Utah’s 2022 defense

[ProudUte]

We have a great LB room.  Who starts on day 1?  I predict Diabate and Karene Reid.  I suspect that Barton will be in the mix as well.  We have a bunch of other guys too like the Calverts, Medlock, et al.

Who starts at safety?  I think Bishop is a sur-fire starter.  The other spot may be filled by Clayton Isbell or Hubert.

I believe we are very strong at LB and safety.  I think we are pretty good at CB, but lack depth IMO.  I think we need to still develop some defensive linemen.  I think Fillinger and Reid will be good at the ends.

 

[dwainegf]

I count on the Defense being good because it has traditionally been that way. However, I believe that eventually the odds will get us and we our expectations may be too high. Hopefully that won’t be any time soon. Go Utes!!

[Central Coast Ute]

I wouldn’t be shocked to see 3 LB’s start. Diabate, Reid and Barton. Whitt always says to get the best 11 on the field so they could drop a nickle and go with a more traditional 4-3 defense.

[Ute2]

The offense dictates that. Not the defense

[Central Coast Ute]

The Utes have been playing more 4-3 regardless of who they’re playing due to the deep LB room and shallow backfield. It’s more down and distance than it is “the offense”.

[2008 National Champ]

They were able to do that the last two years because of Sewell. Unless there is another converted safety in the LB room, I wouldn’t count on that same alignment this season. His ability to drop in coverage while still providing run support was one of the keys to turning Lloyd loose as a pass rusher.

Many teams have changed from a straight 4-2-5 to a 4-2 Hybrid. Had Latu stayed, I could have seen him bulking up to fill that hybrid role. I haven’t seen enough from Mataele yet to see whether he can take over the role. So far, he appears to be not quite good enough in coverage while leaving something to be desired against the run. But he started as a freshman so the hope is that he gets the 3rd year bump in performance and becomes Sewell 2.0.

[Central Coast Ute]

Exactly. It’s about the best players on the field, not the opposing offense.

[Charlie]

I think best players, down and distance, and offense all figure in. I have seen a Utah trend of more sets in addition to the base defense. More depth and different skill sets play into that. I am fine using that depth to do different sets on 3rd and short vs 3rd and long. Was it Oregon State when after Lloyd went out late in the game we were in great need of a stout run defense more than anything else? Morgan wants to have options when we are getting run on or passed on with too much success. Herbert, if healthy, will be a big part of our defense.

[2008 National Champ]

Best players doesn’t really mean best players. I wouldn’t want a defense of 11 Clark Phillips’s any more than 11 Junior Tafuna’s. You need to have enough flexibility in skill set at each position to counter what the offense is trying to do.

What really excites me for this season is the potential of the DB’s. If we assume that Broughton, Marks and Vaughn are all healthy, that would allow Phillips to move to Slot and Mataele to Safety beside Bishop. With the LB room being a ? mark – which if we are being honest is long on hype and short on experience – and the need for a DE/OLB who can somehow replace everything that Mika did.,, having a back end that can lock everything down and allow time for the rest of the D to develop will be huge. Florida and SDSU are going to test the D early and the pass D can’t be the same sieve it was in the Rose Bowl.

Scalley will figure out a way to stop the run. It’s when Utah has a reliable back end that they truly have an elite D.

[Anfernee]

“Diabate” has me imagining Wilford Brimley at linebacker for us. And I’m not mad about it.

[Tony (admin)]

“Diabeetus”

[dystopiamembrane]

Go, Utes.

[Onlyu]

Diabate could play rush end as much as LB…all depends on Gabe. We will utilize nickel much more in the next few years but more likely it’s an additional safety/LB hybrid type player. If Gabe Reid wins the DE spot opposite Van, Diabate is your starter alongside Reid at LB. If he is only best against the run then Lander is the passing down LB, Diabate moves to rush end and Gabe plays against the run.

[ProudUte]

Thanks for the insights.