Utes on the rise: Defensive End Van Fillinger
With the 2021 Utah Football season now fully in the rearview mirror and spring ball just around the corner, it's time to reflect and review on the notable performances from the season. While players like Cameron Rising, Tavion Thomas, Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell made most of the big plays and helped lead the team to their first ever Pac-12 Championship, there were a handful of younger players who made notable contributions and are certainly players on the rise.
The following is a recap and analysis of freshman defensive end Van Fillinger, his 2021 contributions, and what potential may lie in store.
A four-star commit from Corner Canyon High School, the Utes did a fantastic job keeping Fillinger home as the No. 2 player out of the state of Utah had 20 total offers, the likes of which included Michigan, Texas, Ohio State, Oregon, and USC to just to name a few. While Fillinger did make a few appearances during the shortened 2020 season, it was the 2021 campaign where he really burst onto the scene.
Starting 13 of their 14 games at defensive end, 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 the future, 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. While he and Tafuna will certainly share in the responsibilities of the co-mayors of Sack Lake City, don't be surprised if Fillinger leads in terms of numbers during their years in office.
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