As we work our way down through the recent decades, we’ve made our way into the 1990s. The Ron McBride era was the birth of modern-day Utah football. Maybe there weren't the consistent results that the Utes so often produce today, but this is when the seeds were planted and a hard-nosed mentality was born.

Let’s get into the debate:

Joe Middleton’s pick

Harold Lusk | 1993-1996

Before Marcus Williams, Eric Weddle, Morgan Scalley, Marquise Blair and many others, there was one defensive back that set a team record untouched to this day...Harold Lusk.

Lusk came to Utah in 1993 with enough athleticism to play just about every position on the field. He had his hands in quarterback, running back, receiver, and punt returner before moving to safety permanently halfway through his freshman year. It was at safety that Lusk really flourished picking off three passes in six games that year.

As a sophomore, Lusk was 4th on the team with 69 tackles along with four interceptions, one of which was returned 105 yards for a touchdown to seal a victory vs. no. 11 ranked Colorado State.

More of the same the following year for Lusk as a junior. Lusk finished 2nd on the team with 82 tackles and his six interceptions were tied for the conference lead. His overall strong play earned Lusk a spot on the All-Conference team in the Western Athletic Conference.

Another year and another All-Conference team spot for Lusk. He once again totaled six sacks like he did the previous year and once again, was 2nd on the team in tackles this time with 94.

Lusk might not have been the most accomplished defensive back in program history. But despite all the great defensive backs that came before and after, Lusk’s 19 career interceptions have yet to be topped by anybody in school history.

Alex Markham’s pick

Luther Elliss | 1991-1994

Okay, I really, really like that pick, Joe. There’s just one thing, Harold wasn’t Luther Elliss. It turns out that the University of Utah’s Outland Trophy campaign for him couldn't have been more accurate: “A Man to Mountain Our Mountains.”

Luther changed the culture of Utah football from the weight room, to the locker room, to the field.

Hailing from Mancos, Colorado, Elliss was a two-way talent as a tight end and defensive end, before growing into a game-changing defensive tackle.

Currently Elliss sits no. 10 on the all-time Utah sack list. However, between his move from defensive end to defensive tackle, as well as being a heavy focus of every offense that the Utes faced. Two of the Utes’ top sack masters of all-time played alongside Elliss: Jimmy Bellamy and the late Bronzell Miller.

Elliss’ best statistical season was 1993, when he recorded nine sacks and as a sophomore in1992 he tallied 16 tackles for loss.

Whenever Utah needed a key play, it seemed as though Elliss was making it, collapsing the pocket, or causing the key fumble—somewhere LaVell Edwards is nodding to that with his head looking at the ground.

Elliss was unquestionably the leader of the 1994 Utes squad that finished the season at no. 10 in the AP rankings, and defeated preseason no. 1 Arizona. That defense finished ranked no. 9 in the country in rushing defense, giving up 2.8 yards per carry and only 105.7 yards per game. This is all the more impressive knowing that they had to face Air Force’s no. 2 ranked rushing offense—which was also a crushing loss.

To this day, Elliss is the standard-bearer for any Utah defensive line. If anyone is threatening school records or in the conversation for All-American honors, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham talks about Luther Elliss.

Yes the program’s defense has been legendary for years because of the Whittingham’s and their philosophy, but they needed a guy to take their philosophies, embrace it, and lead by example… that guy was Luther Elliss. His presence on and off the field was so strong, it changed the culture.

Elliss would go on to a 10 year NFL career after being drafted by the Detroit Lions at no. 20 overall. A two-time Pro Bowler, his career was cut short after a back injury, while he was surfing.

Luther Elliss wasn’t just the Utes’ defensive MVP of the 1990s, he’s arguably the program’s most transformational defensive player in school history.

Ute Nation staff consensus

Both guys made not just game-changing plays, but also program defining highlights. While this is a better argument than most might expect, it’s hard to argue against Elliss. He did what he did with the opponent’s game plan focused on avoiding him. He was also an unquestioned team leader, while Lusk could have been described as high-maintenance at times—but who really cares about that because of his results.

In our current times with a pandemic gripping the world, we leave this debate with the words that Luther used as a Ute so often… “God bless.”