Impact Analysis: What Does Ethan Utley Bring To The Tennessee Volunteers?

2025 four-star defensive lineman Ethan Utley (Nashville, Tenn.) committed to the Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday. What does he bring to Rocky Top?

Ensworth s, Ethan Utley, stands for a portrait during the Tennessean's media day at Lipscomb / Nicole Hester / The Tennessean / USA

2025 four-star defensive lineman Ethan Utley (Nashville, Tenn.) committed to the Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday. What does he bring to Rocky Top?

Ensworth High School defensive lineman Ethan Utley committed to the Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday evening, choosing them over Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, and Syracuse. The Longhorns made a strong push to get Utley's services, and while he will continue his recruiting process, he's now a Vols commit. We take a look at what Tennessee landed in the talented defender.

Powerful Hands

One of the most important boxes for young defensive linemen to check is their hands. You need to pack a punch when you reach an offensive tackle, especially in the SEC. Simply being a big, powerful athlete won't be enough in college - you must transfer weight from your ankles through your hands. Utley weighs 270 pounds and uses his hands like he's 300 pounds when he wants to. He knows how to place his hands on an offensive tackle's shoulder pads and deliver through his leverage. Utley also does a nice job sequencing his attacks - he can use his hands for power or finesse. He doesn't have to go 100 miles per hour every time; Utley throws off opposing players by changing his speed and power when he attacks.

Elite Lateral Athlete

Moving side-to-side can be just as important as attacking vertically for a defensive lineman. Utley weighs 270 pounds but has skinny ankles on tape, allowing him to change his direction without losing any lower-body velocity. When he attacks, he looks like a boxer, varying his horizontal movement before attacking an opponent's hips. There's a method to how Utley attacks offensive linemen with his lateral agility, and it's quite advanced for a young pass-rusher.

Pass-rush Arsenal

There's still development left to be done with Utley, as with any young pass-rusher. However, Utley has a very advanced set of moves that allows him to win quickly. His skill set features a swim move, for which he has already developed several different counters. Utley can swim inside or outside, depending on how an offensive lineman sets up in pre-snap. He could still stand to develop a signature power-rush move, but his hands are strong enough for that to progress. He has a strong dip move where he sinks his hips underneath an offensive tackle, which could become an especially good counter.

Tennessee's 2025 Recruiting Class

• George MacIntyre, QB
• Justin Baker, RB
• Joakim Dodson, WR
• Jack VanDorselaer, TE
• Ethan Utley, DL
• Dylan Lewis, CB
• Tyler Redmond, CB

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