What it Means: Lawler commits to Utah

The University of Utah may be just hours away from the Pac-12 Championship Game, but recruiting never sleeps. Looking to reload, as three of his top four cornerbacks are seniors, cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah bolstered his 2020 unit tonight with the commitment of Kenzel Lawler.

The talented athlete took his official visit to Utah during the Colorado game.

What Utah is getting

Lawler very much fits the mold of cornerbacks that Utah loves. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Lawler is big, long and physical, and his athleticism jumps out at you while watching him play. Lawler played both ways in high school, and while his offensive film was impressive, his defensive film is phenomenal. He's a ballhawk with above-average ball skills for a defensive back, due to his experience on offense. He also has the mentality that you like to see in a defensive back, and isn't afraid to come up and put a hit on somebody.

Lawler's film didn't show much press man coverage, due to the type of defense his high school runs, so when he arrives to Utah, he'll need to get coached up on that aspect of his game. However, he showed that he can shadow receivers as they get in and out of their breaks well off the line of scrimmage, so he definitely has the capability to be a great man defender. This appears to be a very underrated pickup by Utah, and don't be surprised if Lawler battles for playing time early on.

What this means for the class

With two cornerback spots now filled with Lawler and Caine Savage, the Utes will look to add 1-2 more. Darryl Porter Jr. is the absolute top priority, no questions asked, and he’s related to Zack Moss. Others to watch are from the JuCo ranks, Dominique Bradshaw and Kyree Jackson.

There’s bound to be even more coming in, before the December 18-20 early signing period. Stay tuned, as the Utes’ 2020 class continues to heat up. Their recent hot streak is real.