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Coming off a disappointing first season in the Big 12 Conference, the Utah Utes have scheduled their annual 22 Forever Game for Saturday, April 19 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
After 15 spring practices, the 22 Forever Game will be the public’s first chance to see a defense that needs to work in several new players after the Utes went 5-7 overall and just 2-7 in the Big 12. That included an ugly seven-game losing streak that didn’t end until the final game of the season.
We already broke down Utah’s projected depth chart on offense entering spring practice. Here is a look at the projected defensive depth chart.
Note: This depth chart only includes players enrolled for spring term.
Defense
Returning starters (5): Stud linebacker Lander Barton; Free safety Tao Johnson; Right end Logan Fano; Cornerback/nickel back Smith Snowden; Cornerback Elijah Davis.
Departed starters (6): MAC Linebacker Sione Fotu; Rover Linebacker Karene Reid; Right tackle Keanu Tanuvasa; Left tackle Junior Tafuna; Left cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn; Strong safety Alaka’i Gilman.
Analysis
Overall, the Utes’ defense performed better than the offense, which was hit by injuries at the skill positions, especially to quarterback Cam Rising. But while the defense kept the Utes in several games, Utah missed playing in a bowl game for the first time since 2013, excluding the pandemic season of 2020, and for just the third time in Kyle Whittingham’s 20 seasons as coach. That was a major step back for the Utes, considering that they played in the Rose Bowl in two of the previous four seasons.
For the Utes to get bowl eligible again, they’ll probably need to rely on the defense to pull its weight while the offense works in several new skill position players.
The foundation is there for the defense, which was a Top 30 unit in two key areas: 25th in scoring defense at 20.7 points and 29th in total defense at 329.7 yards.
The strength of the Utah defense is expected to be the linebackers and safeties, with some holes to fill along the line and at cornerback.
Linebacker Lander Barton, who led the Utes in 2024 with 72 tackles, is back. Utah will also welcome back linebacker Levani Damuni, who led the team with 87 tackles in 2023 before suffering a season-ending lower leg injury in spring ball a year ago.
Defensive captains Junior Tafuna, a defensive tackle, and Karene Reid, a linebacker, are gone. Tackle Keanu Tanuvasa transferred to BYU and linebacker Sione Fotu went to Houston.
The Utes added three transfer cornerbacks: Don Saunders from Texas A&M, Rock Caldwell from Garden City CC and Blake Cotton from UC Davis.
Projected depth chart
Left defensive end
Lance Holtzclaw, redshirt junior
Paul Fitzgerald, redshirt junior
Left defensive tackle
Dallas Vakalahi, sophomore
Jonah Lea’ea, redshirt sophomore
Right defensive tackle
John Henry Daley, redshirt sophomore
Aliki Vimahi, graduate student
Right defensive end
Logan Fano, redshirt junior
Jaxson Jones, redshirt freshman
Rover linebacker
Johnathan Hall, junior
Grady Mareko, sophomore
MAC linebacker
Levani Damuni, graduate student
Trey Reynolds, junior
Stud linebacker
Lander Barton, senior
Moroni Anae, redshirt senior
Left cornerback
Smith Snowden, junior
Don Saunders, redshirt junior
Strong safety
Rabbit Evans, senior
Jackson Bennee, sophomore
Free safety
Tao Johnson, redshirt junior
Nate Ritchie, junior
Right cornerback
Elijah Davis, redshirt junior
Blake Cotton, senior
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