMedina61 @NewGenKicking @kt_recruiting @GregBiggins @Chris_Sailer @JUCOFFrenzy @kickerupdate @granitehillsfb pic.twitter.com/dDJabYfqnN
— Robert Petrich (@RobertPetrich13) June 11, 2025

Petrich is coming off his one and only season with the Olympians, in which the 6-foot-3, 195-pound San Diego native went 12-of-16 on field goal attempts and 36-of-39 on PAT tries. His leg power is highlighted during kickoffs, as evidenced by the 39 touchbacks he recorded last season (69 total kickoffs). His ability to drive the ball over 65 yards with more than 4 seconds of hang time could prove to be greatly beneficial for the Utes' special teams unit.

Petrich has earned quite a reputation for his kicking. He's garnered two all-league honors, plus first team All-CIF recognition during his time at Granite Hills High School (California). He's also ranked as a five-star kicker by Chris Sailer Kicking.

The starting kicker for Utah last season, Cole Becker, has had his eligibility expire following four seasons of college football, including the last two with the Utes. Utah has two kickers on its roster currently in true freshman Dillon Curtis and sophomore Joey Cheek. Curtis is a former six-star kicker. Cheek's only action of his college career came during the 2023 campaign, when he went 7-for-7 on PAT attempts and made a 37-yard field goal against Weber State.

Petrich joins the Utes' 2025 recruiting class that's ranked by 247Sports as the No. 46 overall in the country and No. 6 in the Big 12.