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It’s becoming increasingly rare in the transfer portal era, but it’s happening at Utah.
All three of Utah’s starting linebackers have returned for 2024, and the group is shaping up to be rock-solid in 2024, anchored by seniors Karene Reid and Levani Damuni and junior Lander Barton.
Like many of Utah’s position groups last season, the linebacker unit had to adjust to injuries — Barton’s season ended after getting hurt at USC on Oct. 21 — but the Utes didn’t miss a beat as experienced Stanford transfer Damuni took on an elevated role for the rest of the season.
According to Pro Football Focus data, Barton, Reid and Damuni all graded out in the top six players on Utah’s defense among players that played 100 snaps or more, and the eye test backed that up.
Barton made a big leap from his freshman to his sophomore season, flying all over the field and making some impactful plays. He had 34 tackles, two interceptions (including a pick-six), two pass breakups and a forced fumble in just seven games before sustaining the season-ending injury.
Reid was a steady force with 67 tackles, an interception and four pass breakups (third-most on the team), while Damuni really came into his own while playing increased snaps from late October on — leading the team in tackles with 87 (2.5 for loss with a combined sack).
Both Reid and Damuni elected to come back for the 2024 season, fortifying a position that has been historically strong for Kyle Whittingham’s team.
“Super impactful,” Reid said about the trio sticking together for another year. “I think it’s really helped our leadership and we’ve been able to spread out and develop the group faster as a whole. I think since my freshman year, it’s been a new set of backers since 2021, and so just leadership and maturity has been huge so far.”
That veteran…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/essentially-coaches-field-utah-starting-231151328.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-03-17 23:11:51
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