Utah basketball adds frontcourt depth with latest transfer portal commitment

Runnin' Utes have their third portal acquisition of the offseason

Utah Runnin' Utes head coach Alex Jensen watches play during the first half of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Utah men's basketball received some needed help in the frontcourt Saturday with a commitment from Weber State transfer Malek Gomma, according to reports.

The 6-foot-8 forward from Seattle will join the Runnin' Utes for his senior season after spending two seasons with Chris Victor's Redhawks and one with Eric Duft's Wildcats. He becomes the third transfer portal acquisition for Alex Jensen and company, joining Jackson Holcombe (Utah Valley) and Taison Chatman (Ohio State).

As a full-time starter, Gomma led Weber State and finished No. 4 in the Big Sky with 6.9 rebounds per game, in addition to averaging 8 points and 1.4 assists. He shot an efficient 53.6% from the field on 6 attempts per contest and knocked down 47% of his free throws.

Time will tell whether Gomma's production carries over against Big 12 competition. For the time being, though, he adds size, experience and depth at a position the Utes needed to improve in the offseason. Going into Saturday, the only frontcourt player who'd played in a Division I game on the roster was Babacar Faye, a 6-foot-9 Western Kentucky transfer who missed all of last season at Utah due to injury.

Gomma has shown to be at his most effective when he's getting the ball around the painted area — a play style the Utes' 2025-26 roster lacked. Whether his height and size is built for the physical Big 12 remains to be seen.

With Gomma on board, Utah's roster is up to 13 scholarship players when factoring in its six-person recruiting class and the four players expected to return from the 2025-26 roster: Lucas Langarita, Obomate Abbey, Colin McHaney and Faye.

Gomma has played in 84 games, including 41 starts, across his three-year career. During his time at Seattle, he put up 2.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 58.2% from the field across 52 games (nine starts).

Gomma's opportunities increased once he arrived in Ogden, Utah, for the 2025-26 season, with his minutes jumping from 13.6 per game to 25.1 with the Wildcats. After tallying three games with 10 or more points during his Redhawks tenure, he finished in double-figures nine times with Weber State, including a career-high 19 points and 13 rebounds in a December win over Kansas City.

Roughly a month prior to that game, Gomma nearly helped the Wildcats pull off an upset over the Utes at the Huntsman Center. He had 14 points and six rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting, though Utah managed to knock down big-time shots down the stretch of a 92-89 overtime victory.

Weber State transfer Malek Gomma has committed to Utah, per his agent Corey Marcum of @EZSportsGroup

Gomma averaged 8 points, 6.9 rebounds this season.

— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) April 19, 2026