SALT LAKE CITY — At the center of Utah’s relatively inexperienced offensive line is Orlando Umana.
The 6-foot-4, 340-pound junior from Sacramento, California, is one of just two Utah offensive linemen, alongside Darrin Paulo, that were full-time starters last year.
In 2018, Umana started the season at left guard before switching to center for the Stanford game because of Lo Falemaka’s injury.
“Just getting used to the feel of center, snapping the ball, worrying about other stuff I didn’t have to worry about (at left guard), but I got used to it,” Umana said of the challenges of his first start at center.
After that first game, the rest of the season would go pretty smoothly for Umana, and he would finish the rest of the season at center.
“He’s a guy that really made a smooth transition to that. He’s worked hard — and the real difference is snapping the ball, just the mechanics of snapping the ball before you’re able to get into your assignment,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said of Umana’s transition.
“He’s done a good job of kind of being in command of the offensive line, calls and things like that. Definitely improved and hopefully he continues to do so.” — Offensive line coach Jim Harding
Offensive line coach Jim Harding said Umana had been playing center in some practices in the early parts of the 2018 season to be ready in case of injury. It paid off as Umana’s transition to the center of the line was fairly smooth.
This year, Umana will be sticking at center, slated to be starting at the position when the Utes open up at BYU.
“He’s done a good job of kind of being in command of the offensive line, calls and things like that. Definitely improved and hopefully he continues to do so,” Harding said.
One point of emphasis for Umana this offseason has been being more vocal, which he has improved on. He also says that he has improved his pad level and ability to get low over the summer and in fall camp.
“He’s a little bit more vocal than what he’s done in the past and he’s definitely taken on a leadership role,” Harding said.
Coming into fall camp, the offensive line was one of the biggest question marks for the Utes, with Jackson Barton (first-team All-Pac-12), Jordan Agasiva (first-team All-Pac-12) and Falemaka (honorable mention All-Pac-12) all having graduated, but as camp rolls on and they practice against Utah’s dominant defensive line, the O-line is getting better.
“We started off slow, but as fall camp went on, we just all starting to get better, all starting to be in sync,” Umana said. “Just our communication, overall, just playing as one. I feel like this year, we’re more all in tune together.”
As the offensive line continues to gel, Umana is looked at as one of the leaders — and he is up for the challenge.
“In terms of the field, he’s doing well. Physically, he developed well. I’m confident he’s going to be our leader next year, so it’s good to know that he stepped up a little vocally and joked around less. He’s a good player, his technique and everything has gotten much improved,” Paulo said.
Right tackle Nick Ford describes Umana as a fun-loving “goofball” off the field, but someone who knows when it’s time to get serious.
“On the field, he’s a hard worker. Off the field, he’s a hard worker too, but he’s a real goofball. He loves to joke around, have fun when he can, do stupid things, but when it’s time to lock in, he understands what to take serious and what he can mess around with,” Ford said.
Whittingham feels confident in what Umana brings to the table for the Utes at the center position.
“He’s a guy that we feel very good about and has had a very consistent spring and a very consistent fall camp. We think he’s going to be a good player for us this fall,” Whittingham said.