This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Last year, Utah fans were incensed when one of their two starting senior linebackers didn't win Pac-12 defensive player of the year.

In retrospect, the Utes were spoiled.

After saying goodbye to Jared Norris and Gionni Paul, Utah's linebacking corps lost a lot of playmaking talent and ability. In the spring, the position was as light as it has ever been. But with a host of newcomers and an offseason of development, the hope is that the linebackers will be solid — or perhaps even ahead of expectations.

Let's take a look:

Starters and stats • Junior LB Sunia Tauteoli (1 tackle, 0.5 TFL in 2015); sophomore LB Cody Barton (7 tackles) or junior LB Kavika Luafatasaga.

Key performer • Listed at 6-foot but probably not quite that, http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2411111-155/utah-football-former-usu-signee-sunia";>the Utes still see Sunia Tauteoli as a potential force. In practice, he's fast to the ball, and he hits extremely hard. He might be one of Utah's best blitzers, so he'll be utilized more to create passing pressure. What still remains for him is simply to understand all his roles in the defense and not stray from them. The linebackers Utah had last year were instinctual players who had a good sense for where they needed to be. Tauteoli hasn't had time to develop that sixth sense yet.

Spring rewind • As mentioned earlier,http://www.sltrib.com/home/3703639-155/utah-football-linebackers-short-on-experience";> the linebacker position was light. Real light. Tauteoli and Barton were the main players at the position, with Christian Drews and Evan Eggiman emerging as the top back-ups.

Out the door • Paul. Norris. Those guys had a huge effect on the program and position at Utah. Add in Jason Whittingham, a lot of experience walked out at once. In addition to simply not having those playmakers on the field, there's a lot of "brain drain" — guys who could help younger players understand scheme and recognize plays.

New faces • Luafatasaga is http://www.sltrib.com/home/3501020-155/utah-football-signing-day-surprises-early";>the most heralded newcomer at the position, already in line to compete with Barton for a starting spot. Listed at 6-foot-4, he has length that no one else has, and he's athletic to boot. He had 93 tackles, 16 TFL and four sacks last year at Arizona Western, with two forced fumbles, a pick and a blocked kick. Adding to that intrigue is Davir Hamilton, http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/uofusports/2671494-155/utah-scores-commitments-from-wr-davir";>a 6-foot-3 backer from California who played both ways in high school (he may not start camp at full health) and http://bit.ly/1JUbfEu";>Donavan Thompson from Miami, who is undersized but starred for a state championship team. It's unclear whether either is yet ready to contribute regularly at this level. One notable absence: Kurtis Taufa, a Snow College linebacker, will not be able to join the Utes as planned. He'll attempt to qualify academically for the 2017 spring semester.

Sleeper • With absurd depth at defensive line, there's a chance that some newcomers there could play linebacker in certain rotations and packages. Look for Maxs Tupai (6-foot-2, 245 lbs) or Bradlee Anae (6-3, 229 lbs) to perhaps figure into Utah's linebacking sets. Both arrived physically mature, but needing to gain weight, and may make more of an impact at linebacker this year than on defensive line (if they play at all, which is yet to be determined).

Question marks • Most obvious is depth: If any of the top three linebackers are hurt, their skill sets aren't necessarily replaceable. While the Utes like the freshmen linebackers they have, they aren't necessarily immediate impact candidates. Adding Taufa would've helped, if only for extra reassurance that injuries won't decimate this group. There's also the question of http://bit.ly/1NqtAXL";>how much can they replace the playmaking ability of Paul? While Luafatasaga dominated at junior college last year, can he make the same impact at DI? The Utes may have to live with having fewer turnovers coming from this group.

Forecast • Even the depth chart reflects how the Utes feel about this position: http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/utahutes.com/documents/2016/8/1/fbaug1.pdf";>They've gone from listing three linebacker spots to two. While that may reflect more accurately how Utah's defense has evolved in the pass-happy Pac-12, it also is a sign that the group is not as deep or impactful as the defensive line or secondary on either side of it. Expect these linebackers to play a more clear-cut role than their predecessors — and not getting too cute. Utah needs Luafatasaga to live up to the hype, and needs Tauteoli and Barton to take big leaps forward. Shallow depth means they can't take an injury as well as those other units can. While the defensive line will help them look good against the run, and the secondary can cover a lot of ground in the passing game, it's clear that if Utah's defense has a weak link, it's this group.

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 • http://bit.ly/2aCRQwD";>Defensive backs
Aug. 1 • http://bit.ly/2aKFGlm";>Running backs/Receivers
Aug. 2 • Linebackers
Aug. 3 • Quarterback

kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon