Former BYU and Baylor forward Caleb Lohner announced his commitment to join the Utah Utes out of the transfer portal on Monday.
However, Lohner is joining Utah to play on the football team as a tight end, while adding he may “potentially contribute on the court as well” for the Utes.
The 6’8, 235 pound Lohner will join standout returnee Brant Kuithe in Utah’s tight end room as they look to stay competitive with the move into the Big 12 conference.
Lohner averaged 2.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 69 games for Baylor over the past two seasons, playing a little over 10 minutes per night. He joined the Bears after two seasons with BYU while they were in the WCC, where he averaged 7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.
Lohner will hardly be the first athlete to switch sports, and in fact it’s become a bit of a trend with Baylor student-athletes. Demetri Goodson began his career as a point guard at Gonzaga before transferring to Baylor to play cornerback, which eventually led to him getting selected in the NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers.
Mark Vital spent five years on the Baylor basketball team from 2016-2021, and after going undrafted in the NBA draft he transitioned to tight end and spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.
How much Lohner contributes for the Utah football team will be an intriguing storyline to follow this upcoming season – and unless the Utes make multiple additions in the transfer portal he might be called upon to contribute on the hardwood as well.