Defensive end Van Fillinger believes a Pac-12 Championship is the standard moving forward

After an impressive freshman season, defensive end Van Fillinger is looking to not only improve his game and step into a leadership role, but believes Utah should be competing for a Pac-12 Championship every year.

Spring Camp is well underway at the University of Utah and after an impressive 2021 season, the Utes are looking to build on that success as they regroup this spring. As the program transitions and experiences some notable turnover, sophomore defensive end Van Fillinger is ready to take his game to the next level and seeks to become a leader as the Utes defend their Pac-12 Championship.

“I think it was really important for me [getting playing time early on] honestly because I feel like I just learned a lot,” Fillinger said, ”I have a much better understanding of what’s necessary to be able to compete at this level. To everyday practice the right way and to do my job and get it done every day. I learned what was necessary to do that. It was big for me.”

Even though Fillinger contributed 41 tackles on the season, trailing only Mika Tafua (49) on the defensive line, he still feels that there are parts of his game that need to improve in order for him and the team to continue finding success.

“This spring I’m really working on my pass rush and just my get-off in general because I kind of struggle with getting off the ball on pass rushes… I’m working on just getting my reads faster to where I understand what's happening. I think I’ve gotten to a point where I can do my job and now it's just a point of getting my job done even better every time… I need to be doing as much as I can in order to make a difference in the play… Whatever it takes to get better and do my technique better. Everything that goes into pass rushing I’m trying to hone in on,” Fillinger explained.

With the departures of key defensive players in Mika Tafua, Nephi Sewell, and Devin Lloyd, the mantle of leadership is falling to younger players like Fillinger to step up and take charge.

“I’m a veteran now, even though I’m a sophomore it doesn’t matter,” Fillinger said, “I think personally one of my goals is to be more of a vocal player and a visual leader, to do things the right way and have people see me doing it the right way so it rubs off on them. Leadership is going to be big this season… it’s going to take a little bit of everyone to pitch in and try to do a little better in that standpoint.”

The hopes of this defensive team are to outshine the achievements of last season. With a younger core of defensive players, there are questions surrounding their ability to replicate the success of the 2021 season.

“I don’t know if there is a ceiling [to what we can achieve]... I think if we really do everything we can to be in the right position I think we can do anything. Anything is in the picture, Pac-12 Championship, NCAA championship, I mean the sky’s the limit. Right now it's just trying to capitalize on that potential,” Fillinger said.

The defensive mindset early on in Spring Camp is focused less on individual performance and more on the unit as a whole. When asked about who could stand out this year, Fillinger was reluctant to single out any of his teammates.

“I don’t know if I can say too many people specifically. I don’t want to leave anyone out because there’s so much that goes into it,” Fillinger said, “Scout team is just as important as starters are in this program. Everybody is important. There’s obviously players like Clark Phillips III and Cole Bishop that are really young and Junior Tafuna that are just getting started and have a lot of potential. I’m excited for everybody though.”

Utah capped off the 2021 season with a Pac-12 Championship and a New Years’ trip to the Rose Bowl, ultimately falling short with a 48-45 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, despite the loss, Fillinger believes the Rose Bowl appearance was extremely beneficial for the program and what it can achieve moving forward.

“I think hopefully it set the standard. The coaching here is better than anywhere else,” Fillinger explained, “We preach it day in and day out to do things the right way and good things will happen to you if you do so. As long as that culture stays I don’t think anything’s going to change. I think we’re going to be competing for the same thing every year which is a Pac-12 Championship and hopefully whatever comes after. It’s just the standard hopefully now.”

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