Utah Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate Declares For The NFL Draft
Jan 4, 2023, 2:06 PM
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 02: Mohamoud Diabate #3 of the Utah Utes celebrates after defeating the USC Trojans in the Pac-12 Championship at Allegiant Stadium on December 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY- Utah linebacker Mohamoud Diabate made it official Wednesday afternoon and declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. The move comes as no surprise even though Diabate still had an extra Covid year available to him if he wished to use it. Diabate becomes the third Ute to officially declare his intentions to pursue the NFL. Cornerback Clark Phillips III and tight end Dalton Kincaid both declared before Utah headed to the Rose Bowl.
❤️🖤❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/TBuR0eWzyE
— Mohamoud Diabate (@MDiabate11) January 4, 2023
Diabate’s Time At Utah
Diabate only spent one season with the Utes after transferring to Utah from Florida last January. Though his time was limited at Utah, Diabate made a positive impression on both his teammates and coaches over the last year.
Diabate’s path to playtime was a little hampered to start as he had to recover from a shoulder surgery that didn’t allow him to participate in spring ball. While his start to the season was slow, Diabate became more and more comfortable as the season went on and really came through for the Utes when they needed him most.
Diabate finished his 2022 season at Utah with 58 total tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defended.
A Solution To Devin Lloyd
Utah has a deep linebacker room, but because guys like Lloyd and Nephi Sewell had the reigns for so long, there wasn’t a lot of experience heading into this past season. That is where bringing in Diabate for the 2022 season was so valuable.
Not only did Diabate bring great athleticism to an already stacked room, but he also brought experience and maturity along with working knowledge of how things are run at some of the top levels of football.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports
