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Utah Football: 3 signees who’ll have instant impacts in 2020

By Connor Muldowney

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Kyle Whittingham of the Utah Utes walks onto the field with his team prior to the start of the Pac-12 Championship game against the Oregon Ducks at Levi's Stadium on December 06, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Kyle Whittingham of the Utah Utes walks onto the field with his team prior to the start of the Pac-12 Championship game against the Oregon Ducks at Levi's Stadium on December 06, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Utah beat out Michigan for Utah’s second-best recruit and Van Fillinger should see the field immediately.

Mika Tafua returns at one of the defensive end spots while Bradlee Anae has exhausted his eligibility and that’s a huge hole for the Utes to fill. While it’s not fair to say Fillinger will take that role immediately, he should be able to work his way into the regular rotation.

Fillinger is a beast at 6-foot-3.5 and 250 pounds and he was named an Army All-American. He runs a 4.94 40-yard dash and has plenty of explosiveness off the edge.

The Utes need guys who can get after the quarterback because defense has been their calling card over the past couple of years. Fillinger should be able to give the Utes plenty of depth at end and he may become the best defensive lineman on the roster before long — maybe not this year, but over the next two.

Kyle Whittingham won a major recruiting battle for this kid and Jim Harbaugh has to feel like the proximity played a major role. He’s ranked the No. 175 overall prospect as well as the eighth-best strong-side defensive end in the class, according to 247Sports.

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