Navajo Prep graduate Kyler Clitso agrees to play football at University of Minnesota-Morris
FARMINGTON — Navajo Prep graduate Kyler Clitso signed a letter of intent this week to attend college at the University of Minnesota-Morris to pursue a degree in engineering as well as be a part of the school's football program.
Clitso was an integral part of the Eagles' success on the football field last season, gaining more than 1000 yards rushing and receiving while scoring 14 touchdowns. The Eagles finished the season with an overall record of 5-6, winning District 1-3A before getting knocked out of the postseason in a 57-36 loss against Hope Christian.
Clitso figures to be a major part of the Cougars offense next season. Fifth-year head coach Marty Hoffmann leads the NCAA Division III team which finished third in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference standings last year with an overall record of 5-5.
"The coaches have told me that I'd get a chance to start right away, which was a big motivator for me," Clitso said. "The team is losing a couple of receivers to graduation so they're hoping I can come in and contribute right away."
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Clitso, who scored five receiving touchdowns last season for Navajo Prep, is excited to have his college career begin in a new location.
"I've never visited the campus before, but I've been to the area and a lot of the people in the community and it's a real exciting place to go," Clitso said.
In addition to continuing his football career, Clitso also hopes to pursue a degree in engineering at the university, which serves as a part of the University of Minnesota system and boasts such notable alumni as Olympic silver medalist and UFC bantamweight star Sara McMann, as well as Kevin Bullis, currently the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.
"They've got a really great program for engineering there, which was another key reason for me to sign," Clitso said. "There's just a lot of really good things the school had to offer."
Steve Bortstein can be reached via email at SBortstein@Gannett.com, via Twitter @DTSBortstein or on the phone at (505) 635-2680. Support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Navajo Prep football star signs letter of intent with college in Minnesota
