Linebacker Devin Lloyd Poised For Massive 'Super' Junior Season
After being much better than expected on defense this past season, it's logical to think the youthful Utah defense will take a step forward this upcoming season.
Following the breaking news three weeks ago, there's very good reason that not only will Utah's defense be better next year, they have the talent to be elite.
Star linebacker and all-Pac-12 first-team nominee Devin Lloyd announced on Twitter that he is spurning the NFL Draft for "One Last Ride" as the leader of the Utes defense.
According to FOX Sports college football analyst R.J. Young, Lloyd's decision to return is brilliant as he has named Lloyd one of his 10 breakout defensive candidates for the upcoming season.
Two years ago as a sophomore, Lloyd broke out in a big way when he was named to the all-Pac-12 honorable mention team after racking up a team-high 91 tackles for one of the best defenses in the nation.
He started all 14 games at rover linebacker, adding 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, both of which ranked second on the Utes and within the top-10 in the conference.
But this past year was something special and could very well have been considered his breakout season.
Lloyd had a sensational year after earning Sporting News All-America second team honors while being named a Butkus Award finalist, given annually to the nation's top linebacker. It's a remarkable achievement for somebody who played in just five games as the other finalists — Nick Bolton (Missouri), Zaven Collins (Tulsa), Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah (Notre Dame) and Monty Rice (Georgia) all played at least nine games this year.
He was clearly Utah's leader, both mentally and emotionally on the defensive side of the ball. He led the Utes in tackles (48, 9.8 per game) and tackles for loss (10), while finishing with two sacks and a forced fumble.
Devin Lloyd — Courtesy of Utah Athletics
Lloyd's decision to return comes as somewhat of a surprise as there wasn't another Ute who improved his draft status more than he did through the five-game season. According to sources, Lloyd was without a doubt an NFL draft pick should he have decided to come out after this season, potentially sneaking in as a day two pick (second or third round).
“I’ve given it a little thought but not too much because my main focus was on the season so I’ll make a decision within the next coming weeks. But more than anything, I’m just ready to go celebrate the win with my team,” Lloyd said after the season-ending win over Washington State.
While it would be slightly misleading to label Lloyd a breakout candidate after the year he just had, it could be a very special 2021 season given the concept of playing 13 games and a full offseason to properly prepare.
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