Gorman offensive linemen among nation’s top 2025 prospects
Bishop Gorman can make the case for having the best offensive line in all of high school football, led by a pair of juniors on the right side.
Guard SJ Alofaituli and offensive tackle Doug Utu are four-star prospects and two of the top 2025 recruits in the state and the country.
Utu, listed at 6 feet, 5 inches and 270 pounds, is the No. 53 national 2025 prospect, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. Alofaituli, listed at 6-3, 290, is the No. 57 prospect.
They each hold more than 20 Division I offers from most of college football’s power programs.
“It’s ramping up a lot,” Utu said of the recruiting process. “My phone has been blowing up with coaches right now. Sometimes I have to put it on silent because I can’t answer all of them.”
Utu, the No. 1 2025 recruit in Nevada according to 247Sports, holds notable offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Southern California. He added offers from Arkansas and Texas A&M last month.
Alofaituli, ranked No. 2 in the state, received an offer from Texas A&M last month as well. He holds notable offers from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana State, Michigan, Oregon and Southern California.
Utu and Alofaituli’s names skyrocketed up all the major prospects lists after a busy offseason at various camps. Alofaituli went to the Future 50 and Rivals camps, and Utu went to the Rivals and Under Armor All-American camps.
“It was good at the Future 50 camp because there were a lot of good, ranked defensive linemen,” Alofaituli said. “It was good competition to try and perfect my craft.”
Colleges have had the Gorman linemen on their radar for the past three years. In Utu’s case, he received his first offer while he was in eighth grade from Washington State.
“It was a big experience because it was my first offer, and I didn’t think I would make it that far in football,” Utu said.
Alofaituli didn’t have to wait long for his first offer, either. Arizona offered him as a freshman after making his first high school start in Gorman’s 2021 season opener.
In the offseason, Utu took notable visits to Oklahoma and Utah. Alofaituli recently came back from his second visit to Oregon, and he has also visited Georgia, Oklahoma and Utah.
“Oregon was blowing up my phone every day,” Alofaituli said. “I talk to all of their offensive line coaches. They’re great people, and it’s a great atmosphere over there.”
With all the schools contacting Utu, “I can’t compare and contrast them all. It’s been kind of crazy,” he said.
Utu and Alofaituli said they won’t be taking any visits until the season is over, with Gorman in the middle of its league schedule and the playoffs approaching.
As much as Utu’s on-field performance impresses coaches, he said they are just as impressed with how he carries himself off the field.
“They said I’m good off the field, and they say that’s something some players or recruits don’t have,” Utu said.
Alofaituli said coaches like his physicality and how he dominates opponents.
“They just say I play with like a different level of physicality, and they like that,” he said.
As the spotlight grows on the Gaels’ lineman, Alofaituli said the chemistry of the offensive line has helped them stay focused on winning and staying grounded during the recruiting process.
“The O-line, we try to keep each other level-headed and keep each other in check,” Alofaituli said. “We try to keep it close. It’s a family.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com with any recruiting information. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
