Utah Utes football: Coaches feel good about linebacker mix

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake could have hit the panic button.

The Utes lost all three of last season's starting linebackers to graduation. Stevenson Sylvester, Mike Wright and Kepa Gaison combined for a whopping 204 tackles in 2009. They also teamed for 17.5 tackles-for-loss, seven sacks, four pass breakups, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

The trio left a sizable void, obviously, in Utah's defense.

Even so, Sitake isn't fretting. That's because he's got more manpower at the position this year. The cast of projected contributors includes senior Chad Manis; juniors J.J. Williams, Matt Martinez, Chaz Walker and Jamel King; sophomore Boo Andersen; and highly touted freshman V.J. Fehoko.

"I know it's weird replacing three starters and then having seven guys that you feel comfortable with doing that," said Sitake, who explained that the players know the system well and are very talented. "There's a lot of mix and match we can do and so I feel really good about the group."

So, too, does head coach Kyle Whittingham.

"It'll be by committee," he said. "We just have a group of 5 or 6 guys that are going to get it done for us."

The players, Whittingham explained, know each of the three spots (rover, middle and stud) and are interchangeable.

Such versatility is expected to pay off this fall.

"Right now we have a corps," Sitake said. "I think we have seven guys we can mix in there and I feel comfortable with any of the guys starting."

Regardless of who does, he explained, a lot of the linebackers will see action.

"It's really helpful when you have guys that just really care about the team, more than anything and about the unit and the position group," Sitake said. "We have a bunch of guys that can play. It's just great having guys around that really care for each other and are generally interested in making the other person better."

And that's the case according to Martinez and Walker, who currently share the top spot on the depth chart at middle linebacker.

"Whatever makes the team better I'll do no matter what," Martinez said. "If it's being a full-time guy, if it's anything."

Walker has similar thoughts.

"Whatever makes the team better," he said.