Playing on special teams his true freshman year, linebacker Cody Barton was thrust into a starting role during his sophomore campaign. The 2016 season was filled with some growing pains for Barton: He began the year as a starter, only to see reps slowly taken away from him from junior college transfer Kavika Luafatasaga.

The hard-hitting Barton also had a setback during the Oregon game, in which he broke his collarbone. Surgery was needed to repair the damage, though that hasn't stopped the physically gifted Barton from seeing time on the field this spring camp.

“I’m feeling healthy and it’s good to be back on the field,” said Barton.

Barton played in 11 games for the Utes and received five starts before his season-ending injury. In the same Oregon game he had a career high 20 tackles – something that hadn’t been done since 1991 for the Utes.

Once he became a spectator, however, he had to learn how to become a more vocal leader for his team. This was evident during the first day of spring camp: Barton was seen picking up his fellow linebackers and directing the younger guys.

“With good example and good leadership, they’ll preform," said Barton. “Obviously they’ll be a little green because they don’t have the experience we’ve got. But just learning by example it’s going to help them a lot.”

In 2016, the Utes had to replace one hundred percent of linebacker reps with the departures of Gionni Paul, Jared Norris, and Jason Whittingham. As the 2017 season approaches, the Utes will be replacing exactly zero percent of reps. The year of added experience, according to Barton, has helped him not only become a better linebacker, but a better teammate.

“Last year coming in I had zero reps on defense," said Barton. “But after a whole year of getting experience, learning the game, learning to play linebacker and how it works, this year coming in now that I know what I know, getting that experience, it helps me become a better leader and be an example to show some of the other guys how to play.”

Last season, the linebackers arguably under-performed expectations. With added experience and a chip on his shoulder, Cody Barton looks to make his group, the "Kongo," a strength of the Utah defense.