4-star OT Caleb Lomu commits to Utah

Gilbert (Ariz.) Highland four-star offensive tackle Caleb Lomu took an official visit to Michigan on the weekend of Oct. 28. He shared his trip to the Wolverines was “amazing” and that it “blew me away.”

Lomu’s decision came down to Michigan and Utah. The Utes won out, as Lomu announced his commitment to the program on Sunday.

“Utah, I got a great relationship with all those coaches,” Lomu told On3. “I got old teammates over there. I got a lot of teammates going up to the state of Utah. And so, I got family close. Just overall, I felt like Utah was right for me.”

According to Lomu, Utah was always “close” in his recruitment. He visited Salt Lake City three times, including officially on the weekend of June 17.

Before making his decision, the Arizona native talked with his parents. Those conversations, and his own feeling, led him to the Utes.

“(Head coach Kyle Whittingham), he showed that they can compete against great teams, like last year against Ohio State,” said Lomu, the No. 96 overall prospect and No. 9 offensive tackle in the 2023 On300. “It was a tough loss, but it showed that they can play those big games. They want to compete and they will and they’re not afraid to.”

Utah’s coaching staff played a key role in Lomu’s decision

Whittingham has been the head coach at Utah since 2005. Last season, he led the Utes to their first win in the Pac-12 Championship.

This year, Utah will be heading back to the conference title game after a 9-3 regular season. That success, in part because of Whittingham, stands out to Lomu.

“He’s a great coach,” Lomu said. “He knows what he’s talking about. He knows how to lead this team, lead his players, be the all-around leader to his team. That just impacts all the other coaches. His energy will affect the other coaches and that affects the players. All-around, he’s a great coach and you can just tell he knows what he’s doing.”

When Lomu visited Utah, Whittingham would always take time to talk with him. The four-star also built bonds with other staffers, including offensive line coach Jim Harding.

“All those coaches, every time I’m down there, they come up and talk to me,” Lomu said. “(I’ve built) relationships with all the coaches.”

Lomu is excited that he reached a decision

Lomu also considered Arizona and USC, along with Michigan and Utah. The four-star is grateful for the experiences of his recruitment.

“It’s been a long process going, for sure,” Lomu said. “It’s been a pretty stressful process, but I’ve enjoyed every second of it. All these coaches in my top four, they’re all great coaches. I got great relationships with all of them and so, it’s pretty hard to say no to those other three.”

However, Lomu is confident in his college choice.

“Utah, I feel like it’s the best fit for me,” he said.