Utah Utes football: Filiaga chooses red over blue

SOUTH JORDAN — Bingham linebacker L.T. Filiaga has decided he wants to wear red next fall.

The three-star recruit verbally committed to play football for the University of Utah Tuesday afternoon. At 6-foot and 230 pounds, Filiaga was a key to the Miners defense this season. He was ranked No. 17 at his position by Scout.com.

"L.T. is a great kid," said Bingham coach Dave Peck. "He is a humble kid. He'd rather be low-key about this. He is a really religious kid, and I know this was a tough decision for him."

Filiaga, an honor student who plans to go on an LDS mission, had narrowed his choices to Utah and BYU the last couple of months because he wanted to stay closer to home. Peck said the fact that he may have one, possibly two, brothers playing at the University of Utah next year influenced his decision. One of his brothers is already enrolled at the U., but the other is still serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a first-team all-state selection he earned 96 tackles and five sacks for the second-place Miners.

"I also know he really connected with coach Whittingham," Peck said. "At 235 pounds, he runs like a safety or a DB; He's a great, hardworking kid."

Peck said in addition to being a talented athlete, Filiaga brings a sense of enjoyment to the game.

"He just brings a great attitude to the team," said Peck. "He'll be out there in the middle of things, hooting and hollering and having a good time. I think they are going to be thrilled to have him up there."

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