Semi Taulanga has made headway as Utah’s “rhino” tight end in spring camp.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes defensive tackle Semi Taulanga (99) makes a play in a game against BYU last season.
Semi Taulanga has the look of a defensive lineman.
But don’t let his burly 5-foot-11, 317-pound frame fool you.
The tight end has twinkle toes, and he might be Utah’s next secret weapon on offense.
Just pull up a clip from Utah’s spring camp to see what Taulanga can do in the open field. In a practice clip released on Utah’s X account, it shows the stocky tight end catching a pass from senior quarterback Devon Dampier and barreling past the Utes’ defense for a 20-yard score.
“I was set for pass protection,” Taulanga said of his original intent on the play. “Then after that it was just [about getting] yards after the catch.”
The clip has since gone viral, amassing over 145,000 views on the original post. It was also reposted by several major college football accounts across social media.
So maybe Utah’s “Semi-Truck” is no longer a secret after all.
Taulanga credits his feather-like feet to the time he played Rugby in high school. He quit playing the sport after 2020 to focus on football, where he played on both defense (defensive tackle) and offense (tight end).
“I probably credit most of my athleticism towards rugby,” Taulanga said. “Rugby kind of helped me be light on my feet.
“After COVID-19, My dad wanted me to focus on football because he felt like it was more beneficial to my future.”
Taulanga has been featured as the “rhino” tight end in new offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven’s system in spring camp.
Taulanga caught two passes against BYU last season — one of which resulted in a 10-yard gain. The rest of the season, the “Semi-Truck” was left in the garage.
That might not be the case in 2026.
“I didn’t know about the rhino position until I got here,” Taulanga said. “When I got here, they wanted me to play it so I said, ‘OK, yeah, let’s do it.’”
Alongside Taulanga, sophomore tight end Sione Motuapuaka — who is 5-foot-11 and 276 pounds — will help fill the rhino role next season.
“Those guys are fun,” Utah tight ends coach Luke Wells said. “They have a real infectious energy about them. It’s not hard to motivate those guys in practice.”