It’s damn near impossible to replace an All-American and an All-Conference performer, but don’t tell that to Utah linebackers coach Colton Swan. The highly-respected backers coach has an embarrassment of riches heading into the 2022 season, although it’s all hype until this group performs on the big stage.

Fortunately for the group, they received a big transfer pickup in Mohamoud Diabate, to go along with two ridiculously good years of recruiting at the position. Combine all of those ingredients together to go along with Swan’s coaching and the expectations are justifiably high. Early on, it could be safe to say that four guys are fighting for the two starting positions.

The Contenders

Mohamoud Diabete

6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Senior

Diabate played in 37 games with 17 starts at the University of Florida from 2019-21. He has 176 career total tackles (14.0 TFL, 6.0 sacks), three forced fumble, two PBUs, 1 INT. He transferred to Utah just after the season, but sat out spring ball due to recent surgery. Now fully recovered, Diabate is expected to fill up the stat sheet and bring an edge to Utah’s defense with his intensity on the field.

Lander Barton

6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Freshman

The highly-converted legacy-Ute has done nothing but impress ever since he arrived on campus for spring ball. He’ll be a mainstay in the linebacker rotation from day one, as he plays the game wise beyond his years. He’s a special talent.

Karene Reid

6-foot and 227 pounds, Sophomore

Reid is a one-time Utah State commit who added over 30 pounds from his senior year of high school to when he got off his mission. He then chose to walk-on at Utah, where he eventually earned a scholarship. He played in 10 games in 2021, tallying a career-high of 15 tackles against Washington State. While most of the talk will be on Diabate and Barton, don’t sleep on Reid who is rock-solid and also has a bright future. If he’s not starting, he’s the first one off the bench in Utah’s two-linebacker schemes.

Justin Medlock

6-foot and 220 pounds, Freshman

After arriving early for spring ball, Medlock immediately impressed, giving the program flashbacks to former Ute, Gionni Paul. Medlock brings hard hitting and a ton of athleticism to the linebacker position. He’ll be looked at to make an immediate impact in the rotation.

The Depth

Ethan Calvert

6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, Redshirt-Freshman

Calvert played in one game in 2021 before a season-ending injury. While he’s improving, he's not expected to be at 100% before the season starts. The former four-star recruit could work his way into the rotation by mid to end of season, though. There’s still a lot of high expectations for him.

Josh Calvert

6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Sophomore

Josh, the older brother of Ethan, played in one game, in 2021 after transferring from Washington where he redshirted 2019 and did not play in 2020. Like Ethan, Josh was a promising prospect who has battled injuries.

Hayden Furey

6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, Junior

Furry has played in 17 games as a Ute, starting four games in 2021. He finished the season with 13 tackles, two tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. He’s a high IQ football player who just makes plays.

Andrew Mata’afa

6-foot-3 and 221 pounds, Junior

He’s played in 25 games, mostly on special teams. Despite not having a ton of experience since arriving in 2018, Mata’afa is looked at as a valuable leader for the young group.

Mason Tufaga

6-foot-1 and 232 pounds, Redshirt-Freshman

Tufaga is another of Utah’s highly-coveted linebacker group from their 2021 class. He’s one of the bigger built backers of the group, Now, he’ll just need to show that he’s ready for key rotation reps.

UteNation Take

Early on, the two-deep should be expected to consist of a combination of Mohamoud Diabate, Lander Barton, Karene Reid, and Justin Medlock. Once healthy, Ethan Calvert should factor into the equation. This group is stacked and it’s very likely that all listed will be called on in crucial moments for 2022.