Jonah Leaea is listed at linebacker in the Rivals database, but he's growing into an imposing defensive end. Leaea hails from Bishop Gorman HS, one of the best and most consistent high school football programs in the country. Because of this, he should come in more prepared and more advanced for his age.

The 3-star recruit out of Las Vegas held 9 offers, including from Arizona, Boise State, California, Oregon State, and Washington State.

EVALUATION:

Long-levered defensive end with a ton of upside. He has wiry strength and he’s got a big frame. I see him as a stand-up end off the edge or even down with his hand on the ground. He’s got a ton of versatility.

-Westlee Tonga, TE, 2010-2014

WHAT THIS SIGNING MEANS:

Prepping at Bishop Gorman HS, Leaea should come to Utah ready to immediately contribute. Utah has a solid four-man defensive end rotation once Van Filinger recovers from his injury. They’ll lose AP Pac-12 All-Conference First Team selection, Gabe Reid, to graduation. There’s also a chance they could look at Jonah Elliss as a linebacker or at least as a slash. The likelihood is that Leaea will be a redshirt candidate, but if his number is called, he should be ready.