Utah Football: 5 players trending up after spring 2019

At one point in time, Devin Lloyd thought he’d be playing safety at the collegiate level. He was a strong-bodied defensive back who may not have had the most speed, but what he lacked in that category, he made up for with aggressiveness. No receiver wanted to run his way at the high school level.

Now, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore is eyeing the linebacker position and 247Sports named him the Utes’ most improved defender this spring. If that doesn’t mean his stock has improved drastically, I don’t know what will.

According to 247Sports, he’s worked on his ability to diagnose plays much quicker and that puts him in the right place at the right time whereas he may have been in the right place a step slow last season.

Entering his sophomore year with just six career tackles, Lloyd has an opportunity to join the regular fold at linebacker and if he continues the growth he exuded this spring, he’s going to be a menace in the Pac-12 for years to come.