Prior to the season, named to the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List…also named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list for the nation’s top receiver…played in six games before suffering a season-ending injury vs. San José State…entered that game leading the nation in receiving yards per game (130.6) and second in receptions per game (9.2)…finished as the team’s leader in receiving yards (667) and receiving touchdowns (5) despite missing half the season…finished the year with 47 receptions, while averaging 14.2 yards per catch…had three 100-yard receiving performances in six games…amassed 272 yards and one touchdown on 12 catches in season-opening win at UMass (Aug. 26)…the 272 yards was the single-game best nationally in 2017 and fourth-most ever by a UH player…also the fourth-highest total ever by a Mountain West player...his 85-yard touchdown catch vs. the Minutemen was the fifth-longest catch in school history…finished the season with 10 catches of 20 or more yards…also topped 100 yards in games at Wyoming (102) and Nevada (126)…recorded 10 catches for 79 yards and a touchdown at UCLA…had eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown at Wyoming…nine catches for 126 yards and one touchdown at Nevada.
Appeared in all 14 games, making 13 starts at ‘H’ receiver on the inside...finished second on the team with 53 catches for 652 yards...hauled in three touchdown catches and had two 100-yard games...averaged 12.3 yards per catch...11 catches of 20 yards or more...had five or more catches in seven contests, including a season-best seven receptions at Air Force (Oct. 22) and San Diego State (Oct. 22)...had seven catches for 108 yards at Air Force (Oct. 22)...among those catches was a 40-yard touchdown score that tied the game in the fourth quarter at Air Force (Oct. 22)...went over the century mark for the first time in his career against the Falcons...made seven catches at San Diego State (Nov. 5), accounting for 41 yards...scored his first career touchdown at Arizona (Sept. 17) on a 15-yard reception in the first quarter...led UH with six catches for a season-high 120 yards in its Hawai‘i Bowl win over Middle Tennessee (Dec. 24)...caught a season-long 44-yard pass in the first quarter to set up a UH touchdown...also carried the ball four times for eight yards during the season...scored his first career rushing touchdown from the 5-yard line against Nevada (Oct. 1)...team’s primary punt returner...logged eight returns for 63 yards...exploded for a 30-yard return versus New Mexico (Oct. 29), his longest return of the season.
Redshirted...earned the team’s offensive Scout Team Award.
Served a two-year church mission in Paris, France.
A 2012 graduate of Cedar High School in Saratoga, Utah…earned a total of 12 varsity letters in football, baseball and track and field…rated by Rivals as the No. 10 prospect in the state of Utah, and No. 18 prospect in Utah by 247Sports…named Region 9 Offensive Most Valuable Player in his senior season, throwing for 1,005 yards and 10 touchdowns, and rushing for 1,539 and 16 touchdowns as quarterback at Cedar High School…named all-Valley Offensive Most Valuable Player and received class 4A all-state honorable mention as a junior at Westlake High School, where he threw for 1,478 yards and 21 touchdowns, rushing for 723 yards with 14 touchdowns…also threw for 1,376 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore…helped lead Kealakehe High School to a BIIF championship his freshman year before moving to Utah.
Born in Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i…nickname is “J-Dub”…major is human development and family studies…speaks both French and Hawaiian…has two older brothers and two older sisters…both of his brothers played football at Southern Utah…parents are Larry and Laurie Ursua of Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i.
