This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Football is a flat circle.
Every August, this is the chief conversation: Who will be Utah's starting quarterback? While we've circled back around to it again, the context of that conversation is completely different. The last two years has focused on if a promising back-up can unseat an incumbent starter. This fall, everyone is a newbie.
That doesn't mean there aren't some exciting possibilities. Troy Williams is on his second Pac-12 school, looking to fulfill the promise of once being one of the top-rated quarterbacks coming out of high school. Brandon Cox has been sitting in the background for a few years, and has a solid understanding of Utah's offensive schemes. The wildcard is Tyler Huntley, a 6-foot freshman who electrified at times in spring, and at other times seemed like a big gamble.
It's drama with a similar premise, but a whole new plotline. And even as fans continue to bemoan Utah's passing struggles in the last few years, there's something else that comes again with every August: hope.
Let's take a dive:
Starters and stats • Junior QB Brandon Cox; freshman QB Tyler Huntley; junior QB Troy Williams.
Key performer • While it is anyone's job to seize, all eyes are on Williams — http://www.sltrib.com/home/3345272-155/utah-football-former-huskies-qb-troy";>who was a four-star recruit when he signed with Utah back in the winter, and is the favorite to win the job. It's not as much a knock on the other two as it is a reflection of Williams' stature: He's been long projected as a future star, and spent his year in between Washington and Utah dominating at a California junior college. He's got the arm, he's got athletic ability — does he have poise? The pressure is on him, in some sense, to win the job many thought he was brought to Utah to win.
Spring rewind • http://bit.ly/1o5nfZn";>It started out more as a two-man battle, but http://bit.ly/1MNmGK1";>Huntley pushed himself into the conversation with a nice deep ball and a knack for making big plays. http://bit.ly/1SOvGmP";>Williams got hurt, and missed the final few weeks of spring camp. Cox showed his savvy http://bit.ly/1S9GEED";>in early scrimmages, dominating his younger competition, but Huntley gave fans a reason to smile http://www.sltrib.com/home/3811607-155/utah-football-tyler-huntley-stars-as";>in the spring game with some big passes. As we head into the fall, Kyle Whittingham has said multiple times the QB battle is in a "dead heat."
Out the door • It's not often a four-year starter walks away and fans hope that the passing game will improve. But even http://bit.ly/1jL1b4f";>while Travis Wilson was polarizing in many ways, there's no doubt he led Utah in many big wins, including last year's signature beatdown of Oregon. Finishing his career with 7,400 passing yards and 75 total touchdowns, Wilson's up-and-down career did end on upswings with 19 wins in his two final seasons. Also graduated: Kendal Thompson, who was a great threat on the ground when he got his chances to play. Conner Manning left the program last winter to transfer to Georgia State.
New faces • Williams and Huntley might be the two most exciting additions at the position in years. Williams was once rated the top dual-threat passer in the country coming out of high school, things didn't work out at Washington after Chris Petersen took over. He accounted for 38 total touchdowns last year at Santa Monica College, and comes in with high expectations. Huntley may have surpassed early expectations, following up on a prolific Florida prep career with some eye-popping plays in spring. He may be a year or two away from taking snaps, but Florida's Gatorade player of the year has marked himself as someone to be taken seriously.
Question marks • Sorry to be obvious, but: Who wins? The Utes would like to see some separation before camp "ends" on Aug. 20. Cox and Huntley haven't really differentiated themselves, and Williams missed a lot of opportunity to do so. Also, how do the Utes install QB runs? It's a part of the offense that was likely underappreciated with Wilson, and it's unclear if any of the three are swift enough to be threats on the ground that will make the defense think twice. Finally: Will they actually succeed against Pac-12 defenses? While the buzz has been that all three quarterbacks are going to raise the bar passing the football, none of them have significant in-game experience against DI competition (Williams has the most at one start with the Huskies). While it might seem like a high-level competition in camp, it's still very difficult to tell before the games start how well that competition stacks up against actual competitors.
Forecast • Let's start with something we know. With three quarterbacks with good arms and no Devontae Booker, the Utes are definitely throwing more this year. Offensive success will be more on the shoulders of whichever quarterback steps up in camp to win the starting job. Cox has experience in the program, Huntley offers intrigue, but Williams is a high-level JC prospect brought in for this job. He'll need clear separation in camp, or fans will start calling for his backups quickly at the first sign of trouble (and might even if he is better than the other two in camp). Look for the passing game to stress efficiency over long shots, completing short- and medium-length passes. Whittingham will probably value taking care of the football as his highest priority for any would-be starter. But whoever it is, the Utes can't be content with a simple game manager — the next quarterback must bring a spark that the team has been missing for years.
The Tribune is releasing position previews up through the start of camp on Aug. 4. The schedule for previews are as follows:
July 26 • http://bit.ly/2auIXBM";>Defensive line
July 27 • http://bit.ly/2ay0GYY";>Specialists
July 28 • http://bit.ly/2adjvQW";>Offensive line/Tight ends
July 29 • http://bit.ly/2aCRQwD";>Defensive backs
Aug. 1 • http://bit.ly/2aKFGlm";>Running backs/Receivers
Aug. 2 • http://bit.ly/2aghgiB";>Linebackers
Aug. 3 • Quarterback
kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon