Despite losing Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell to the National Football League, Utah linebackers coach Colton Swan is optimistic that the linebackers he does have will perform at a high level this season.
Most of his linebackers are either inexperienced, or new to the program.
“Extremely confident. I mean, it’s hard to replace first-round draft pick linebacker in Devin and in Nephi, a very successful, knowledgeable, athletic linebacker that’s also playing in the NFL,” Swan said. “That’s tough to replace. But I’ve got some guys coming in that are filling those shoes and doing a great job of it. The hope is not to miss a beat with the class that I’ve got coming up.”
While Karene Reid returns, the Utes have welcomed Florida transfer Mohamoud Diabate and freshmen Lander Barton and Justin Medlock. Ethan Calvert, meanwhile, is returning from a knee injury.
“Coach Swan is a great teacher. You’ve got a lot of buy-in in that group,” said defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley. “Mohamoud is a smart, savvy football player. Karene Reid has played a lot of snaps for us. I feel good about this group. They’ve done a good job of creating depth.”
Swan is expecting “a big impact” from Barton, Medlock and Calvert.
“There’s a lot of experience that got up and left the linebacker room. You take all those reps that got up and left and somebody’s got to replace them,” he said. “So young linebackers from top to bottom in the room have to be able to fill those shoes. The impact is huge. We need that youth to rise to the top, for sure.”
Leading the way will be Diabate, who has significant Southeastern Conference experience. That’s experience the Utes will depend on.
“He’s doing a great job. It was unfortunate to not have him in the spring off of shoulder surgery. But everything looks great,” Swan said of Diabate. “He’s long, athletic and fast. His mindset of football is very good. He’s able to pick up everything that I’m putting down, which is a great sign. He’s got great energy, great body language. He’s everything you want.”
Diabate likes playing in Utah’s defensive scheme with the other linebackers.
“They definitely play with a lot of energy and passion. I’m really excited to join them,” he said. “They have a high standard of how they do their work. I’m really excited to join the group and elevate everybody.”
Last season, Reid played in 10 games and recorded 44 tackles, one sack, two pass breakups and an interception.
Swan has been impressed by what he’s seen from Reid.
“He’s a very conscientious kid. Throughout the offseason and fall camp, a sign of a good player is understanding and knowing your weaknesses and working on them ever since our last game,” he said. “He’s grown mentally and he’s grown physically. His game has expanded. You’re going to see some good things from him.”
Medlock arrived on campus in January, as did Barton.
“He’s got a really good football mind. He has the ability to decipher different types of plays,” Swan said of Medlock. “He’s got very good foot fire. Very smart young man, very athletic. He loves football. I’ve seen nothing but growth from him.”
Swan said he expects Calvert, who tore his ACL in the season opener against Weber State last season, to be a factor this season.
“Ethan’s done a great job. I’ve been extremely happy with where he’s at. He’s had a great fall camp,” he said. “His knowledge of the defense and his physical progression has been great coming off that injury. I’ve been really impressed with where he’s headed.”
Calvert said he’s pleased with his progress as he’s rehabbed from his knee injury.
“Every practice, my knee is starting to feel better and better. I was starting to know the plays a little more and getting comfortable out there. I was out all of last season and I didn’t play my senior year due to COVID. It feels good just getting back into the groove of things,” he said. “I obviously knew I wasn’t going to be playing that year because of my injury. My mindset was just to learn the plays the best that I can and try to help out anybody as much as I can and point out things from the sideline that maybe they didn’t see on the field.”
For Swan, it’s a challenge coaching a bevy of new and inexperienced players. But it’s a challenge that he relishes.
“It’s exciting and difficult. It’s exciting that I’ve got a bunch of tools and I’ve got a lot of really good players. It’s difficult that there’s only so many guys that are playing.” he said. “Being able to utilize all their talents and skill sets — they all have their pluses and minuses as a player. As a coach, making each of them better is my job and it’s fun to do. I’ve been extremely blessed with the players I’ve had in the past and currently.”