Kelvin Obot graded a ‘game-changer' and instant impact player as Utes' headliner commit
The University of Utah football program landed its highest-rated commit of the 2026 recruiting class on Tuesday when offensive tackle Kelvin Obot announced his pledge to the Utes.
Obot is a 6-foot-5, 265-pound talent out of Fruitland High in Idaho, where he plays under former Utah offensive tackle Jordan Gross, who was a first-round NFL draft pick who played for more than a decade with the Carolina Panthers.
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Obot is a four-star recruit and rated the No. 1 prospect out of Idaho in the 2026 class, No. 9 among offensive tackles and the No. 131 recruit nationally in 247 Sports' composite ratings, which factor in ratings from 247 Sports, Rivals, On3 and ESPN.
His 0.9406 composite score in 247 Sports' formula makes him the ninth-highest rated recruit in Utah history, per their metrics.
On3 ranks Obot as the No. 9 overall player — and No. 3 offensive tackle — in the 2026 class.
'Athletic offensive tackle that has proven to be no match for Gem State-based competition over the years. Displays favorable reaction skills and body control as he's light on his feet and frequently in balance,' 247 Sports' Andrew Ivins wrote in evaluating Obot.
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'Quick out of a two-point stance as he tries to establish a wide base in his run sets. Patient in pass protection as he gains depth before engaging targets with well-timed strikes.'
Could Obot be an immediate contributor when he gets on campus next year?
CBS Sports, which teams with 247 Sports in its recruitment coverage efforts, has been grading major commitments as they happen, and has included Obot.
CBS Sports developed a Commitment Impact Score, which rates a recruit from 1-10 on their projected impact on a program based on three factors — roster boost (50% of the final score), momentum hit and program fit/narrative.
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In that formula, Obot was rated a 10 out of 10, or a 'game-changer.'
'Forget trying to buy premium offensive tackles in the transfer portal. Utah is one of the few programs that seems committed to developing them in-house,' Ivins wrote for CBS Sports, in scoring Obot's commitment to Utah.
The Utes have a strong history of developing pro-caliber offensive tackles under offensive line coach Jim Harding. That's an indicator Obot could be the next one to cash in on the talent he brings to Salt Lake City.
Four of Utah's top 10 all-time commits, according to 247 Sports, are offensive tackles.
That includes Garett Bolles, who was a first-round draft pick in 2017 and has spent his entire career with the Denver Broncos, where he was a starter since Day 1. He was had a 0.9462 composite score, per 247 Sports, and is rated the eighth-best recruit in Utah history, just ahead of Obot.
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Obot's addition to next year's class also is expected to come at a good time, as the Utes' starting offensive tackles this year, Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, are both being projected as high-round NFL draft picks for 2026 — and perhaps first-rounders.
Fano and Lomu were both a part of the Utes' 2023 class and had composite scores of 0.9530 and 0.9472, respectively, as recruits, placing Fano as the sixth-highest rated recruit in Utah history and Lomu seventh.
'With starting corner-protectors Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu expected to be Day 1 or Day 2 selections in next year's NFL Draft, the Utes pulled off a major heist Tuesday, beating out Oregon, Michigan and Nebraska for Kelvin Obot,' Ivins wrote.
'Currently pegged as the nation's No. 10 offensive tackle, Obot is an athletic big man with elite body control that can mirror twitched-up pass rushers. He's far from a complete product, and will see a major step up in competition when he leaves Idaho, but he's one of the few tackles in the class that looks like he has a chance to man the left side of the line. That's big for Utah, which wasn't afraid to play both Fano and Lomu as youngsters.'
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