One of the few question marks about the Utah defense going into the 2019 season is the depth at linebacker. The starters look solid, with Francis Bernard and Manny Bowen appearing to have the starting roles locked down, but the backups are a little less certain. There's no lack of talent, with quite a few promising up-and-comers vying for a spot in the rotation, but experience is lacking. The Utes will need to rely on at least a couple of young players to spell their starters and to be available in case of injury. One of those who could see an increased role this season is redshirt freshman Andrew Mata'afa.

Mata'afa came to the Utes as part of the 2018 recruiting class. Though his talent was apparent, Mata'afa needed to use a redshirt year to bulk up. This spring, the work he has put in in the weight room was evident, and he's now listed at 225 pounds. Though he could benefit from a little more added weight, Mata'afa is now at the point where he could be a serious contender for playing time this season.

Andrew Fronce's take

Mata'afa looked like he was starting to round into form in spring camp. He was noticeably bigger than he was last year, and looked more comfortable dropping into coverage. At times, it looked like Mata'afa was still thinking a little too much instead of just reacting to the play and letting his instincts take over, but that's generally the case with young players. Unfortunately, Mata'afa suffered an injury in the spring game, so it will be interesting to see where he's at when fall camp begins. If he's at full strength, he could challenge for one of the backup spots, and should see plenty of time on special teams this year, as well.

Alex remembers Mata'afa's recruitment

An injury helped the Utes uncover and somewhat hide a hidden gem in 2018–well, at the same time, he was the nephew of one of college football’s best defensive linemen in 2018, Washington State’s Hercules Mata’afa. Andrew had offers from Utah, Washington State, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Oregon State, as well as several G5 schools. He silently committed to the Utah coaching staff just before the first ever early signing day, but wanted to make his announcement in front of his family, on his 18th birthday.