This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah received a jolt last season from so-called one-to-play-one wideout and return specialist Kaelin Clay, who seized his opportunity during fall camp after missing spring due to a few outstanding credits.
South Carolina cornerback Ahmad Christian enrolled in January and was expected to play during spring ball, but Kyle Whittingham told KFAN 1320 on Thursday afternoon that Christian injured his ankle "pretty severely" during offseason workouts and may not return to action until fall camp, putting him on a Clay-like timetable to show NFL scouts what he is capable of.
Christian was expected to challenge for the starting job as a Gamecock in 2014 after playing regularly as a redshirt sophomore, but he and the coaching staff "didn't see eye to eye on some things," he told The Tribune in July, and he left to play baseball at junior college.
Utah loses corners Eric Rowe and Davion Orphey to graduation but nonetheless looks strong, on paper, with Dominique Hatfield and Justin Thomas back, the addition of Christian and four-star JUCO signee Cory Butler, and the return of Reginald Porter after missing last season due to injury.
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Thompson switched to safety • What's described by new co-offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick as a "crowded room" is at least starting to meet fire code.
Utah was on the verge of carrying eight scholarship quarterbacks into spring ball until the transfer of Adam Schulz to Houston, and Whittingham told KFAN that the number is now down to six after coaches decided to move Wyoming transfer Jason Thompson to safety.
Thompson followed Dave Christensen from Wyoming to Utah and sat out last season, per NCAA transfer rules, until the end of the fall semester cleared him to play in the Las Vegas Bowl, playing a few snaps each at wideout, special teams and quarterback.
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Shear class • Senior quarterback Travis Wilson is sporting a new look after donating his shoulder-length locks to the Jesse Rees Foundation, which aims to help kids fight cancer.
Travis Wilson got a new do thx to @siale_havili & the Utah Football barbershop! He's donating his hair for @TeamNEGU! pic.twitter.com/B0ZDHcbnl5
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) February 11, 2015Wilson became involved with the foundation last year, and was able to invite a local first-grader out for a coin toss as an honorary captain for the Idaho State game.
Fans will remember that former Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn also grew out a hearty mane and donated it to a cancer charity, in honor of his late grandmother.
— Matthew Piper
mpiper@sltrib.com
Twitter: @matthew_piper