Oklahoma State Lands a Commitment From 2023 Kennedale Linebacker Poasa Utu

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State has added another piece to its defensive puzzle in the 2023 class with the commitment of defensive end/linebacker, Poasa Utu.

Utu is 6-1, 205-pounds and is an interesting prospect out of Kennedale (TX) High School. He was offered by Joe Bob Clements and the OSU staff following his participation at the Cowboys Down and Dirty Lineman Camp a few weeks back. He attended the camp as a defensive end, but Clements saw a lot of potential in Utu as a linebacker as well. So, expect Utu to line up as a linebacker/edge hybrid.

As far as we can find, Utu is still currently unranked by any national recruiting service. However, as it’s mentioned above, the OSU defensive coaching staff had eyes on him at the Down and Dirty Camp and Joe Bob Clements is one of the top evaluators on Mike Gundy’s staff. All you have to do is look at Collin Oliver, Trace Ford, Brock Martin and Tyler Lacy to know Clements knows what he’s doing.

Utu had a monster just season this past year at Kennedale lined up as a hybrid off the end. He posted a whopping 97 total tackles, 41 of which were tackles for loss, including 19 sacks. He also recorded two fumble recoveries and one interception.

 With the added work this spring and summer, I anticipate Utu to put up even bigger numbers this upcoming fall as a senior.

While at the Down and Dirty camp, Utu was virtually unstoppable off the edge. He’s fast with solid upper and lower body strength, which allowed him outwork and out muscle the offensive linemen he was going against in the one-on-one drills.

While at the OSU camp, he posted a 4.65 in the forty, as well as a 31.1-inch vertical. However, his football speed is much faster and with how we’ve seen guys develop under Rob Glass, his forty time will start to improve, as will his vertical.

Oklahoma State now has 10 commitments in the 2023 class, with Utu becoming the sixth commit on the defensive side of the ball. He joins DE Jaedon Foreman, S Kam Franklin, DE Billy Walton, DE Rick Lolohea and CB Dylan Smith.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Pokes hold commitments from QB Zane Flores, Offensive linemen JaKobe Sanders and Jack Endean and WR Camron Heard.