The Utes had talked with Rawson from his high school days about joining as a walk-on, but finally felt comfortable offering him a scholarship last month.
"He is a Utah kid and we have known him since his sophomore year of high school," coach Larry Krystkowiak said in a school news release. "Tyler has developed into an outstanding player and he is an excellent addition to our team. He is a terrific passer, has developed into a very good three-point shooter and he has an outstanding feel for the game."
Expected to compete with Kyle Kuzma for minutes at power forward, Rawson has some stretch capability, with strong ball-handling for his size and a 36.