Caleb Lohner's Odyssey
How Caleb went from BYU to Baylor; his advice on NIL and why Waco is the best spot for him to prosper.
This special edition of The NIL Report newsletter features an athlete profile on Baylor basketball player Caleb Lohner who finds balance on and off the court by taking advantage of every opportunity. In my interview, he shared his experiences with NIL, his NIL advice for others and why the Baylor culture allows him to thrive with NIL.
If you are a brand and would like to connect with Caleb for an NIL partnership, please DM or email me TheNILReport@gmail.com.
The Beginning
If Baylor basketball coach Scott Drew had it his way, Caleb Lohner would have committed about seven years earlier.
After a camp, the young 15-year-old forward from Flower Mound, Texas, sat in Drew’s office. The pitch centered around culture, family and championships.
Lohner could not commit. Not because he did not love Baylor, but because he was not even sure if he loved basketball.
Today, Caleb looks as if Michelangelo himself carved him out of marble. A Greek God with all the desirable features—hair, face, body—that you would want if immortal.
But first, he had to venture out on his own odyssey. A Hero’s journey that led him from Texas to Utah and ultimately back to Waco, Texas where Baylor and Drew were waiting.
“My journey has been awesome and I've met the coolest people, the best coaches, the best friends and I wouldn't trade my journey for anyone else's.”
The Odyssey
Lohner’s basketball journey arc has consisted of two season stints at the following stops:
Flower Mound High School
Wasatch Academy
BYU
Baylor
His love for the game was rekindled when he went to play for his uncle Dave Evans at Wasatch. He averaged 14.5 points and near six rebounds per game his senior year and only lost five games over two seasons.
He ended up signing with BYU—where his father, Matt, played in the ‘90s— where he averaged about seven points and seven rebounds over his two years with the Cougars.
Baylor’s culture—and perhaps the glow of Drew’s recent national championship trophy— beckoned, however, and Lohner transferred prior to the 2022-23 season.
On & Off Court Balance
As a rebounding machine, Lohner’s impact was immediate and necessary. He played the role of unsung hero in a thrilling regular season victory over Gonzaga—a recently developed and heated CBB rivalry—with six points, four boards, two assists and a steal in the Bears’ comeback win.
In March, Lohner came off the bench in Baylor’s Round of 64 game with UC Santa Barbara and made all five of his shots for 13 points in 19 minutes to help Baylor survive and advance.
Entering the NCAA tournament, Lohner’s box score stats may not have jumped off the page for the casual fan. Yet, Caleb has found a way over the years to block out the critics by balancing his love of basketball with other hobbies.
“I will say it is just the way I live my life and the way that I found makes me the happiest is having a balance.”
And not just reading or playing checkers, but going all in on extreme activities.
By definition, Lohner is a thrill seeking dare devil. He loves surfing, riding dirt bikes, playing the guitar and restoring cars. Anything that he can do with his hands, to keep his mind moving, that has a clear end goal is what he throws himself into.
“All these other extracurricular activities like surfing, restoring cars, [and] anything that makes my mind move in a certain way. I'm super mechanical; I love using my hands and I think that's why I love basketball.”
He knows there will be highs and lows in any season, and the Bears are sure to face many of them this year. Baylor’s schedule includes a neutral site game vs Auburn (in South Dakota); two top five non-conference showdowns with Michigan State and Duke (at MSG); and the Big 12 slate where they have Kansas and Texas twice and host new Big 12 foe Houston.
Leading in a New Home
Not to mention that in the middle of the season, Baylor plans to open their brand new Foster Pavilion for their basketball programs. Something that Lohner is most excited for this season and that he expressed his sincere appreciation for:
“I'm excited for it and all the credit for that building goes to all the Baylor people who had their hand in and all the past players that have helped build this program to what it is today, but man I'm excited to be in there.”
Therefore, Lohner understands his importance of being a leader on a team with many new faces.
“I'm just going to continue every day to do my best to be the best leader I can be; the best example I can be… my best just to be a glue and help this team stay together.”
Navigating NIL
All of this before we even begin to consider the off the court issues of NIL. As a veteran, Lohner has experience in this area as well as and offers the following advice:
“You represent your own brand… I would say just to be who you are, represent yourself in a way that you're proud of… dip your feet and immerse yourself a little bit and just take every little nugget you can and learn.”
However, Lohner did not transfer for an NIL payday. As with his other decisions to move in the past, he chose Baylor for the culture, the experiences and the opportunity to learn and get better.
He had the unique opportunity over the summer to achieve all of these things when Baylor took an international trip to France. Caleb said the cultural immersion and bonding time with teammates was unrivaled. He also felt that it gave a great indication of how the Bears can have success this season.
In the end, Lohner ensured that he was in an environment with the best culture, experiences and relationships that would allow him to thrive on and off the court.
As a leader, a businessperson and basketball player, Lohner has grown. Now he is ready for one final year in Waco to maximize his opportunities.
Sources
https://kslsports.com/484546/caleb-lohner-transfer-portal-byu-basketball-announcement/
https://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-basketball/2022/11/1/23434544/sit-down-with-baylor-mbb-forward-caleb-lohner
https://byucougars.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/season/2021-2022/player/caleb-lohner
https://baylorbears.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/caleb-lohner/12465