To play Jordan Wynn or redshirt the highly regarded freshman quarterback?

That is the question.

Six games into the season, University of Utah coach Kyle Whittingham says Wynn remains the primary backup to junior Terrance Cain and will play if the right situation arises. Still, the advantages of redshirting Wynn at this point are obvious.

With Cain firmly established as the starter and likely to remain so through next season, Wynn probably won't get a chance to be Utah's No. 1 quarterback until 2011.

By redshirting, Wynn saves a year of eligibility. He could look forward to three seasons as the starter. Asked about Wynn's situation, Whittingham grimaced and said, "We're getting to the point where in the next few weeks -- if he still hasn't gotten into the game -- we'll have to make a decision. But it's only Week 6. It's too early to make that call."

Whittingham has a time frame in mind.

"If we get to Week 9 or 10, then maybe, but it will depend on the circumstances," he said. "Where are we in the conference race? What is the big picture?"

Whether he plays or rdshirts, Wynn doesn't sound concerned.

"I want whatever the coaches want," he said. "I'm a team player. If they want to throw me in, that's fine with me. If they don't, that's fine, too. ... I'm on board for whatever happens."

So Wynn is an inexperienced player with only a mountain of untapped potential on his job application.

At the same time, Whittingham is not worried about his 19-year-old quarterback's ability to contribute.

"Jordan is doing very well," he said. "He's got a lot of ability -- a bright future. He has a lot of good football ahead of him. At this point, we would go to him without hesitation."

Just two weeks before the season opener, it appeared Wynn had edged Cain for the No. 1 job. But Cain reclaimed it just days before the Utes played Utah State.

So far, he has guided the Utes to a 5-1 record, including last week's 24-17 win at Colorado State, where Utah scored three touchdowns in the final 20 minutes.

Wynn watched as Cain reinforced his claim on the job.

"The second half was the best half he's played, by far. ..." Wynn said. "He's a solid player -- consistent. You can always count on him. He's doing a good job and I try to help him the best I can. I just hope he keeps improving."

Even at the cost of not playing, apparently.

"I just have to remember to put it into perspective," Wynn said. "I'm only a freshman and my time is going to come. I know that. It's just a matter of being patient and waiting for that. ...

"I'm definitely improving. The offense, I know it like the back of my hand now. I'm just going to continue to learn and hopefully by the time I leave here, I will be doing great things."

Offensive coordinator Dave Schramm is a believer, based on the improvement Wynn has made since arriving on campus.

"It's hard," Schramm said. "Probably the worst position in all of sports is being the back-up quarterback because the [starter] gets most of the reps in practice and most of the reps in games.

"But Jordan has done a great job of staying focused. He watches a lot of film and he's a very smart guy -- mature beyond his years. There's no question that he's ready to play and play at a high level."

A new storyline in the Wynn saga developed this week when Colorado coach Dan Hawkins decided to change quarterbacks.

Hawkins demoted his son, Cody, and replaced him with sophomore Tyler Hansen.

The connection here is that Wynn decommitted from Colorado because he thought the Buffs were fully loaded at quarterback. He felt there would be a better chance to play sooner in his career with the Utes. Wynn knows about the quarterback change at CU because he still talks to Cody Hawkins "every now and then. We're still close. There's no bad blood."

But the musical chairs at Colorado leads to a final question:

Does Wynn regret his decision to leave CU?

"No, not at all," he said. "I'm definitely happy where I am right now. We're in the top 25 and we're rolling right now."

luhm@sltrib.com