SALT LAKE CITY — Utah men’s basketball continued to build out its frontcourt through the transfer portal, landing Weber State forward Malek Gomma — a move that adds physicality, rebounding, and an interior presence to the Runnin’ Utes’ evolving roster.
Gomma becomes the latest addition to Utah’s offseason haul, joining a transfer class that has already added perimeter pieces in Jackson Holcombe and Taison Chatman. Now, Utah turns to the frontcourt — and Gomma fills a clear need.
The Utes struggled all season long with a lack of frontcourt depth, and Gomma brings some much needed bulk inside. In the early season contest against Utah, Gomma actually scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds against the Utes.
Utah has landed the commitment of Weber State big man @malek_gomma.
The 6’8” 245lb big man adds some much needed size to the front court. He averaged 8 points and 7 rebounds per game this season. pic.twitter.com/qSSLK0gxTq
— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) April 19, 2026
A productive, physical presence in the Big Sky
The 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward arrives after a productive season at Weber State, where he started all 32 games and averaged 8.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting 53.6% from the field.
Those numbers don’t scream star — but the profile does. Gomma ranked among the top rebounders in the Big Sky and consistently impacted games around the rim, finishing plays efficiently and controlling the glass. He totaled 222 rebounds on the season, anchoring Weber State’s interior presence.
Gomma’s game is rooted in physicality. He’s not a perimeter-oriented forward or a high-usage scorer — he’s a paint presence who does the work that often doesn’t show up in highlights:
Offensive rebounding
Interior defense
Finishing through contact
Setting physical screens
At Weber State, he played a consistent, high-minute role (over 25 minutes per game), handling the physical demands of being a full-time starter.
That matters when projecting to the Big 12. Because that role — rebounding, defending, and finishing — translates more cleanly than scoring-heavy profiles that rely on touches.
Before Weber State, Gomma spent two seasons at Seattle, where he gradually developed into a more consistent contributor.
He shot nearly 58% from the field across those two years, showing early signs of efficiency and interior touch before expanding his role with the Wildcats.
That progression continued in 2025–26, where he took on a full-time starting role and became one of the more reliable interior players in his conference.
Why the fit makes sense at Utah
This addition fills a clear gap — and it makes even more sense when viewed alongside the rest of Utah’s transfer class.
With Jackson Holcombe bringing versatility and all-around production, and Taison Chatman adding perimeter shooting and spacing, Utah had already addressed the perimeter. What it still needed was balance — and that’s where Malek Gomma comes in.
Gomma brings size, strength, and proven rebounding production, averaging 8.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting over 53% from the field at Weber State.
He doesn’t need the ball to be effective. Instead, he complements the rest of the group by doing the work around the rim — finishing plays, cleaning the glass, and providing interior stability. That allows Holcombe to operate as a connector and Chatman to stay in a scoring role, while Utah adds a physical presence inside.
This isn’t redundancy. It’s balance — and it’s exactly what this roster needed.
The Bottom Line
This isn’t a headline-grabbing addition — but it’s a necessary one. Utah needed toughness inside and that’s what Gomma adds in spades.
Gomma brings a physical presence that shows up in the areas Utah needed most. He’s a consistent rebounder, averaging nearly seven boards per game at Weber State, and plays with the kind of strength and motor that holds up around the rim.
His impact isn’t built on volume scoring, but on doing the dirty work — controlling the glass, finishing efficiently, and providing stability inside on both ends of the floor. And on a roster that’s starting to take shape around skill and versatility, he provides the balance.
Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.
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