Redshirt freshman Caleb Lomu one of the bright spots on Utah’s offensive line

Utah left tackle Caleb Lomu has been one of the bright spots along the offensive line in his first season as a starter.
A four-star prospect out of Gilbert, Arizona, Lomu chose the Utes over a lengthy offer list that included Michigan, Florida, Oregon, Ole Miss, USC, Tennessee and Washington, becoming one of the crown jewels of Utah’s 2023 recruiting class alongside fellow offensive tackle Spencer Fano.
Lomu would have to wait to get his shot, however, playing 25 total snaps along the offensive line last year in a redshirt season. That redshirt season experience proved to be valuable for Lomu, who got to ease into the college level and not get thrown into the fire right away.
“It was still good to get in there, play against some actual other guys besides my team. So just that little experience helped me a lot, let me get some confidence,” Lomu said. “But practicing with our defense every day last year, that just helped me so much. So when I got in there against them (other team), it was like just being back to practice and I believe our defense is one of the best.”
After that experience in 2023, Lomu had a critical offseason coming up, and knew that he had a chance to crack the starting lineup after three starters from last year’s team — Kolinu’u Faaiu (transfer), Keaton Bills (NFL) and Sataoa Laumea (NFL) — departed.
That helped fuel Lomu throughout the grueling nine-month offseason, and by the time spring camp ended, there was considerable buzz about his play. That continued into fall camp, and Utah was able to pretty much have its starting front five set weeks before the season began against Southern Utah.
That starting lineup included Lomu, who slotted in at left tackle — one of, if not the most, crucial positions along the offensive line — after Fano moved from left tackle to right tackle before the 2024 season.
Getting the news that he was starting was a career highlight for the redshirt freshman.
“I was super excited. I just felt like I earned it so I was expecting to start. So I went in there with the mindset of ‘I’m going to start’ Lomu said “So when he told me that I was starting, I was super happy just because of the hard work I put in and to get where I wanted to be. I knew that I was capable of starting, that I could hang with these guys and so I was excited.”
The biggest factor in his jump from rarely playing in his redshirt year to becoming the starting left tackle was “being coachable,” Lomu says.
“The reason I’m where I am now is because of him,” Lomu said of offensive line coach Jim Harding. “Just taking his coaching, his experience. He played, he knows so much. His knowledge of the game, his experience of playing and coaching throughout the years. He knows what he’s doing and he knows where we can be as players.”
Lomu’s first game against Southern Utah didn’t exactly go as he planned. In his first-ever start, Lomu allowed two pressures and a quarterback hurry, and wasn’t as effective as the Utes wanted him to be in run blocking.
After that learning experience, he bounced back with two good games against Baylor and Utah State, settling into the college game and starting to exert his will on opposing defensive linemen. Since that point, there’s been a couple of down games for the redshirt freshman, but overall, he’s been ahead of schedule in his development and has been a bright spot on the offensive line.
“I think he’s been incredible. I don’t think it’s talked about a lot how this is his first year starting as a (redshirt) freshman,” Fano said. “So I feel like if you saw my freshman year, it wasn’t pretty at all. So in comparison, I think he’s done a really incredible job. Yeah, he’s killed it.”
Pro Football Focus grades Ute tackle Spencer Fano No. 1 in the nation among tackles with at least 500 snaps this year, and Lomu isn’t too far down the list, at No. 32, with a PFF grade of 77 (out of 100).
“When you’re good on the edges, which is the most demanding offensive line spot is the edges, you’re out on that island, you got a chance to really be good. And both (Fano) and Caleb Lomu are doing an excellent job out there,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.
It hasn’t been the season that Utah was expecting, but for Lomu personally, it’s been a success.
“Of course it sucks that we haven’t been going the way that we wanted to go, but just like we say, every day we want to stick together, stick together as a team, that’s all we can do. But for me personally, I just do as much as I can for the team,” Lomu said.
“As an offensive lineman, all you can do is focus on your block and make sure your guy doesn’t touch the ball carrier … So just doing my job every play, making sure my player doesn’t touch the ball carrier, that’s the most I can do. Just giving that extra half second of a block, a downhill block, whatever it may be to make a hole for the running back, whoever has the ball. So I feel like I’m playing for the team, trying to get it to where we want to be, get us a win.”
Though he’s taken a major step forward as an offensive lineman this season, college football players usually have a big jump from their first season as a starter to their second, and Lomu knows that he can continue improving as he heads into his sophomore season.
“I mean, I can improve on everything that I do. Every little thing isn’t perfect. Definitely just the main fundamentals — run block, pass pro, my technique, just being consistent in it. I know I can do it with the coaching. I have confidence in my ability. So just being consistent with everything I do,” Lomu said.