Utah has landed a Class of 2010 pledge from Star Lotulelei, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive lineman from Bingham (South Jordan, Utah / Snow CC, Utah.) Lotulelei originally signed with BYU as a prep.Lotulelei has good power in his lower body and can be very disruptive. He has good initial burst and quickness and relies on brute strength to overpower blockers. He will normally pick a side when he plays on the nose and is extremely effective when going to his right. He gets good push when working inside verses guards and tackles. He shows good use of hands, grabs cloth and throws blockers out of the way. He works well down the line and is a physical tackler. He demonstrates the ability to get penetration and influence plays behind the line of scrimmage. He keeps his feet moving to the quarterback and has decent closing speed. The problem with Lotulelei is that he plays to high. He has a squatty stance that causes him to stand up at the snap. He likes to pop up and peak into the backfield instead of staying down behind his pads and having faith in his key. He has been able to overwhelm players at the high school level with his power and quickness but will have to learn to play with leverage in college. You would like to see him be more consistent with his pursuit angles. He must develop the conditioning level to be an every down player whos motor runs hot. Overall, Lotulelei has good upside because of his raw strength and power. He has the frame to add bulk but he must be taught to play with leverage and react to blocking schemes.
