Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round) on March 10, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 73
Final Score
Men's Basketball
66
vs No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round)
73
The University of Utah Athletics
Featuring the Runnin’ Utes: Caleb Lohner
2/5/2025 10:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The transfer forward is coming off a strong season with the football team, looking to contribute on the court.
Caleb Lohner took an unconventional route to be a piece of the Runnin' Utes program this season, joining Coach Kyle Whittingham's football team as a tight end in the fall before quickly transitioning to the hardcourt weeks later. Despite not spending any time with the team in the offseason, Lohner has been an energizing force in the Runnin' Utes' threads throughout the basketball season.
Lohner was raised in Flower Mound, Texas, a short drive from both Dallas and Fort Worth. He spent his first two years of high school at Flower Mound High School before moving to Utah and attending Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant. Lohner's lone two seasons at Wasatch Academy were dominating, guiding Wasatch Academy to the GEICO High School Nationals after going 26-3 his junior year and later helping the Tigers to a 27-2 record as a senior while averaging 14.5 points.
"High school ball is fun," Lohner said. "You don't have to worry about a whole lot, besides just enjoying the game. In college, it gets a little bit more real, but it's fun. I played with a lot of great teammates who have now been pretty successful at the Division 1 level. It was definitely worthwhile."
To begin his collegiate career, Lohner committed to BYU and spent his first two seasons in Provo. Lohner played in every game as a freshman and was named to the WCC All-Freshman Team in 2021 before starting in 31-of-35 games as a sophomore.
Lohner began a new chapter of his career when he entered the transfer portal and signed with the Baylor Bears, returning to his home state and spending his next two seasons in Waco. While Lohner saw action in 69 games between the two seasons, his interest shifted, and he made a dramatic change.
With four years of college basketball under his belt, Lohner decided to commit to the University of Utah to play as a tight end for the football team.
"It was just a chance and the opportunity came. I feel like it had been a long time coming, and there were certain things that kept coming up and the relationships that have been fostered for a long time, just through family and friends. Both Coach Kyle and Freddie Whittingham reached out to me and wanted to help nurture my dream of playing in the NFL one day. I did it, and I loved it, and I'll always be grateful for that opportunity."
Lohner shined on the football field, appearing in 12 games and recording four catches that were all hauled in for touchdowns. It was a completely new experience for Lohner, but certainly a memorable one.
"It was awesome. It was so much fun to jump into something completely new that I didn't know a lot about. It was hard and challenging, but I found a lot of peace and joy in just having something new every day. I was working on different skill sets and knowledge of a different sport. When you start playing, you realize there's a lot more to it. This past fall was one of the best seasons of my career."
Since the football season didn't extend past November, Lohner was able to commit himself to the Runnin' Utes program as soon as the football season ended. While taking to the turf was a unique journey for Lohner, returning to the hardcourt also became a new experience in itself.
"It felt a little weird, but I love basketball and always have loved basketball. This is kind of the first sport that I took to. It was different because I didn't think I was going to be playing and then again, the opportunity came and Coach Smith thought he could use some help in areas, and we never looked back."
Lohner and the Runnin' Utes are set to face off against former Pac-12 foe, Colorado on Feb. 5 inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center for the lone meeting between the two teams this season.
Lohner was raised in Flower Mound, Texas, a short drive from both Dallas and Fort Worth. He spent his first two years of high school at Flower Mound High School before moving to Utah and attending Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant. Lohner's lone two seasons at Wasatch Academy were dominating, guiding Wasatch Academy to the GEICO High School Nationals after going 26-3 his junior year and later helping the Tigers to a 27-2 record as a senior while averaging 14.5 points.
"High school ball is fun," Lohner said. "You don't have to worry about a whole lot, besides just enjoying the game. In college, it gets a little bit more real, but it's fun. I played with a lot of great teammates who have now been pretty successful at the Division 1 level. It was definitely worthwhile."
To begin his collegiate career, Lohner committed to BYU and spent his first two seasons in Provo. Lohner played in every game as a freshman and was named to the WCC All-Freshman Team in 2021 before starting in 31-of-35 games as a sophomore.
Lohner began a new chapter of his career when he entered the transfer portal and signed with the Baylor Bears, returning to his home state and spending his next two seasons in Waco. While Lohner saw action in 69 games between the two seasons, his interest shifted, and he made a dramatic change.
With four years of college basketball under his belt, Lohner decided to commit to the University of Utah to play as a tight end for the football team.
"It was just a chance and the opportunity came. I feel like it had been a long time coming, and there were certain things that kept coming up and the relationships that have been fostered for a long time, just through family and friends. Both Coach Kyle and Freddie Whittingham reached out to me and wanted to help nurture my dream of playing in the NFL one day. I did it, and I loved it, and I'll always be grateful for that opportunity."
Lohner shined on the football field, appearing in 12 games and recording four catches that were all hauled in for touchdowns. It was a completely new experience for Lohner, but certainly a memorable one.
"It was awesome. It was so much fun to jump into something completely new that I didn't know a lot about. It was hard and challenging, but I found a lot of peace and joy in just having something new every day. I was working on different skill sets and knowledge of a different sport. When you start playing, you realize there's a lot more to it. This past fall was one of the best seasons of my career."
Since the football season didn't extend past November, Lohner was able to commit himself to the Runnin' Utes program as soon as the football season ended. While taking to the turf was a unique journey for Lohner, returning to the hardcourt also became a new experience in itself.
"It felt a little weird, but I love basketball and always have loved basketball. This is kind of the first sport that I took to. It was different because I didn't think I was going to be playing and then again, the opportunity came and Coach Smith thought he could use some help in areas, and we never looked back."
Lohner and the Runnin' Utes are set to face off against former Pac-12 foe, Colorado on Feb. 5 inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center for the lone meeting between the two teams this season.
Players Mentioned
F
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