2024 Spring Preview: Defensive Line & Linebackers

Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics

2024 Spring Preview: Defensive Line & Linebackers

2/16/2024 12:30 PM | Football

The University of Utah Football program is officially under 200 days until the 2024 season begins on Thursday, Aug. 29 against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, with spring practices set to begin in March.

As the build-up to spring ball continues, UtahUtes.com is breaking down every position group on the team, with the second installment taking a look at the defensive line and the linebackers.

While the Utes will miss the speed and physicality of consensus All-American defensive end Jonah Elliss, both the defensive line and linebacking corps boast returning experience, in addition to newcomers acclimating to the Utah Way.

All told, fans can expect the entire Utah defense to once again bring the 'R.S.N.B.' mentality: relentless, smart, nasty, ballhawks.

SPRING DEFENSIVE LINE ROSTER
Ka'eo Akana (6-3, 230, R-So. | Honolulu, Hawaii)
Jori Benson (6-4, 285, Sr. | New York City, N.Y.)
John Henry Daley (6-4, 250, Fr. | Alpine, Utah)*
Logan Fano (6-4, 246, So. | Spanish Fork, Utah)
Van Fillinger (6-4, 260, Sr. | Draper, Utah)
Tevita Fotu (6-5, 300, R-Jr. | Herriman, Utah)
Chase Kennedy (6-3, 235, R-So. | Dallas, Texas)
Austin LaRue (6-2, 260, Fr. | Houston, Texas)
Jonah Lea'ea (6-5, 240, R-Fr. | San Mateo, Calif.)
James LeBaron (6-3, 279, So. | Draper, Utah)
Gavin Nawahine (6-2, 245, Jr. | Meridian, Idaho)
Connor O'Toole (6-4, 251, Sr. | Albuquerque, N.M.)
Simote Pepa (6-3, 330, Jr. | South Jordan, Utah)
Bobby Piland (6-1, 302, Fr. | Rocklin, Calif.)
Junior Tafuna (6-3, 310, Sr. | Taylorsville, Utah)
Keanu Tanuvasa (6-4, 295, R-So. | Mission Viejo, Calif.)
Vili Taufatofua (6-3, 250, R-So. | Auckland, New Zealand)
Aliki Vimahi (6-4, 310, Sr. | Kahuku, Hawaii)
*Notes 2024 Newcomer

SPRING LINEBACKER ROSTER
Moroni Anae (6-1, 225, Jr. | San Diego, Calif.)
Hunter Andrews (6-3, 212, Fr. | Magnolia, Texas)*
Lander Barton (6-4, 242, Jr. | Cottonwood Heights, Utah)
Brayden Beyer (6-0, 205, Fr. | Park City, Utah)*
Josh Calvert (6-2, 223, Sr. | Westlake Village, Calif.)
Spencer Clegg (6-1, 230, R-Fr. | American Fork, Utah)
Levani Damuni (6-2, 241, Sr. | Providence, Utah)
Sione Fotu (6-0, 226, So. | West Jordan, Utah)
Kana'i Lopes (6-3, 210, Fr. | Las Vegas, Nev.)*
Helaman Ofahengaue (6-2, 221, R-So. | Lehi, Utah)
Shay O'Kelly (6-1, 218, Fr. | Atherton, Calif.)
Karene Reid (6-0, 227, Sr. | American Fork, Utah)
Trey Reynolds (6-1, 233, So. | Queen Creek, Ariz.)
*Notes 2024 Newcomer

RETURNING UTES
Utah returns a trio of talented and experienced defensive ends in Logan Fano, Van Fillinger and Connor O'Toole. Fillinger first took on a starting role during the 2021 season and now owns 38 career games played with 27 starts. Fano and O'Toole each return after missing parts of '23 due to injury. Fano racked up 4.0 TFL and 3.5 sacks before being sidelined in late September, while O'Toole played in the final eight games with 6.0 TFL (4.5 sacks).

Junior Tafuna and Keanu Tanuvasa are back at the tackles for '24, with Tafuna a three-time Pac-12 All-Conference selection. He has started each of his last 36 games played—a streak that runs back to Week 4 of the 2021 season. Tanuvasa picked up CFN Freshman All-America Honorable Mention last season, starting all 13 games.

At linebacker, Levani Damuni and Karene Reid both return for their senior year, while the Utes also anticipate Lander Barton's return to game action after his 2023 season was cut short by injury. Reid was named Pac-12 All-Conference last year and averaged 6.8 tackles per game during conference play; he was complemented down the stretch by Damuni's position-leading 9.5 third-down stops.

Barton, the 2022 Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and a Freshman All-American, has suited up in 21 games with 10 starts as a Ute. His 34 tackles last year were leading the linebacker room at the time of his injury.

NEWCOMER NOTES
A quadrant of defensive line recruits will bolster the group for Utah in 2024, including three-star defensive ends John Henry Daley and Kash Dillon. Both earned All-State honors as homegrown stars in Utah, with Dillon being ranked as the No. 6 recruit in Utah and helping Corner Canyon HS to a state championship. The Utes will also replace one Elliss with another in 2024 as defensive end Elijah Elliss joins the squad from Layton Christian HS.

Three-star Kana'i Lopes will add talent to the linebacker room after starring with St. John Bosco HS in California, where Lopes and the Braves climbed as high as No. 5 in the MaxPreps national rankings.

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