The Utah Football program landed one of their top 2024 targets on Saturday, with the commitment of local Corner Canyon offensive tackle Isaiah “Ike” Garcia.

After weeks of speculation and several powerhouse programs in the mix throughout his recruitment, the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Garcia chose to stay in-state.

Ike’s brother Jaxon was a recent walkon at Utah and he’s also high school teammates with Utah commit, Isaac Wilson. In addition to his family’s familiarity with Utah and his HS quarterback being a commit, Garcia has said he’s developed a special bond with Utah offensive line coach Jim Harding over the last three years.

Utah beat out some major competition for Garcia’s services, including Alabama, Baylor, BYU, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, and USC. In the end, it came down to Utah, Oregon, and Stanford before Garcia chose the Utes.

What Utah is getting

Even just a quick glance at his high school film shows an athlete with a strong foundation that has a knack for overpowering his opponents. Garcia has lined up in different spots across the offensive line, but he currently projects best at tackle. He has good power and finishes blocks off well, although he can continue to improve some footwork and develop more of a nasty streak — something Harding will have no problem developing.

His film shows that he can really finish off blocks,, and he could develop into a mauler in Utah’s system. Garcia is already a pretty balanced offensive lineman, with a little bit stronger run blocking ability. However, he has good balance and is solid in pass protection, too.

He will enter the program in a deep offensive tackle room, but he already has the size to potentially challenge to be in the rotation.

What this means for the class

Garcia is the eighth overall commitment for Utah’s 2024 class, joining running back Lamar Radcliffe, linebacker Kana’i Kekahuna-Lopes, quarterback and current Corner Canyon teammate Isaac Wilson, linebacker Hunter Andrews, safety Jeilani Davis, cornerback Sammie Hunter, and wide receiver David Washington.

Look for Utah to be picky going forward, as they look to add 2-3 more offensive linemen.