Usually when a position group loses such a vital piece like Karene Reid, the group takes some time to adjust and reload. After all of the injuries that Utah’s linebackers group suffered in 2024, guys received reps that would have been otherwise tougher to come by.
Led by seniors Lander Barton and Levani Damuni, Utah is expected to have one of the best linebacker rooms in all of college football in 2025, as their coaches by one of the best in the business, Colton Swan.
Currently, Utah can confidently go four-deep with Barton, Damuni, Johnathan Hall, and Trey Reynolds. Kana’i Lopes is a redshirt-freshman that received rave reviews in practice.
Let’s take a look at the position group:
Projected starters
Levani Damuni
Senior, 6-foot-3 and 246 pounds
After a standout career at Stanford, Damuni transferred to Utah and made an immediate impact in 2023. He played in all 13 games, starting in seven, and led the team with 87 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. Damuni recorded double-digit tackles in five of the last six games of the season.
Big things were expected from him in 2024, until a lower leg injury ended the season before spring ball was even over. From there, Damuni made a fast recovery and could have played the last half of the 2024 season, but he elected to take the medical redshirt after the season unraveled early for the Utes.
He’ll be a vital piece to Utah’s defense in 2025 and they’ll bring him along slowly, as he’s a proven commodity.
Lander Barton
Senior, 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds
The 2022 Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, seemed like he was on the fast track to being an early entrant into the NFL Draft, a lower leg injury midway through the Utes 2023 season, ended that season and he took awhile to regain his form in 2024. Once Barton got comfortable again, he looked unstoppable.
Despite his slow start to the 2024 season, Barton started all 12 games, totaling a team-best 72 tackles (5.0 TFL) plus six passes defended (2 INT, 4 PBU) and one fumble recovery. One of his interceptions was for a pick-six.
Barton should be one of the top linebackers in college football for the 2025 season.
Johnathan Hall
Junior, 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds
A converted safety, Hall hits like a missle and has a knack for making plays. He’s the early favorite for when Utah takes the field with three backers. Last season Utah’s linebackers were hammered with injuries and Hall capitalized on his opportunities. He played in all 12 games, recording 38 tackles, including 9 tackles for loss and a sack, along with an interception and several pass breakups.
The backups
Trey Reynolds
Junior, 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds
Reynolds returned from an LDS mission before the 2024 season and played in all 12 games. During the 2024 season he recorded 13 tackles, including a career-best four tackles in a game against Utah State. Now that he’s had a year to get comfortable again in the Utah system, Reynolds will be one to watch this spring.
Freshman
This spring, Utah welcomes a talented group of freshmen, including two redshirt-freshmen. Kana’i Lopez is the immediate one of the group to pay attention and Elijah Elliss has that “can’t miss” Luther Elliss bloodline. Mateaki Helu returns from his LDS mission, while Cyrus Polu and Christian Thatcher have graduated early to participate in spring ball. Thatcher is a four-star recruit, that even if he stays at his current weight of 204 pounds, it could be tough to not give him a role on the defense.
