Utah wanted the Rose Bowl bid that accompanied a Pac-12 football title last season, but the Utes' loss to Washington in the conference championship game came with its own reward. Leki Fotu stayed in school for another year.
NFL teams would have taken defensive linemen Bradlee Anae and Fotu in this week’s draft, but the players decided they had to more to do at Utah.
They played major roles as first-team All-Pac-12 players in a history-making season, as the Utes won their first Pac-12 South title. Utah’s 10-3 loss in the conference title game definitely played into Fotu’s decision.