Once a perceived weakness, Utah's defensive tackles have impressed ahead of season

SALT LAKE CITY — It didn't take long for defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley to give his answer.

When considering which position group made the biggest improvement since the start of fall camp at the end of July, there was no question in his mind that it was the defensive tackles.

It's a position group that welcomed five freshmen onto the roster — three of which, Dilan Battle, Pupu Sepulona and Semi Taulanga, joined in the fall — to help provide depth to a room that lost a bulk of its veteran (and most experienced) players.

There was certainly experienced players with talent returning in Dallas Vakalahi, Aliki Vimahi and Jonah Lae'ae, but depth remained the biggest question and concern.

It's safe to say many of those concerns have been assuaged over the last few weeks as the freshmen class has provided a high level of play to give the coaching staff confidence in what the team has in the room.

"We came into fall camp and that was a big priority, getting that position figured out," Scalley said. "And I'm much more confident."

Scalley added that the room has "made a ton of progress," and at least two freshmen, Karson Kaufusi and Sepulona, have "proven that they can play Year 1."

"My guess is all of them see time at some point this season," he added. "But I would say that Karson and Pupu have kind of separated themselves from the pack, from the freshman pack. Add to that Aliki and you've got Dallas and you've got Jonah, so that's a solid group right now. Very happy. Luther Elliss has done a heck of a job with that crew. We should be solid."

Kyle Whittingham echoed the sentiment of his defensive coordinator, calling the freshmen "new superstars" and a group with "a ton of upside."

Kaufusi, specifically, has even made a push for a potential starting role; but fellow freshman Sepulona, who has only played football for a couple years, isn't too far off, either.

When asked who has stood out among the freshmen class, Vakalahi was quick to point out Sepulona, who he described as a "phenomenal player" and one who is "tenaciously persistent to be able to get to the ball, as well as making plays every day."

"Every day he comes out, he's ready to work," Vakalahi said.

Sepulona said his mindset coming in was that he had "nothing to lose," but that through hard work he had full faith he could make an impact on the team — even as a freshman.

"Just my mindset and my determination to make plays on the field will get me on the field and get to play during the season," Sepulona said. "So all I gotta do is just focus and stay disciplined with having such a short time in football."

The freshmen class is certainly pulling its weight so far, but that will all be tested come Aug. 30 when Utah travels to Pasadena to take on UCLA. Utah, however, doesn't necessarily need the freshmen to be a finished product, especially with three other experienced athletes leading the charge.

Vimahi remains the elder statesman and has been a consistent force in the middle for Utah when he's not injured, and Vakalahi is the one who is expected to be the star of the room with the potential he flashed last season.

Vakalahi had just come off a church mission before the season last year and took some time to acclimate back to the sport, but near the end of the season he found his footing. With a full offseason, Vakalahi projects to be a reliable force for the Utah defense.

"He's explosive, he's bigger — still very explosive," Elliss said. "I think he has a better understanding of the game, so he'll be able to play faster than what he did — less thinking, just react. And very excited about him and his opportunity and just who he is. I mean, he's a great person all around, but he's hungry, and I'm excited to see what he's going to do."

With a mix of veteran leadership and a promising rising class, Utah hopes to find consistency this season as it looks to disrupt opposing offenses.

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