The Utah Utes have made an early impression on one of Southern California’s rising offensive line prospects.
2028 offensive tackle Ty Westenberger, a 6-foot-5.5, 300-pound prospect out of San Marcos High School, is still early in his football journey. Despite only beginning the sport as a freshman, Westenberger has already picked up Power Four offers from both Utah and Cal as his recruitment continues to gain momentum.
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For Westenberger, the offer was about more than football.
“The coaches spent a lot of time asking about my goals, family, football, and how I think about things like working out, nutrition, and other topics,” Westenberger told me. “They talked about how they view me as a player and what they like about my game.”
Then Jordan Gross made it official.
“When Coach Gross offered me, I was honestly shocked,” he said. “My jaw dropped. I felt really grateful that a program like Utah believed in me and saw the potential for me to contribute there someday.”
That relationship with Gross has only continued to grow.
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“Coach Gross has been great throughout the recruiting process,” Westenberger said. “He checks in regularly, I feel like he takes the time to get to know me, he’s even reached out to my family.”
“He is just so nice and seems so supportive. I’ve really liked building a relationship with him and learning more about his experience and the Utah program.”
That relationship is a major reason Utah has positioned itself well early on.
“Utah is definitely one of the schools standing out to me right now,” Westenberger said. “The way Coach Gross and the entire staff have treated me when I came to camp, along with the culture and atmosphere of the program, has made a strong impression on me.”
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As his recruitment continues, Westenberger said development will ultimately be one of the biggest factors in his decision.
“The biggest factors for me will be finding a school where I can be successful academically and develop as a football player,” he said. “I want to go to a school with a strong football culture, great coaches, and a team that feels like family.”
For now, though, his focus is on his junior season.
After undergoing shoulder surgery in January, Westenberger turned the setback into motivation.
“I had shoulder surgery in January, and I was afraid I was going to fall behind,” he said. “But it actually motivated me to work even harder.”
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He also began training with a new coach, focusing on improving his footwork, technique and consistency.
“Since I only started playing football as a freshman, I feel like I had a lot of room to develop,” Westenberger said. “I’m excited to show coaches how much my game has evolved since last season.”
With two more years of high school football ahead of him, Westenberger’s recruitment is still in the early stages.
But Utah got involved early, Jordan Gross has built a strong relationship, and the Utes have already put themselves in a good position with one of the West Coast’s rising offensive line prospects.
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