Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 66-14vs Idaho | 3 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 43-10vs Arkansas | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 2 |
#51
Karson Kaufusi
Sophomore defensive tackle for Utah. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′6″ · 305 lb · Holladay, UT · Skyline HS
Returning to Utah for 2026
The numbers
1
sack · 2026
1.5 TFL · 3 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1.5 TFL, 3 tackles, vs Idaho
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 defensive tackle for Utah. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Utah in 2025.
Karson Kaufusi
Wins his gap play after play. Two seasons at Utah, two different head coaches: Kyle Whittingham and Morgan Scalley. The receipt on tape: 3 tackles, 1.5 TFL against Idaho, Week 1, 2026.
3 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20256 games
- Signed with Utah3-star out of Skyline
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Utah
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Utah
2026era →
Morgan Scalley
Utah
Coaching transition mid-career: Kyle Whittingham → Morgan Scalley. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Utah11-2HC: Kyle Whittingham · Run-heavy
2026Utah2-0HC: Morgan Scalley · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: passes defended (94th percentile). Strength: sacks (87th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 1.5 TKL/g, 0.8 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 1.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Morgan Scalley
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 66–14
vs Idaho
3 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 SACKS
Dominant 52-point win at home against Idaho.
With D. Dampier — 176 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 93.5 · 31 rush yds (6 car) · B. Ficklin — 93 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 80.1 · 70 rush yds (8 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Utah
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive tackle · Utah
Returning around him
- 3 Utah players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (17 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Utah · Last season: 11-2 (AP #15) · Talent rank #58 · 2026 recruiting class #27
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Brett Johnson’s 2023 season.
83%match
Matches Brett on
TFL rate
Class year
Weight
Differs from Brett on
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Markus Boswell's freshman season at Akron (2025).
88%match
Matches Markus on
Class year
Hurry rate
TFL rate
Background
2025: Played in 12 games on defense and special teams. Season totals included 13 tackles (0.5 TFL, 0.5 sack). Three stops (0.5 TFL, 0.5 sack) in his Utah debut against UCLA. Five other multi-tackle performances, capped off in the Las Vegas Bowl vs. Nebraska. High School: Four-star recruit out of...
The defensive line · Utah
- #8Ethan Day7 tackles for loss · 2025
- #93Kash Dillon4.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #15Lance Holtzclaw4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #90Jireh Moe2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #51Karson Kaufusi0.5 tackles for loss · 2025
14 more on the roster · Utah team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology