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SALT LAKE CITY — Caleb Lohner makes it look so easy.
The longtime basketball player turned tight end already has two touchdowns on the season and has been a valuable asset to Utah football's offense this season — after never really playing competitive football before.
His transition looks easy enough that it'll likely have more football coaches wondering if they can steal a few forwards from the basketball team to get similar results for their football team.
If only it were that easy.
When Lohner announced his departure from Baylor basketball to Utah football, it was met with scoffs and pure confusion. Is he really serious for his last season as a Division I athlete? Can he even play football?
That and many other questions were likely raised about his move to football.
But the early results have proven the doubters — or maybe more accurately put, the confused — left embracing his journey within the football program.
It's an unusual journey, for sure, but one that has been a welcomed surprise for a tight end room that already showcased proven talent. Lohner is such a mismatch on the field — and his talent has merited playing time — that he's become one of the top targets on the team.
Especially in the red zone, where his jump ball prowess is tough to beat.
"He is really a tough, eager — has great desire to be successful, and so that's a big part of it, and that's why he's off to a good start," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said Monday. "It's because of his attitude."
You can't teach height, as the adage goes, but Lohner has paired that with soft hands and a willingness to put in the work to make himself a viable option in an already deep tight end room that has proven pass catchers in Brant Kuithe, Carsen Ryan, Landen King, Dallen Bentley and Miki Suguturaga.
His skill set has become so valuable that Whittingham said the plan is to utilize him more on offense. As his most recent touchdown on Saturday showed, there's very few defenders that can get up and contest a ball placed only where Lohner can reach it.
"Caleb Lohner is a weapon, and I think we need to find more ways to use him — I'm sure coach (Andy) Ludwig will," Whittingham said. "He's got a big body and when he goes up on that jump ball at 6-foot-7, he's literally, what, 13 feet up in the air.
"I think you're going to see him become more and more of a factor offensively as the season wears on. ... And we're going to try to continue to expand his role and give him more opportunities."
And though he's played a significant role early on offense, his spot on the PAT and field goal defensive unit has proved even more valuable.
Lohner's vertical leap on the line is unmatched, where he's already been a disrupting factor in opposing teams' tries for PATs and field goal attempts. He's already had one blocked field goal (and was in position for a second that Van Fillinger got to first), and has made kickers think twice when they see him rise up.
Opposing teams have already missed four field goals against Utah this season; and while not easily attributed to Lohner's presence on the line, it's believed it's been a contributing factor. How could it not be?
"His height, that is the advantage," Whittingham said. "I mean, he's 6-foot-7+, giant wingspan, so that adds to the elevation he gets, and he's a great leaper. So you put all that together, and that makes him very effective at that role, that particular role in PAT, field goal block."
Though Lohner has traded dunks — for now — for catching passes and deflecting kicks, he's become the unsuspecting phenomenon to an offense that is still working to its potential. And with his unique skill set, Utah knows it always has a mismatch it can exploit to turn the tables.
It's the type of asset Utah never expected to have, but is now thankful to see the experiment pay off early.
