Fully healthy, edge rusher putting best foot forward for No. 10 Utes

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Utah defensive end Van Fillinger burst off the edge, navigating his way past Oklahoma State (and former Arizona State) offensive lineman Isaia Glass and sacking Cowboy quarterback Alan Bowman.
It was something Fillinger has done as much as anyone in college football this year — with 5.5 sacks, he’s tied for No. 1 in the nation — but it was notable because of who it came against.
Ahead of Utah’s 22-19 win over then-No. 14 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, the Cowboys’ offensive line had not allowed a sack through three games. The Utes’ defensive line knew heading in that they were going to face a big test, and after Ollie Gordon II failed to get the Oklahoma State run attack going, the game was on the shoulders of its quarterbacks.
Both quarterbacks (Alan Bowman and Garret Rangel), especially Bowman, got the ball out fast, and when you add in the veteran Oklahoma State offensive line, Utah’s pass rushers didn’t quite have the performance that they usually do. That said, they still had an impact on the game with seven pressures, and Fillinger was leading the way, delivering the first sack the Cowboys’ offensive line had allowed this year.
It’s been a long road to get to this point for Fillinger. After a breakout season in 2021, the former four-star Corner Canyon High recruit broke his foot eight games into the 2022 season, right as he was leading the team with five sacks.
He was back in time for the 2023 season, recording 31 tackles and three sacks, but with the effects of the foot injury still lingering, he wasn’t fully healthy nor playing like his normal self. In addition, he missed a lot of last year’s fall camp with an illness, which didn’t help matters.
“Mentally, it was terrible just because I felt like I knew what I had to do and I couldn’t do it physically, and so it really took a hit on me mentally and I would come to practice and I wouldn’t really get much better. Just I was just trying to get by,” Fillinger said this fall.
After last year’s experience, Fillinger changed quite a bit in his life, eating healthier, stepping up his workout routines, increasing his time in the film room and in the playbook and improving his technique away from practice.
“Kind of just making it so it’s everything to me. Just making it so that I’m fully ingrained in what we’re supposed to do and be more dedicated,” Fillinger said.
The biggest change from last year, of course, is that Fillinger is finally healthy, making him able to improve in every aspect of his game.
“Going through that (injury), I feel very grateful where I am now,” Fillinger said ahead of fall camp. “I feel like I can be really intentional with what I do and I’m actually getting better in practice and working on my craft. Whereas last year I felt like I was kind of stale. So I’m really excited to actually get better and improve and see how far it can go.”
That improvement has shown up in a massive way, as Fillinger has turned into one of the country’s most productive defensive ends with 20 tackles, seven tackles for loss three pass breakups, and 5.5 sacks — he’s had at least one sack in every single game this season.
His contributions haven’t just been on defense, either. Against Baylor, he and Logan Fano timed the snap on Baylor’s field goal attempt perfectly, jumping over the line, and it was Fillinger who got a hand on the ball, sending it into the air. Tao Johnson snagged it and went 77 yards the other way for a “kick-six” touchdown.
Fillinger’s pressure will be needed this week to try and disrupt one of the conference’s best quarterbacks in Noah Fifita.
Utah is tied for first in the Big 12 in sacks per game (three), and Fillinger is a big reason why. Even with the early-season success, though, Fillinger feels like there is another level for him to hit.
“It feels good, but also it doesn’t feel like I’m done. I feel like I got a lot of work to do and I feel like I haven’t reached my best ball, which I don’t know if I ever will feel like I did, but I just know that there’s so much more I can do and I just got to keep going, not be complacent,” Fillinger said.
Cam Rising was a last-minute scratch for Utah’s win at Oklahoma State, with Isaac Wilson taking over starting quarterback duties for the second-straight game. Kyle Whittingham details why Cam Rising wasn’t able to play vs. the Cowboys and what lies ahead for veteran QB.