Six Utah natives reside in the Stanford locker room, a number which trails only California and Texas for most populous geographies on the Cardinal roster. Other states -- such as Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Ohio -- are more recognized as fertile grounds for football talent, though the most surprising part of this pipeline is the fact that Utah players are not supposed to leave home.
"If you're a good player in Utah, you stay in Utah," said senior offensive guard Brandon Fanaika. "I definitely went against the wave.
"Family is a big deal in Utah, especially in Polynesian culture. You want to stay home closer to your family."
Fanaika's older brother played at the University of Utah before graduating in 2016 and moving on to the NFL. Not until signing day did it hit Fanaika that he was leaving Utah, rather than following his brother.
"Most guys want to stay in-state," said junior inside linebacker Sean Barton. "Everyone grows up a Utah or BYU fan, and that's where you dream of going. You want to play in front of family and friends on your field of dreams."
For Barton, that field was Rice-Eccles Stadium, home to Saturday's Pac-12 showdown between Stanford and No. 20 Utah. He attended every Utah home game from ages four to 16, and he traveled to cheer the Utes in the Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. Every member of his family attended Utah, several earning multiple degrees. One grandfather taught as a professor for 50 years; another grandfather played football at Utah.
After his first recruiting visit to Stanford, Barton's father told him, "You have to seriously consider Stanford." It was an unexpected development.
"That's coming from the biggest Utah fan I know," said Barton. "I had watched Stanford play in BCS bowls every year, and then I learned how special a place this was, too."
"Seeing the Stanford campus is like nothing you've seen before," said Fanaika. "It's hard to turn down the Stanford education. It's hard to turn down a place this beautiful to spend four or five years. It still feels like a dream."
Barton and Fanaika both point to Dallas Lloyd, Stanford team captain in 2016, as the pioneer who blazed a trail for them. There had been a long history of the best players staying inside Utah's borders. Then the top student-athlete recruits looked at Stanford and saw success stories who left home for The Farm.
"Dallas broke the ice for me," said Barton.
Starting with Lloyd, Stanford has pulled away a top-3 recruit from Utah six out of the past eight years. Current team captain Dalton Schultz was the No. 1 recruit in Utah in 2014 and the No. 1 tight end in the nation. Four-star wide receiver Simi Fehoko, the No. 1 recruit in Utah in 2016, will matriculate at Stanford next year after returning from his two-year LDS church mission.
"Everybody talks about the education and football at Stanford. That's true," said Barton. "Now there is a pipeline. Other teammates understand you well. There are guys from Utah who are Mormon and not Mormon, guys who went on missions and guys who did not. It's becoming easier to come to Stanford."
The ongoing exodus of top talent is a sore point for many in Utah, who are passionate about their communities and support BYU or Utah.
"The only scenario where I would leave the state was Stanford," said freshman outside linebacker Gabe Reid. "When I came here, I fell in love with everything. I realized that I could feel comfortable as a Mormon kid. I wanted to keep up my high standards and play great football."
Reid's father played at BYU before the NFL, and both of his uncles played in Provo, as well. Though he has yet to play this season as a freshman, Reid will travel with the team Saturday. He has circled this Utah game since he signed with Stanford two years ago.
"This is a big game," said Reid. "I'm going to do everything I can to help this team win. We're not going to leave Salt Lake without a W."
"Every week is a big week, but this is a big week," said Fanaika. "There is a lot of pride in this game. We want to show everyone what we can do."
The only time Stanford has played at Utah in the past 20 years came in 2013, an upset loss for the fifth-ranked Cardinal. Fanaika has tips for his teammates about what to expect Saturday.
"Salt Lake City is at high elevation, and the stadium is on a mountain. Get more cardio this week," said Fanaika. "They are known as a nasty defense -- a lot of 25-year-olds with grown man strength.
"It's a crazy environment. They hang signs every time there is an offensive penalty, to get in your head. I've told the guys to enjoy it. It's a fun place to play."
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