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Newcomer Notebook: Lance Holtzclaw
8/15/2025 12:13 PM | Football
Preseason feature series introduces a defensive end with New England roots
SALT LAKE CITY — As the countdown to kickoff reaches two weeks, the Utah football team continues to bring the energy and physicality to the practice field each day. Position battles are starting to shake out as the Utes gear up to face a familiar foe in the UCLA Bruins on August 30.
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The preseason Newcomer Notebook feature series shifts to the defensive side of the ball this week as Utah fans are introduced to defensive end Lance Holtzclaw. A transfer from Washington, Holtzclaw spent the past three seasons with the Huskies and played in 26 games. He was part of the 2023 squad that won the Pac-12 Championship and went on to reach that season's CFP National Championship Game.
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While he completed his high school playing career at Desert Ridge High School in Arizona, Holtzclaw is originally from Boston, Massachusetts—putting him in a rare club. In the available history of Utah Football, Holtzclaw is the third player to have a hometown in Massachusetts. Overall, he is the 11th player to come from New England; six former members of the program have come from Connecticut along with one apiece from Vermont and New Hampshire (none as of yet have come from Maine or Rhode Island, the other remaining states in the region).
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UtahUtes.com visited with Holtzclaw just ahead of the Utes' second preseason scrimmage.
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How is camp going?
"Everyone is out here competing. We are out here in the heat, but everyone is battling. We overcome challenges each day. The coaches are on top of us in terms of the details. Guys are playing very hard, and we're honing in on the details, especially as we get closer to the season."
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How have you and the rest of the defensive line acclimated to each other and built rapport?
"The defensive line as a whole is meshing really well. We're learning how to play with each other, especially with a lot of young guys in the defensive tackles room. We're having a lot of fun out here, but we're also focusing on being a complete unit and priding ourselves on being a dominant unit with a lot of energy—just running all over the place and making plays."
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What does the R.S.N.B. defensive identity mean to you—relentless, smart, nasty ballhawks?
"I love the culture of our defense. It's what a defense should be; it's people running all over the place, trying to hit, riding it out for their brothers. It's about being a playmaker, being athletic and playing together as a team. No excuses, everyone is held to the same standard and same culture. When you have everyone rolling with the same standard, you have a beautiful thing out here. We have a great offense that we face (during practice) that is going to prepare us for anything we go up against."
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What unique perspective do you in learning the Utah Way as a newcomer here, while also taking young guys under your wing having a few college seasons already under your belt?
"When I came into the defensive ends room, guys were very welcoming to me. Having some experience beforehand, I also see a little bit of myself in the younger guys. I know where they've come from and know a bit of what they're going through. They're very good at learning little things. Everyone is learning from each other."
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Describe your football journey and a little bit about growing up back East.
"I grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. I started playing Pop Warner football when I was about eight years old. When I was a sophomore in high school, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and went to Desert Ridge High School and played there for three seasons. From there, I went to the University of Washington for three seasons and now we're about to rock it out with the Utes!"
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What should people in Utah know about Boston?
"Don't necessarily judge Boston based on what you see on social media and hearing all the rowdy fans. The people are definitely passionate about sports. But take a deeper look into the center of Boston and see what your perspective is of that."
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Flip the question—what should people in Boston know about Utah?
"This is not the middle of nowhere. I live in downtown Salt Lake City--it's the middle of a major city. There are a lot of different cultures out here. You have to just get out and find all the gems around the city."
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Follow Utah Football
Follow the Utes on social media through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
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For more information on Utah Athletics, visit utahutes.com and download the Utah 360 app here.
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The preseason Newcomer Notebook feature series shifts to the defensive side of the ball this week as Utah fans are introduced to defensive end Lance Holtzclaw. A transfer from Washington, Holtzclaw spent the past three seasons with the Huskies and played in 26 games. He was part of the 2023 squad that won the Pac-12 Championship and went on to reach that season's CFP National Championship Game.
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While he completed his high school playing career at Desert Ridge High School in Arizona, Holtzclaw is originally from Boston, Massachusetts—putting him in a rare club. In the available history of Utah Football, Holtzclaw is the third player to have a hometown in Massachusetts. Overall, he is the 11th player to come from New England; six former members of the program have come from Connecticut along with one apiece from Vermont and New Hampshire (none as of yet have come from Maine or Rhode Island, the other remaining states in the region).
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UtahUtes.com visited with Holtzclaw just ahead of the Utes' second preseason scrimmage.
Â
How is camp going?
"Everyone is out here competing. We are out here in the heat, but everyone is battling. We overcome challenges each day. The coaches are on top of us in terms of the details. Guys are playing very hard, and we're honing in on the details, especially as we get closer to the season."
Â
How have you and the rest of the defensive line acclimated to each other and built rapport?
"The defensive line as a whole is meshing really well. We're learning how to play with each other, especially with a lot of young guys in the defensive tackles room. We're having a lot of fun out here, but we're also focusing on being a complete unit and priding ourselves on being a dominant unit with a lot of energy—just running all over the place and making plays."
Â
What does the R.S.N.B. defensive identity mean to you—relentless, smart, nasty ballhawks?
"I love the culture of our defense. It's what a defense should be; it's people running all over the place, trying to hit, riding it out for their brothers. It's about being a playmaker, being athletic and playing together as a team. No excuses, everyone is held to the same standard and same culture. When you have everyone rolling with the same standard, you have a beautiful thing out here. We have a great offense that we face (during practice) that is going to prepare us for anything we go up against."
Â
What unique perspective do you in learning the Utah Way as a newcomer here, while also taking young guys under your wing having a few college seasons already under your belt?
"When I came into the defensive ends room, guys were very welcoming to me. Having some experience beforehand, I also see a little bit of myself in the younger guys. I know where they've come from and know a bit of what they're going through. They're very good at learning little things. Everyone is learning from each other."
Â
Describe your football journey and a little bit about growing up back East.
"I grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. I started playing Pop Warner football when I was about eight years old. When I was a sophomore in high school, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and went to Desert Ridge High School and played there for three seasons. From there, I went to the University of Washington for three seasons and now we're about to rock it out with the Utes!"
Â
What should people in Utah know about Boston?
"Don't necessarily judge Boston based on what you see on social media and hearing all the rowdy fans. The people are definitely passionate about sports. But take a deeper look into the center of Boston and see what your perspective is of that."
Â
Flip the question—what should people in Boston know about Utah?
"This is not the middle of nowhere. I live in downtown Salt Lake City--it's the middle of a major city. There are a lot of different cultures out here. You have to just get out and find all the gems around the city."
Â
Follow Utah Football
Follow the Utes on social media through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Â
For more information on Utah Athletics, visit utahutes.com and download the Utah 360 app here.
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