Utah snags a commitment from 3-star Nevada edge rusher
Utah landed a commitment from 3-star edge rusher Jonah Lea’ea on Monday.
A product of the Las Vegas (Nev.) powerhouse Bishop Gorman, Lea’ea chose the defending Pac-12 champs over a trio of other finalists in Arizona, Boise State, and California. A two-sport athlete, Lea’ea has a ton of raw upside, and feels like the exact kind of player who does well for coach Kyle Whittingham.
1 Corinthians 10:31
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/MBFuMiX9uG— Jonah Lea’ea (@JLeaea) September 26, 2022
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound edge rusher is an interesting prospect. He only had a handful of Power Five offers — all of them from the Pac-12 footprint — but has been selected to play in the Polynesian Bowl and is off to a strong start as a senior. He took officials to Utah, Arizona, and Cal back in June.
Lea’ea ranks as the 105th overall edge rusher in the class of 2023 and the 14th-best from the state of Nevada, according to the industry-generated 247 Composite.
After posting five tackles for loss and four sacks as a junior last fall, Lea’ea has 16 tackles, four TFLs, three sacks, and a pass breakup so far this season. 247Sports’ Blair Angulo had this to say on his game:
Tall frame with good length and physical upside. Former hooper with a lean build that should take on additional muscle mass. Agile pass rusher who uses his quickness to keep blockers on their heels. Flashes assertive first step. Appears more comfortable in a stand-up role. Sheds blocks with swift hand movements and underneath rip-through move. Displays a few different counters. Willing to attack either gap with violence. Shows good wrap-up ability when he gets to the quarterback. Could continue to improve overall pursuit and toughness. At times tends to get caught trapped in traffic due to poor pad leverage. Potential multi-year starter later in college career with a chance to garner NFL Draft attention.
His verbal pledge gives Utah its 14th known commitment in the 2023 cycle. You can view his highlight tape below, via Hudl: