This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
As Jared Norris, Gionni Paul and Jason Whittingham each dashed around and through cones in Utah's football facility on Thursday morning at Pro Day, sophomore linebacker Cody Barton watched from the sideline.
He wants to be there one day on his way to a pro career. But he knows a lot has to happen between then and now.
"Seeing those guys out there, it's a reality check in a good way," he said Thursday afternoon after Utah football practice. "I want to be the best. I want to get there."
In the present, there's a lingering question over the linebacking corps, losing its three senior leaders and 230 total tackles from last season. While the defensive line and secondary boast a ton of returning talent, the linebackers who are back this spring haven't proved much yet on the field. From an experience perspective, it's a gaping hole in an otherwise familiar defense.
But between Barton, Sunia Tauteoli and a few others, there's potential. And that, coach Justin Ena said, he can work with.
"I love it: I need to do my job and make sure I get held accountable," he said. "This is why I get paid. I'm excited for the challenge of creating players that can make big plays like we had with Jared, Gionni and Jason."
That's no small task. Paul was a first-team all Pac-12 player, and Norris was on the second team. Besides their production as the two leading tacklers from the 2015 squad, they had unrivaled intensity. Ena said the often-fraternal duo would sometimes get at each other's throats in arguments over scheme or assignments. Playing alongside them and not knowing what was going on wasn't an option.
A transfer from Snow College last year, Tauteoli said when he got the fall playbook, his head was spinning.
"It was an adjustment," he said. "If you want to know the plays, you gotta study, you gotta do the work. No one else is going to do it for you."
Now with Norris, Paul and Whittingham gone, it's a relatively sparse group. Beyond Tauteoli and Barton, there's also converted safety Evan Eggiman, Christian Drews, Sharrieff Shah and Alex Whittingham — all players who have been in the program but haven't yet started a game.
In Thursday's session, there were a few hiccups in the second level that allowed running backs Troy McCormick and Marcel Manalo (formerly Marcel Brooks-Brown) to get big gains. But the defensive line also helped collapse pockets and shut down runs early, albeit without pads.
Returning several defensive linemen with starting experience, there's some hope that the front will help cover for some of the green players in the middle.
"It's not real hard to play linebacker behind those guys," Whittingham said. "They're block-eaters. They do what they need to up front. The linebackers clean it up."
As far as their talents, Tauteoli and Barton have different strengths. Ena described Barton as a long-levered "tough guy" who gobbles up film and can rush the passer. Barton stood out on special teams last year by making key tackles and knowing his assignments.
Of Tauteoli: "The guy's a wrecking crew. He can really create havoc."
The influence Paul and Norris had in the middle shows the influence that linebackers can have in Utah's defense. While the Utes feel strongly about their incoming class, which features four linebackers — including junior college transfers David Luafatasaga and Kurtis Taufa — they don't want to wait until summer to see playmakers emerge.
Neither do the linebackers they already have.
"It's big shoes to fill, but it's not impossible," Tauteoli said. "I feel confident about it."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Storylines
• The Utes are replacing Gionni Paul, Jared Norris and Jason Whittingham at linebacker.
• Candidates to replace them include junior Sunia Tauteoli and sophomore Cody Barton.
• Utes signed four linebackers to 2016 recruiting class.