Utah Football’s Second-Year LT Caleb Lomu Emerging As NFL Draft Prospect
Jun 16, 2025, 3:07 PM
Utah football's freshman left tackle Caleb Lomu. Photo by Joel Davidson
SALT LAKE CITY—As summer progresses, Utah football gets closer and closer to returning for fall camp. During the offseason, Caleb Lomu has not only emerged as a prominent figure in Utah’s outlook next season but as an NFL Draft prospect.
Utah’s starting left tackle is coming off a stellar Freshman All-American campaign and is looking to build on that in year two.
Expectations are high for him. He’s remained locked in with Utah and is entirely focused on helping the team get back to the top of the conference.
Caleb Lomu is emerging as a top NFL Draft prospect
Utah’s Spencer Fano has already generated plenty of draft chatter as he gears up for his junior campaign. However, it seems Lomu is starting to generate quite a bit of buzz himself.
After his first year as a starter, Lomu has emerged as a promising NFL Draft prospect. The gifted lineman entered the starting lineup after fall camp last year, moving then-Freshman-All-American left tackle Spencer Fano to the right side.
Then, Lomu went on to play at a really impressive level. Utah’s offensive struggles masked a lot of the good Lomu and the offensive line we’re doing, but talent evaluators continue to highlight Lomu as a top prospect for next year.
Jason Beck has brought a new offensive scheme to Salt Lake City. With an emphasis on the run game and the option attack, Utah’s offensive line is well-equipped to execute the new scheme at a high level. It may also highlight the athletic qualities of the line that weren’t evident last season.
“We have a lot of options; with Devon in the backfield, he can run, he can throw, he can make whatever happen,” Lomu said. “The diversity we have with the offense, I really like; last year we were kind of limited.”
“I think it’s allowed our guys a little more flexibility in the run game, in terms of getting them out in space, pulling and things like that,” Jim Harding said of the fit between the scheme and his linemen.
#Utah LT Caleb Lomu (No. 71) is an extremely athletic first-year starter who got better as the year went on last fall
🏈 Dancing Bear qualities: really light feet
🏈 Recovery ability / excellent balance
🏈 Great range in the run game#GoUtes have maybe best OT pair in nation! pic.twitter.com/B8O7fupM52— Fran Duffy (@FDuffyNFL) June 16, 2025
Jim Harding, O-Block culture, the reasons for Lomu’s commitment to Utah
A former four-star gem out of Gilbert, Arizona, Lomu topped Utah’s 2023 haul—choosing the Utes over blue-bloods like Michigan, Florida, Oregon, Ole Miss, USC, Tennessee, and Washington. Interest in him hasn’t stopped either, but Lomu has remained committed to Jim Harding and the Utes.
“Harding was the main reason I came here,” Lomu said. “When I came here, it was football, but it was also a family. Everyone would be hanging around, joking around, the coaches, the players, like an actual family. That’s a huge part of the Utah culture.”
As he prepares for the 2025 season, Lomu is working to achieve his goals, all of which center around getting the team where they want to be. Lomu plays a high-leverage position and his steady presence can make a significant impact on the Utah offense.
“The goal is just to get better every game and improve on what I do,” Lomu said. “We’ve talked, I shared my goals with him, and he told me he could do that for me. I believe in him. I love the way he coaches; he doesn’t just coach football, he coaches in life.”
Lomu will run it back with Fano on the other side, and the three other starting linemen from last season: Tanoa Togiai, Jaren Kump, and Michael Mokofisi. Those five will play a significant role in Utah’s outlook next season.
“The O-Block has its own culture for sure, and it’s been running through the University of Utah for many years,” Lomu said. “It’s a very important role to take, the O-Block’s known for being aggressive, leading the way for the offense, and how the O-Block goes is how the rest of the team will go.”
Promising trajectories for Utah football starting offensive tackles
As Lomu gears up for his second year as Utah’s starting left tackle, his goal is straightforward: outdo himself. He’s modeling his offseason work on the massive improvement Spencer Fano showed between his first and second seasons.
Coach Harding has challenged Lomu to not only execute his assignments but to do so with a level of force and authority that makes opponents think twice. If Lomu mirrors Fano’s leap—transforming from solid role player into a game-wrecker—he’ll be in a position to weigh a return to campus against declaring for the NFL Draft.
As the 2025 season nears, both of Utah’s tackles are on a clear upward path, and Lomu’s next jump could cement his status alongside Fano as Utah’s premier pro prospects.
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