Utes' add brother of former Utes to sig..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

One of the Utah's longest recruiting efforts apparently has paid off as Benji Kemoeatu, the brother of former Utes and current NFL players Chris and Ma'ake Kemoeatu has finally signed a National Letter of Intent with the Utes Friday. He supposedly will join the team in the summer after he completes his academic work. I say supposedly join, because the 6-foot-5, 350-pound offensive lineman out of Kahuku, Hawaii must have a recruiting file to match his girth. Kemoeatu's recruiting has been one long saga, starting when he committed to the Utes in 2008 after he was rated one of the top centers by several recruiting services. Kemoeatu changed his mind and signed with West Virginia. However, he held onto the letter until April before sending it in, a move that kept many guessing as to where his final destination might be. When he finally did send it, he didn't qualify academically and ended up at Lackawanna Community College where he played in 2009. If he does finally make it to Utah he could definitely help the Utes. Just don't hold your breath until he is in uniform.Here is his bio, courtesy of the Utes:Played one year at Lackawanna Community College in Scranton, Pa. (2009) ... signed a National Letter of Intent with Utah on Mar. 4, 2011 ... expects to join the Utes in the summer after completing his academic requirements ... in high school, he was first-team all-state and all-OIA as in 2006 and 2007 ... Rivals.com No. 2-rated recruit out of Hawaii and the No. 12 offensive line prospect in the nation as a senior in 2007 ... Scout.com rated him the nation's No. 9 prep center in 2007 ... started four years at Kahuka High (Hawaii) ... Kahuka was the 2005 and 2006 state champ ... played in the Army all-star game ... also participated in judo and wrestling ... son of Manako and Ahea Kolovetekina Kemoeatu ... three brothers played for Utah: Ma'ake (1998-2001), Chris (2001-04) and Tevita (2001-04) ... Chris was a first-team All-American in 2004 and now starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers ... Ma'ake is an eight-year pro in his first year with the Washington Redskins after four years with the Baltimore Ravens and three with the Carolina Panthers ... one sister ... enjoys rugby, fishing and cooking ... full name is Penisimani Kemoeatu ... goes by Benji ... last name is pronounced kay-moy-ah-too ... born Nov. 8, 1990.

Utes' add brother of former Utes to signing class