We return our top 8 DL, and we moved Blackmon from CB to Safety, so we'll be starting a new CB, newish S (probably Burgess, who has played a lot of snaps and started periodically), two new LBs (but one is the PSU transfer and the other is Bernard), and nobody new on the DL.
Utah's starting D looks like this:
DE: Anae (SR). 2-year starter and 2018 all-PAC 12 player (1st team)
DT: Fotu (SR). 1.5-year starter and 2018 all-PAC 12 player (1st team)
DT: Penisini (SR). 1-year starter and 2018 all-PAC 12 player (2nd team) OR Tonga (JR) 6 starts last year.
DE: Tupai (JR). 8 starts last year OR Tafua (SO). 6 starts last year
LB: Bernard (SR). 2 starts last year at Utah plus a bunch at BYU in 2016
LB: Bowen (SR). No starts at Utah, but started 21 games at Penn St.
NB: Guidry (JR). 1.5-year starter and 2018 all-PAC 12 player (HM)
CB: Johnson (JR). 1.5 year starter and 2018 all-PAC 12 player (1st team)
FS: Blackmon (SR). 2-year starter and 2017 and 2018 all-PAC 12 player (2nd team both years)
SS: Burgess (SR). 3 starts the past 2 years.
CB: Nurse (SR). No starts, played defense a little bit OR Boyd (SO) a converted WR, or maybe someone else. This position is the only one on Defense I'm worried about. There's talent but no experience at CB on the other side from Johnson.