Utah football: Utes land Bingham's Lowell Lotulelei over Oregon State, BYU, Utah State, Cal and others

SOUTH JORDAN — The University of Utah football program has made a habit out of attracting and then developing top defensive tackle talent. Bingham High's Lowell Lotulelei hopes to add to the tradition of the Utes' strong and powerful interior defensive line.

The 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle committed to Utah following an official visit. He chose Utah over Oregon State, BYU, Utah State, Cal and others.

"Lowell is as good as any defensive tackle I've coached," said Bingham coach Dave Peck. "He has the potential to be a very good player for Utah and I'm proud of him and know he'll have a great chance of doing some special things there."

Peck also coached Lowell's older brother Star, who is now considered a top five prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft.

"Lowell is bigger and stronger than Star was out of high school, but Star was probably quicker and more athletic," Peck said. "Star was someone we seriously considered playing at tight end when he was here, but Lowell is definitely a defensive tackle in every sense of the word. He's built well for that position and could be someone who contributes immediately if he puts in the time and the effort."

Bingham to Logan

Utah State snared a big recruit when it received a commit from Bingham's Joe Malanga. Malanga is a 6-foot-4, 270-pound prospect who will play offensive line for the Aggies. He held offers from Oregon State and Hawaii — among other programs — at the time of his commit.

"I'm not surprised that he committed to Utah State, but I am surprised he didn't take more trips. Utah State has an excellent program and I'm happy to see a great player like Joe commit there," said Peck. "Joe has long arms and is very athletic for his size. He has the potential to be a great offensive lineman with his abilities."

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