Utah lands commitment from key Stanford LB, Cardinal's leading tackler in 2022

Utah landed a huge piece for its defense heading into the 2023 season on Wednesday morning.

Stanford LB Levani Damuni recently entered the transfer portal following David Shaw stepping down as the head coach of the Cardinal.

He’s not going very far, though, as he announced on Twitter that he was joining Kyle Whittingham and the Utes for 2023:

I thank God and my family for discernment in this process. Blessed to have the opportunity to come home. Go Utes❗️ pic.twitter.com/F5kY5zAvZg

— Levani Damuni (@LevaniDamuni) December 7, 2022

Damuni led the Cardinal in tackles in 2022, recording 76 (3.5 for a loss). Stanford’s second-leading tackler only had 51 stops this season. Damuni also recorded 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 pass breakup and 2 forced fumbles this past year.

He figures to be a big piece for the Utes’ defense in 2023. Utah led the Pac-12 in scoring defense in 2022, allowing only 20.4 points per game. We’ll see if Damuni can help the Utes repeat that feat next fall.