How Utah will compensate for the loss of Weddle

ON OFFENSE: Weddle saw action at quarterback and running back during his career at Utah. As a senior, he rushed for five scores and threw a touchdown pass. Weddle's greatest contribution on offense, though, may have been his athleticism and unpredictability. The versatile defensive back and part-time weapon on offense caught opposing defenses off guard to the tune of 203 yards rushing on 44 carries last season. As a passer, Weddle was 2-of-4 for 43 yards. Fortunately for the Utes, they have quarterback Brian Johnson to offset the loss of Weddle. Johnson's ability to successfully run and/or pass the football should pay dividends. He was out last season while recovering from knee surgery.

ON DEFENSE: How good was Weddle? Good enough to earn MWC defensive player of the year honors twice. All-America recognition followed the second time around after Weddle led the league with seven interceptions in 2006. He returned two of the picks for touchdowns and also scored on a fumble recovery. Weddle, a defensive back who played both cornerback and safety, finished his career at Utah with 277 tackles (165 solo) and 18 interceptions. Finding a replacement won't be easy. It may be impossible. To counter the loss, Utah is taking a team approach to filling the vacancy. Simply put, several players will need to step up.

ON SPECIAL TEAMS: It's hard to believe how many roles Weddle filled. His special teams resume, alone, is lengthy and impressive. During his time at Utah, Weddle saw action at holder, kick returner, punt returner and on both coverage teams. As is the case on defense, the Utes have enlisted several players to fill the roles Weddle took on during his career. A willingness to help the team in any way possible, coupled with the athleticism and knowledge to do the job, made him a triple threat — a force to reckon with on offense, defense and special teams.