⚡ CFB Dashboard

Heading into this spring, new Utah defensive coordinator Colton Swan was back under the headset calling plays for the first time since 2011 when at Weber State. But the seven-year veteran on this coaching staff has gotten back into the swing of things this spring. "It's a great development for me, and it's been really good. I work extremely well with our defensive staff, which is a huge point of emphasis, and I think all of us are pulling in the right direction. I think they, as a staff, really trust my coaching points to them, and I think that we can collaborate and find the best solution. So I think our working relationship overall has been great. My defensive coordinator role has been awesome, just my relationship with other defenders on the team, besides the linebackers, has grown, and I think that's huge. I love those relationships, and we'll continue to grow those with not only the coaches but the players," Swan said. Swan (and later Derrick Odum) both said that there was one big thing that the defensive staff as a whole wanted to improve upon this spring: tackling. "I challenged the guys at the very beginning of a spring ball I said when an offensive coordinator turns on the film. I want him to see this type of player, a player that plays extremely hard, a corner that runs on the backside, a safety that runs on the backside, a defensive end who's away from the play that runs. I want him to be able to see guys running to the football. I want him to see how smart we are as players," Swan said. "Defense is a lot of running to the football and tackling it, but a lot of what we do at the same point is having good pad level, being able to have that vertical leverage that we talked about, and the inside hands. And that's been a huge point of emphasis. And I think the guys have really bought into it." At the positional level, Swan has been vastly impressed by the progress up front by the new look defensive tackle room this spring. "Coach Elliss has done a great job with a room that needed identity and establishment. And through these last few weeks, they've really come along. Some of the guys have really stepped up. I've been really impressed with the D tackles, so excited about where they're at and where they're headed," Swan said. Watch the full media session below, including Swan's thoughts on his linebacker room and also the play of the corners through spring ball: