Seventy-eight days until kickoff brings us to offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea in the UteNation Countdown to Kickoff. No. 78 started 13 games in 2021 at right guard, earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention to follow up his second-team honors from 2020. After seeing snaps in one game in his redshirt season of 2019, Laumea has played a key role on the offensive line since stepping on campus.

Heading into the 2022 season, Laumea is one of the unquestioned leaders of the line, protecting Cam Rising and paving the way for Tavion Thomas.

UteNation Take

The coaching staff had high hopes for the 6-foot-4 Laumea coming out of high school and it is fairly safe to say that he has lived up to the bill. The former Rivals 4-star was heavily recruited out of high school and for good reason. Sataoa has good feet and uses his footwork to establish his dominance at the point of attack. He is a traditional mauler at the guard position and his above-average athleticism makes him an ideal puller in the run game. He can get to the second and third level of defenses, a perfect fit for Jim Harding’s scheme.

Laumea came to Utah with an attacking attitude and experience playing multiple spots on both sides of the line. He was one of the more college-ready lineman out of high school in the 2019 class, and he turned into a key piece of the offensive line just after his first year on campus.

Now the next step in his profession is being named First Team All-Pac-12–something easily attainable with Laumea’s mentality in the trenches.

Remembering Laumea’s Recruitment

Laumea was a heavily recruited four-star offensive guard, boasting offers from over 20 schools around the country. His more notable offers came from Arizona State, Cal, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oregon, USC, and UCLA. Laumea was considered to be a UCLA lean up until his official visit to Utah, which took place the weekend before signing day. Despite him being a UCLA lean, Utah was long mentioned by Laumea as one of his top schools.