Inside The Huskies

SoCal Lineman Pulls Out Of Alabama Commit, Once Considered UW

Sam Utu is projected to go to SMU now, but who really knows what's going on behind the scenes.
Dan Raley|
Sam Utu, one-time UW recruit, has de-committed from Alabama.
Sam Utu, one-time UW recruit, has de-committed from Alabama. | USC

Amid the flurry of football recruiting de-commitments fully expected this week -- as the real bidding begins -- one that's drawn widespread attention was offensive lineman Sam Utu pulling out of his Alabama pledge.

On Monday, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Utu from Orange Lutheran High School in Westminster, California, changed his mind and informed Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff that he wasn't coming.

The obvious question is now what?

While nearly every top program nationwide showed interest, Utu took official visits only to Alabama, SMU and Washington.

The recruiting analysts now are projecting the kid -- whose full name is Kayden Samuelo Teteleopesega Utu Lilii -- to change course to SMU, which he visited this past weekend and watched the Mustangs rout Louisville 38-6.

Yet Utu toured the UW for Junior Day last March 8 and returned again for Husky spring football and an official visit on April 25, so he's well-versed in Montlake ways.

Anything goes these days with NIL collectives and revenue-sharing opportunities now heavily dictating recruiting decisions.

And then UW coach Jedd Fisch dropped this line, "We're excited where we are right now in recruiting, but there might be a couple surprises in the end."

This past June, Utu had 32 offers when he committed to the Crimson Tide and DeBoer. In fact, he had a long relationship with that staff, going back to August 17, 2023, when the Huskies first offered him a scholarship.

Offers from Georgia, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and USC rolled in, as well.

In his 247Sports recruiting profile, the analyst sized him up this way: "Utu is one of the region’s top offensive-line prospects and has been a dominant force at tackle since his freshman season. Offers a ton of positional versatility and has tackle feet, balance and athleticism but more of a guard frame and we could see him playing all over the offensive line including center."

When he committed to the Crimson Tide, Utu made the following declaration, "It's bigger than me. It's always going to be bigger than me."

For now, that's not true, with the 4-star recruit choosing to move on from the shadows of Alabama and changing course on the SEC powerhouse.

Fisch said he and his staff were fully prepared for their recruits getting pursued up to the very last moment before they sign their scholarship paperwork, beginning on September 3. It's the new way of doing business for the college game.

And, of course, there are players out there to be had such as Utu.

"It's such a crazy world, we feel we have to recruit until signing day," the Husky coach said.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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