New freshman Carson Tabaracci has big shoes to fill as he adapts to the linebacker position during spring camp
Earlier this week, Utah tight end Brant Kuithe answered a Twitter fan question regarding which team or position carried the biggest question mark coming into Spring Camp. Kuithe responded:
"I'd probably say linebackers just because we're losing a lot of guys, but I mean, just like we reload, we have guys everywhere. We don't recruit for nothing. So I think Scalley and his squad are going to get the guys right and we're going to be a hell of a defense."
One of those freshmen brought in to “reload” the linebacker room is local recruit Carson Tabaracci. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, this three-star recruit dominated his senior year at Park City High School, rushing for nearly 1200 yards and 17 TD's (15 rushing, 2 receiving). Tabaracci was rated the No. 9 prospect in Utah and boasted 23 offers from Universities across the country such as Oregon, Notre Dame, UCLA, USC, and Ohio State among others. His decision to commit to Utah was based on more than just a championship-winning 2021 season.
“I really like a good family-based culture. That's literally everything I got here. So, when I came here, there was no surprises. I knew it was going to be about everybody holding themselves accountable. So really good family culture here,” Tabaracci said.
Tabaracci was recruited as an “athlete”, meaning his skill-set made him versatile enough to play in multiple positions based on the team's needs. At this time during spring camp, Tabaracci has been assigned to play in the linebacker role. Tabaracci claims that while he has to learn new skills but is adjusting well.
“Honestly, a lot to learn, a lot of new fundamentals… It's been awesome,” Tabaracci said, “I got one of the best coaches in the nation for linebackers… He's been guiding me through it… holding me accountable. It's been a really good start to the process.”
With the transition to linebacker, Tabaracci should be a natural, boasting a heavy frame and quick feet. However, he still has a lot to learn at spring camp.
“The way like I'm built athletically just helps and then it's really just about dialing everything in, just kind of like unlocking my tools… [I’m] just trying to progress as much as I can every single day. Just not taking practices for granted and just making sure I… make a big jump and learn as much as I can,” he stated.
Linebacker coach, Colton Swan, isn’t the only experienced leader Tabaracci can look to to aid his transition. Karene Reid and recent Florida transfer Mohamoud Diabate are among the many players in the Ute linebacker room that can take him under their wing.
“Coach Swan runs a tight ship and… everybody's got to be on it. You can learn from literally anyone… no matter what they are on the depth chart, it doesn't matter in that room. They're all dialed in and you can learn from all of them,” Tabaracci said.
The freshman class of ‘22 shows a lot of promising talent with the likes of Jaylon Glover, Tao Johnson and fellow Utah recruit also positioned at linebacker, Lander Barton. Utah’s Pac-12 Championship and Rose Bowl appearance set high standards that do not bend for this year's new recruits.
“The bar has been raised. So standards are higher. Everything we're doing is just [acting] like the target’s on our back. So just keeping that in mind is helping us out… The biggest thing is just keeping the core of Utah, which is family and strong culture. I think if we all buy into that, and obviously our class has some talent, I think just keeping the core root of being in a family and sticking together is just going to propel us in a good direction,” Tabaracci said.
Whether Tabaracci adapts to the linebacker role or fills in elsewhere is yet to be seen. But one thing is for sure, the love of the game supersedes any position in Tabaracci’s mind.
“You know, it's all about just keep learning and any spot that I fit, you know, I’d love to play,” Tabaracci said.
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