Utes Fall Camp Preview: Defensive Tackles
The 2022 University of Utah defensive tackles will be overseen by the greatest defensive lineman and greatest defensive player in Utes history, Luther Elliss. The former All-American and Pro-Bowler left Idaho to coach a stacked group led by the 2021 Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, Junior Tafuna. The unit will look to replace part-time starters Hauati Pututau and Viane Moala. However, as it seems on a year basis for a Utah defense, the defensive tackles are a deep group.
With the arrival time of Elliss, he wants his guys to be a relentless group when it comes to attacking the backfield. Because of this, Elliss won’t be scared to rely heavily on the depth.
The Starters
Junior Tafuna
6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, Sophomore
After stepping in for an injured Moala, Tafuna tormented opposing backfields. Tafuna saw action in 13 games, starting 11 of them. He recorded 33 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and a pass breakup.Not only did he receive the top Pac-12 defensive honor for a freshman, he was also named AP Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team. The former high school linebacker has maintained his athleticism and attacks with a quick first step. He’s a nightmare for opponents and with another year like 2021, he’ll be on the NFL radar for the upcoming draft.
Tennessee Pututau
6-foot-2 and 277 pounds, Sophomore
A former highly-regarded defensive end out of high school, Pututau has grown into a dominant defensive tackle. He saw action in nine games in 2021, recording four tackles. Other guys on the list below, have more starts and tackles under their belts, but the important thing to note with Tennessee is his progress under Elliss. Heading into fall camp, Tennessee is the favorite to start alongside Tafuna after a strong spring performance.
The Backups
Fua Pututau
6-foot-3 and 292 pounds, Junior
Pututau is a force during practices; his only problem has been staying healthy. If he can have some luck when it comes to staying healthy, Fua could challenge his cousin Tennessee for starters reps.
Aliki Vimahi
6-foot-4 and 307 pounds, Sophomore
The talented sophomore played in 10 games for Utah in 2021 with two starts. He recorded 12 tackles, two sacks, three pass breakups, and a quarterback hurry. Vimahi should be an important piece to Utah’s defensive tackle rotation, as likely one of the first guys off the bench.
Devin Kaufusi
6-foot-7 and 283 pounds, Senior
Kaufusi played in all 14 games in 2021, starting two of them. He recorded 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, one pass breakup, and one quarterback hurry. He also started two of five games for the Utes in 2020. With Tafuna and Pututau’s progress, it’ll take a lot to knock them out of their starting spots, but Kaufusi should be a crucial rotational piece.
Tevita Fotu
6-foot-2 and 275 pounds
The key for Fotu will be to react and not think. Once he finds the right balance in that aspect of his game, he could become a dominant force on the Utah defensive line, just like his brother Leki once was.
Simote Pepa
6-foot-3 and 345 pounds, Redshirt-Freshman
Now down to 345 pounds after peaking into the 370s, the key question will be Pepa’s endurance and conditioning. He’ll want to continue dropping the weight, but if they can utilize him in spurts, that’s a big positive, as he’s been a force at times in practice over the last two seasons.
Keanu Tanuvasa
6-foot-3 and 281 pounds, Freshman
Now back from his mission, Tanuvasa will want to pack on some muscle, but a strong camp could still lead to a rotation spot. Stay tuned, but he’s likely a year away from key time in the rotation.
UteNation Take
It’s going to be extremely difficult to keep Tafuna off the field. Tennessee seems to have a strong grasp on the other spot, but Elliss will want to attack, attack, and attack. With the Utes’ talent in the secondary, he knows he’s awarded this luxury. Even if that talent wasn’t as apparent, Elliss would deploy an attacking mentality among his group.