Breaking Down Utah Football’s 2023 Position Groups: Offensive Line
Jun 27, 2023, 10:00 AM
SALT LAKE CITY – Fall camp is about a month away for Utah football and to help refresh our minds for it, we’ll be breaking down each of the Utes’ 2023 position groups.
Every week till “Camp Kyle” kicks off, look for one offensive and one defensive position group per week. Today we start with one of Utah’s deepest units in the offensive line.
After a couple of lean years due to medical retirements, the Utes under position coach Jim Harding are rolling on the OBlock. For the past two seasons Harding, offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, and head coach Kyle Whittingham have felt confident in Utah’s ability to have two full lines (10-12 players) who could start at a moment’s notice. 2023 appears to be no different.
OBLOCK Quarter 3 kick off dinner (a little late). @Utah_Football #oblock #family pic.twitter.com/iWNELM6Q5N
— Jim Harding (@coachjharding) June 8, 2023
Who Is Returning For Utah’s Offensive Line?
Utah will be returning four out of five starters from the previous year with the lone exception being Braeden Daniels who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft to the Washington Commanders. The Utes also saw the departure of Paul Maile who played significant minutes over the years to BYU.
While not an actual player, it is important to note that Harding will be back for his ninth season with the Utes. This is particularly noteworthy due to rumors earlier in the year that Harding was possibly leaving with Ludwig for Notre Dame.
Continuity is a big part of Utah’s success and having Harding and Ludwig back matters in a season where the Utes have the potential to three-peat as Pac-12 Champs and more.
View this post on Instagram
A Closer Look At The Returners On The Utah Offensive Line
*Bolded names indicate significant experience.
- Keaton Bills, Junior, 33 career games, 25 starts all at LG.
- Kolinu’u Faaiu, Sophomore, appeared in five games on the offensive line and special teams in 2022.
- Hunter Deuel, Redshirt Freshman, saw no action in 2022.
- Alex Harrison, Junior, saw no action in 2022.
- Falcon Kaumatule, Junior, played in all 14 games on the offensive line and special teams in 2022.
- Jaren Kump, Junior, 22 career games played, with 11 being starts. 7 at RT, 3 at LT, 1 at RG.
- Sataoa Laumea, Junior, 33 career games, 31 starts, 19 at RG, 13 at RT.
- Johnny Maea, Senior, played in seven games with one start in 2022.
- Shintaro Mann, Junior, saw no action in 2022.
- Michael Mokofisi, Sophomore, started in 13 games as a freshman, 12 at RG, 1 at LG.
- Keith Olson, Redshirt Freshman, saw no action in 2022.
- Tanoa Togiai, Sophomore, played in 11 games on the offensive line and on special teams in 2022.
- Zereoue Williams, Sophomore, appeared in all 14 games on special teams and the offensive line in 2022.
View this post on Instagram
Who Is New On The Utah Offensive Line?
- Roger Alderman, three-star, California
- Spencer Fano, four-star, Utah
- Caleb Lamu, four-star, Arizona
- Jacob Edmonds, two-star walk-on, California
Some Words From Jim Harding About The Utah Offensive Line
Harding is very bullish about this group of offensive linemen for 2023. A big part of that optimism comes from the leadership qualities his group has displayed due to having a lot of experienced players. According to Harding, that attitude starts and ends with Keaton Bills and Sataoa Laumea.
“A couple of kids who stand out to me are Keaton Bills and Sataoa Laumea that in years past haven’t had to say much,” Harding said. “I tease Keaton- he had this quote in one of the articles previously that he has to really work on it, because it’s not his personality. He’s gotten a lot better. The rest of the room listens to those two kids. It’s interesting from year to year how some kids who were allowed to sit in the shadows and now their time has come. It’s there for Keaton and Sataoa.”
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports
