August 1, 2007

Position battles: Manning the line

With fall camp around the corner, several Utah players are undoubtedly gearing up for the fight of their athletic lives. It is undeniable that this Utah team has a lot of talent. However, lack of experienced depth at several key positions casts a shadow over what kind of success this team will achieve. In the coming days, we will examine some of the key position battles that will play out during fall camp. Today we will focus on the defensive line.

Line play is a key to any successful defensive unit. A solid line dictates what happens along the line of scrimmage and can often make up for deficiencies in the back seven. Utah lost a lot of talent and depth from last year's team, losing starters Paul Soliai, Soli Lefiti and Kelly Talavou to graduation. Because of these key personnel losses, several talented young players will have to step up and make a name for themselves in order for the Utes to succeed. Here is a position by position breakdown of how things could play out prior to the August 30 opener at Oregon State.

Defensive End

The Starter - Greg Newman

The Challengers - Koa Misi, Paul Kruger, Casey Sutera

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