Utah Utes football: Linebacker U. — Team has a squad full of unknown defensive talent

"Nai is the most physical out of the bunch," said Sitake. "I think he'll be one of the most exciting players on the defense. We're excited to see what he can do on the field now that he's a full-time starter. He's an emotional player, who loves to hit. He's a dangerous player the way he moves. ... He's active and has good instincts. You'll see how special he is on Saturday."

Wright, the starter in the middle, is a walk-on who was recruited by defensive coordinator Gary Andersen to Southern Utah and redshirted before going on an LDS mission to Bolivia. When he came home, he gave the Utes a call and walked on, playing in 10 games in 2006. Then last year, he moved up quickly from special teams to get significant minutes with a career-best seven tackles in the win at Colorado State.

"Mike is athletic and has a great understanding of the defense," Sitake said. "A lot of people don't realize how athletic he is. He moves really well for how big he is. He kind of gets overshadowed by the others, but Mike does everything the right way, he's consistent and most solid performer we have."

Gaison, a junior from Hawaii, is the backup at all three linebacker spots and will see a lot of action.

"Kepa Gaison has been the guy who has really stepped up and knows every position," said Sitake. "He came here as a punter. I saw him run around and said, 'This guy moves really well for a kicker.' He's only been playing linebacker for a year."

The linebackers are a humble group according to their coaches, but they're ready for Michigan and expecting big things.

"It's been a long seven months, but now that it's here, we're excited," said Sylvester. "I expect us to play at high intensity. We can't wait."

"We're ready to go, ready to beat Michigan," said Wright. "We're an athletic group, we have speed and we're going to fly around and make plays for our defense."

We'll find out Saturday just how good the Ute linebackers are. The position looks solid for the forseeable future, with nine top linebackers returning next year along with JJ Williams, a starter in 2006 who will be back from a mission.

"We can always get better, but the cupboard's not bare, that's for sure," said Sitake.

Season-opener

Utah at Michigan
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MT
TV: ABC
Radio: 700 AM

Utah's young linebackers

• Stevenson Sylvester 6-2 224 Jr. second-leading tackler last year
• Mike Wright 6-2 230 Jr. Former walk-on is smart, athletic
• Nai Fotu 6-0 235 So. Known for his crunching hits
• Kepa Gaison 5-10 230 Jr. Former punter has made transition
• Mo Neal 6-2 230 Fr. Impressive in spring, slowed by injury
• Chaz Walker 5-11 220 Fr. Moved from defensive backfield
• Matt Martinez 6-0 230 So. Walk-on from Murray
• Lisi Leota 6-1 235 Jr. Scout team MVP in 2007
• Jamel King 6-2 225 So. Knee injury has sidelined him

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