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It was a unit so dangerous, it threatened to overtake the defensive line's claim to its own moniker.

"Pick Lake City" became a big thing last year after the Utes racked up 22 interceptions, twice as many as opponents. Five Utes had three picks or more last season, and three of them return to the defense led by all-Pac-12 safety Marcus Williams.

Down the depth chart, even the backups were playing last year. Andre Godfrey, Jason Thompson, Brian Allen and Boobie Hobbs all have significant game experience.

What could go wrong?

Starters and stats • Senior CB Reggie Porter (38 tackles, 11 break-ups in 2015); senior CB Dominique Hatfield (33 tackles, 4 INTs); senior nickel back Justin Thomas (48 tackles, 3 INTs); junior S Marcus Williams (66 tackles, 5 INTs); sophomore safety Chase Hansen (17 tackles, 1 forced fumble).

Key performer • Not to confuse "key" with "star," there's going to be a lot of pressure on Hansen to shine to his considerable hype. He made the switch last season to safety after getting long looks at quarterback, in part because he's big, fleet-footed and can hit hard.http://bit.ly/1MEADZy";> The one game he started, he wowed and led the team in tackles, but suffered a season-ending injury in the final play of the game. So Hansen will have to show improvement in his second year at the position — the only new regular starter in the entire secondary — while coming back from his injury. Knowing Hansen, he won't shrink from that opportunity, but it won't be a cakewalk.

Spring rewind •http://bit.ly/1O9yuqo";> Safeties coach Morgan Scalley became defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley. Some key figures were missing this spring, including Hansen and Hatfield (shoulder surgery).http://www.sltrib.com/home/3706904-155/utah-football-new-position-coach-guy";> Cory Butler-Byrd made the full switch to receiver after playing a little both ways last year. http://bit.ly/205T563";>Hatfield's legal issues came to an end, pending the completion of his court agreement.

Out the door • http://bit.ly/1LjhNuz";>The secondary lost its "uncle," Tevin Carter, who went out on top as the MVP of the Las Vegas Bowl. He was Utah's 4th leading tackler last year (56). Butler-Byrd, who had three picks last year, is also done in the secondary as the Utes try to figure out how to use him in the offense.

New faces • The Utes signed some promising new talent in the secondary: http://bit.ly/1Tr4fkk";>San Diego corner Terrell Burgess and http://bit.ly/1TmkI9q";>Houston corner Nygel King. They might be a year from getting into the rotation regularly, but with so many graduations coming next year, they appear to be the future there.

Sleeper • It's been tough for Brian Allen to crack into the rotation against two very good corners the last two years, but the http://www.sltrib.com/home/3743902-155/utah-football-quarterback-battle-continues-despite";>long-levered defensive back has come a long way since switching over from receiver. Younger teammates identify him as a vocal leader, and he shows in practice that he can get interceptions. With his length and ball skills, he has a chance to be an important rotation player, or a starter under the right conditions.

Question marks • Porter and Hatfield were solid last season, but they're always giving up a few inches to the biggest receivers in the league (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILAV4LPpjSE";>see: Smith-Schuster, Juju). Later in the season, the secondary had some letdowns against Arizona and BYU, giving up 300 passing yards to both teams. While Utah had the league's third-best pass efficiency defense, they also gave up a lot of passing yards (258 per game). Also, between Porter, Hansen and Hatfield, there's quite a bit of injury history back there.

Forecast • You can't really ask for more experience. Williams is a star. Porter, Hatfield and Thomas are proven starters, despite being undersized. Whittingham touts Hansen's NFL potential. Along with defensive line, this looks to be the most complete unit on the team. Even injury should have limited impact on the effectiveness of the unit, as just about everyone has experience. It remains to be seen what influence Scalley's coaching will have on the overall defense — the Utes may be more aggressive than they were last year with pressure. It's also worth noting that playing behind less experienced linebackers means that the defensive backs will likely need to help in run defense support and corral rushers that squeeze through. Another unit the Utes have spent a lot of time developing (four multi-year starters), this should help the defense retain its fearsome reputation another year.

The Tribune is releasing position previews up through the start of camp on Aug. 4. The schedule for previews are as follows:

July 26 • http://bit.ly/2auIXBM";>Defensive line
July 27 • http://bit.ly/2ay0GYY";>Specialists
July 28 • http://bit.ly/2adjvQW";>Offensive line/Tight ends
July 29 • Defensive backs
Aug. 1 • Running backs/Receivers
Aug. 2 • Linebackers
Aug. 3 • Quarterback

kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon