Countdown 69 Days: Happy Lo Falemaka Day

The University of Utah received some good news this spring, when last year’s starting center, Lo Falemaka, was granted an extra year of eligibility. The likelihood was never really in doubt, but that didn’t make the initial uncertainty any easier, as Falemaka was in limbo while practicing with the team.

While Utah did have some options waiting behind him that were capable of taking over the starting job this year, the experience that Falemaka returns will prove invaluable in helping a Utah offensive line that finally began to mesh together towards the last half of 2017.

Falemaka entered the program in 2013, and due to a combination of upperclassmen talent ahead of him, injuries, and an unfortunate shooting incident, he didn’t win a starting role until his junior year. The program had long been high on his abilities, but as 2017 rolled around, he had his struggles like the rest of the offensive line. His initial struggles were due to a nagging hand injury and the entire line learning a new system, but by the end of the season, Falemaka rounded into form.

Now, as an unquestioned leader of the line in 2018, Falemaka could have a big year ahead of him, as he looks to put himself firmly on the NFL radar.

Derek Tuimauga’s Take:

Lo is a bit on the lighter side for an offensive lineman, at 6-foot-5 283 pounds. However, what he lacks in weight, he makes up for in his strength and agility. Last year’s snapping issues should be a thing of the past, due to the previously mentioned hand injury. One area of improvement will need to be that, as a taller center, Falemaka needs to constantly focus on his pad level—if it’s not executed right, it could leave him susceptible to the pass rush. With the RPO being a focal point of the offense, Lo has been open and honest that it’s not the easiest system for offensive linemen to perform in, due to the variety of options on each play. However, it’s his agility and quickness that will make him an asset to that system during the 2018 season.

Alex Remembers Falemaka’s Recruitment:

Weighing around 230 pounds as a high school senior, the Utah staff saw something that other schools didn’t, an athletic linemen that needed to add weight, but the Utes knew that he could, once he hit a college weight room and nutrition program. At the time, Falemaka was so lightly recruited out of Cottonwood HS that he was set to be a push-forward recruit, meaning his scholarship—by NCAA standards was technically delayed. He’s yet another example of the Utes’ superior talent evaluation and why numerous P-5 programs have learned to piggyback off of their offers to Polynesian recruits.

We're now just 69 more days until kickoff. Happy Lo Falemaka Day, folks.