UTAH SIGNED NLI: Ike Garcia

Part of a talented Corner Canyon HS trio, Isaiah “Ike” Garcia joins his high school teammates Isaac Wilson and Kash Dillon in staying in-state for his college ball. The big 6-foot-5, 275-pound offensive tackle already almost looks college-ready. The 3-star, No. 5 player in the state should be a great addition to the O-Block and a potential early contributor. Don’t be surprised to see him get a healthy bump in the Rivals rankings when the final one is done in January.

Utah beat out some big-time competition to keep Garcia at home, as he held 18 offers from the likes of Alabama, Arizona, Miami (FL), Nebraska, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Washington. His final three were Utah, Oregon, and Stanford. The Utes made a strong late push to seal the deal.

FILM REVIEW

Ike has the perfect frame to play OT at Utah. He’s light on his feet and does a great job anchoring vs power rushers and is quick moving laterally vs speed rushers. In the run game he shows great pad level and power to move body’s out of the way. Huge pickup for Utah.

-Anton Palepoi, founder of Pro Tech Trenches, former defensive end, NFL 2002-05

WHAT THIS SIGNING MEANS

Utah offensive line coach Jim Harding has shown that he won’t hesitate playing true freshmen over experienced returners. That's what happened in 2023 as Spencer Fano was entrusted with one of the most crucial positions on the field: left tackle. Can Garcia prove himself and earn that same level of trust and opportunity? He has all of the talent to potentially do so.