4-star DL Ethan Utley sets his commitment date

On Christmas, Ethan Utley announced his top five schools. Michigan, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Tennessee and Texas made the list.

Other schools like Notre Dame and Oregon gave Utley something to think about in February, but he is set on his top five and he is closing in on his commitment. The No. 177 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking has set his commitment date for March 28.

“I am going to announce my commitment on my birthday,” Utley told On3. “I will turn 17 years old on March 28 and I will commit to one of my top five schools. This was something I have been thinking about since around February, then after I cut my list to five schools, it has been on my mind.

“The schools on my list have given me that home feeling, I have been talking to my mom about it a lot and I feel the time is right.”

There is a new head coach at Michigan. There have been some position coach changes in Austin and Knoxville. Those moves won’t impact Utley.

“I feel good about the coaches that are at these schools now,” Utley said. “I like Coach Sherrone Moore at Michigan and the staff he has brought in. Coach Bo Davis went to LSU, but Coach Kenny Baker and I have hit it off well at Texas. My relationships with each school are still strong and the changes made haven’t been a big issue for me.”

Utley has not made his decision yet

The 6-foot-3.5, 275-pound four-star is not 100% there yet. He has not made the call or decided on the school he will commit to on March 28, but he is getting close. Utley knows what it will come down to.

“I still have to talk to my mom about it a little more and have a few conversations to finalize everything,” Utley said. “She is on board with me committing early on my birthday and there are some schools I really like, but my final decision hasn’t been made yet.

“I am comfortable where I am at, each coach has created a relationship with me that makes me feel comfortable with them and what will lead me to my decision is team culture. From the head coaches all the way down to the analysts, I want to be part of a big family and a great culture.

“I want to play with guys that buy into the program. That is something I am looking at seriously. I have to live and be a human where I go, so I want to play great football and win national championships, but I have to be in the right environment too.”