The top three players in each position group: Defensive End, No. 1 Van Fillinger

Despite being a particularly young group, Utah's defensive ends are a relentless squad of punishing and physical athletes, fully prepared to create havoc in the backfield of any opposing offense this season.

With that being said, it's important to note where each individual player ranks amongst the rest of the talent, and what their contributions may look like for the 2022 season.

Looking back at 2021, Fillinger was an absolute nightmare for opposing offenses to try to contain. Right out of the gate, Fillinger was a relentless beast on the hunt as he recorded five stops against Washington State, three of which were tackles for loss and totaled 21 yards.

As the season came to a close, Fillinger finished the year with 42 total tackles for ninth most on the team. From those tackles he strung together notable performances that included five stops against Washington State, three of which were tackles for loss, making him the first freshman in program history to record three sacks in a game. He also posted six stops against UCLA and was an absolute menace with seven (season-high) against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship.

For his efforts, Fillinger was the Pac-12 Defensive Line Player for the week of September 27, led all Pac-12 freshmen with 5.5 sacks and trailed only Mika Tafua for tackles made by a member of the defensive line.

Fillinger haunted offenses right from the start and not only demonstrated sky-high potential, but consistently got better as the season went on. From week to week his awareness continually improved which only made him more lethal. With his absolutely devastating level of physicality, strong burst off the line, refined technique, and ability to strategically apply suffocating pressure in order to force the offense into making mistakes, Fillinger is simply a one-way train with all gas and no breaks.

As for 2022, Fillinger will remain a staple of not only the defensive line, but the defense as a whole. His relentless pressure and ability to bust through whatever the offense presents in terms of protection makes him incredibly valuable. During spring camp, Fillinger also mentioned that he was working on his pash rush which should elevate his game to the next level.

While there are plenty of guys on the defensive end that could run for Mayor of Sack Lake City, don't be surprised if Fillinger is one the favorites to earn that title and leads in terms of production.

Facebook - @FanNationAllUtes

Twitter - @FN_AllUtes

Instagram - @fannation_allutes