It seems like forever ago that Hunter Lotulelei was offered a scholarship to attend the University of Utah, during the All-Poly, and practically committed on the spot. A cousin of Star and Lowell, with his signing, the tradition of the Lotulelei name continues at Utah—although Hunter has been insistent on making his own legacy.

“I’m really excited,” Lotulelei once said. “Hearing stories from when (my cousins) Star and Lowell were up there, they told me what a good experience it is, how there’s good diversity, and it doesn’t matter if someone’s Caucasian, Polynesian, African American, whatever, you just have that bond with everyone.”

EVALUATION

I am really excited to see this kid play center/guard at Utah because he knows how to come off the ball with power. Hunter is an earlier commit that went under some people’s radar once he committed but this is an offensive lineman to be excited about. Lotulelei has a strong lower half that gives him plenty of power when shooting his hips off the line. It’s that aggressiveness that is needed in the interior and he will be a great addition to that interior. I saw Hunter’s highlights at the All-American combine during 1 on 1 pass blocking and he did very well. However, I believe this will be the main point of coaching he will need as he transitions away from a high school scheme that was extremely run heavy with offensive linemen typically in 4-point stances. - Derek Tuimauga

Does anyone else get goosebumps when talking about Utah Football and reading that last name? WOW. A beast in the middle on defense and a just crushing run blocker on offense - someone that can move the line of scrimmage and go down hill.. Looking forward to watching this young man grow and dominate. - Anthony White

A bully in the trenches who plays surprisingly scrappy for a 300 lb man. Plays with a chip on his should and finishes convincingly at the 2nd level. Gets low and plays with solid pad level. Could contribute early if he can grasp assignments quickly. - Westlee Tonga

WHAT IT MEANS

Lotulelei would be best served to trust the coaches on his quickest path to playing time. As good as he is on the offensive line, he’s also talented on defense. It’ll be interesting to see where he ends up, but he should be instantly ready for playing time, fresh off of his LDS mission.