NFL draft 2025: Switch to football pays off as Caleb Lohner selected by Broncos in 7th

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Ahead of his senior season, Caleb Lohner decided to make an unusual change.

The men's basketball forward at Baylor entered his name into the transfer portal and signed with Utah ... as a tight end for Kyle Whittingham's squad. The belief was, according to Whittingham, that Lohner could make a noticeable impact on the gridiron.

It turns out the switch to football paid off.

On Saturday, the Denver Broncos took a flier on the Utah tight end, selecting Lohner with the No. 25 pick in the seventh round of the NFL draft (No. 241 overall). Lohner continues a long trend of the Broncos selecting a Utah player to their squad in the draft.

"I couldn't have been happier," Lohner said, according to the Broncos. "I just wanted an opportunity, and I genuinely believe that wherever I am — and now being part of the Broncos organization — I'm going to do everything I can to help win.

"I know I don't have a ton of football under my belt, but that's exactly why I'm playing the game, because I've developed a passion and love. I was so excited. I think it's something you dream about in sports. So here we are now."

Lohner said he had "people at the University of Utah that just believed that I could be a high-level tight end" and so he decided to make the switch. He told Denver it was "one of the best decisions I've ever made."

"I couldn't be more grateful for all the schools that I was at, but especially the University of Utah, their football program, the Whittinghams — coach Kyle and (tight ends) coach Freddie Whittingham."

In his one season with the Utes — an admittedly down season for the Utah offense — Lohner still found a way to showcase his talent on the field, finishing with 54 receiving yards and four touchdowns on four catches.

With his 6-foot-7 frame, Lohner also served as a vital weapon on special teams, where he disrupted several kicks and recorded one blocked kick.

Following his lone football season, Lohner returned to the court where he finished out the basketball season with the Runnin' Utes. He averaged 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists in just 9.9 minutes per game for 22 appearances.

Lohner is the first player drafted by the University of Utah this year. He even went before star tight end Brant Kuithe, who suffered a season-ending injury for the second year.

The Texas native played at Wasatch Academy, where he led his team to a 27-2 record on 14.5 points and 5.8 rebounds his senior season, before signing with Utah out of high school. The summer before his freshman season, though, Lohner asked out of his commitment and then transferred to rival BYU.

Lohner played two seasons with the Cougars, where he averaged 7.0 points and 6.8 rebounds, before transferring to Baylor. He then played two seasons at Baylor but saw limited playing time and finished his career at Utah.

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