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This guy at Utah's practice said he thinks sophomore defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei is better than he was at the same age. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be much of a story, except that the guy in question was Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Star Lotulelei.

Star sat high in the Rice-Eccles stands — though not exactly incognito as a 320-pound man in a Panthers sweatshirt — and liked what he saw Saturday.

"I don't watch the offense too much, I'm a defensive guy, so I pay more attention to the defense, but they look great," he said. "I talked to Coach Whitt a little bit last practice, and he feels real comfortable, feels real confident, and it shows."

After coming back early from an LDS mission and living with his older brother in Carolina, Lowell played in every game for the Utes as a freshman — often occupying multiple blockers, as Star seemingly always did.

Star said he doesn't think Lowell is too bothered by following in the footsteps of a first-round draft pick: He's already better than Star was when he arrived at the U. as a sophomore, he said.

"Lowell's always been a better football player than I have, ever since he started playing the game when he was a little kid. It all comes natural to him."

When Kyle Whittingham hired John Pease as Utah's new defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, Star talked to his younger brother about playing for Pease as a sophomore at the U.

"I told him he's a crazy guy. He's a crazy coach, crazy old man, but he knows his stuff, and his passion for football really shows in the way he works."

Panthers fans will be happy to hear that Star said he feels good after surgery to repair a broken foot, and hopes to be ready for minicamp.

Safety in numbers • It either says something about converted quarterback Jason Thompson, or it says something about Utah's depth at safety that Thompson sat atop Utah's depth chart before he ever saw a snap at the position.

Or maybe it says something about both.

Whittingham said Saturday that Thompson is coming along well and running with the ones opposite Tevin Carter, along with sophomore Andre Godfrey.

He added that sophomore Marcus Williams, who played frequently in 2014, has to get bigger.

"He works hard, and he's a great athlete, but he's going to have a hard time playing safety full-time in the Pac-12 at 185 pounds. It just doesn't work."

Asked about his first week at safety (besides two years in high school) Thompson said, "Oh man, I've got a lot of work to do."

Former Utah quarterback-turned-safety Brian Blechen first tried to get Thompson to make the switch last year. The ex-Wyoming signal caller — who played in Laramie under recently departed offensive coordinator Dave Christensen and was Brett Smith's onetime heir apparent — met with Whittingham in the offseason, and they agreed that it was a shorter path to the field and a better way to help the team.

Former Alta safety Austin Lee, back from an LDS mission, is currently the fifth-ranked safety, Whittingham said.

Pads come on • Saturday was our first opportunity to see Utah's players in pads, and we can faithfully report that Utah's players look slightly larger in pads.

You're welcome.

In all seriousness, there was the usual first-day-in-pads chippiness, with junior wideout Andrew Santiago exchanging shoves with sophomore cornerback Boobie Hobbs, and sophomore wideout Monte Seabrook mixing it up with junior cornerback Brian Allen.

And as usual, coaches broke up the action quickly, nobody was hurt, and onlookers smiled because the football field is one of the few places on Earth where a little physical violence can be a sign of good things to come.

"It's a fine line," Whittingham said. "You don't want to go overboard with it and waste too much time and have guys at each other, but when you're competing and you're running around and you're trying to win positions and win jobs, there's going to be some feistiness."

"Old-school tough" • Saturday was also our first close-up look at Pease, who is far more vocal than defensive line predecessor Ilaisa Tuiaki and, frankly, more entertaining.

During one drill in which players tackled fellow linemen onto a pad, Pease could be heard saying, "Too mellow. Too sweet."

"Hey guys, one thing this drill does, you find out who likes it."

"Wrap and drive his ass in there!"

Later, when sophomore linebacker Uaea Masina picked off a deflected Brandon Cox pass and returned it for a touchdown, Pease ripped into his defense for insufficient celebration.

"When someone scores, you go down there and congratulate his ass," Pease shouted. "I don't want to see one guy down there by himself. Big-time stuff!"

That Pease has a fan in Whittingham and Lotulelei, we know, but current players also seem to enjoy the 71-year-old's enthusiastic approach.

"He has that old-school tough," said junior defensive end Kylie Fitts. "I like that."

More McCormick • What had been billed as a three-headed monster became a 292-carry season for Devontae Booker in 2014, with Bubba Poole relegated to backup and Troy McCormick in anonymity until he rushed five times for 86 yards in Utah's Las Vegas Bowl victory.

This spring, Poole has worked with the depleted wideout group while McCormick has been everywhere — taking pitches, lining up in the slot, sharing the backfield with Booker or spelling Booker as the lone back.

Whittingham said it's part of a concerted effort to make sure Utah gets McCormick the ball "far, far more often than we did last year."

Injury report • Senior linebacker Jared Norris was a full participant, a day earlier than Whittingham had said he expected Thursday. Sophomore defensive end Moana Ofahengaue wore a yellow jersey and was limited to non-contact drills after "something popped up that said he can be out here, but they want him out of contact for a period of time," Whittingham said. Ofahengaue had previously been cleared by tests of the head trauma he sustained in a scooter accident last year. Whittingham said senior linebacker Gionni Paul was "probably a week away" from being cleared, and senior wideout Tim Patrick — still recovering from the broken leg he sustained against Oregon — may be able to run some routes by the end of spring.

***

OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHT • Sophomore wideout Kenric Young won a handful of one-on-one battles by virtue of pure speed, with maybe the best example coming when sophomore quarterback Conner Manning hit him in stride at the back of the end zone from 45 yards.

DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHT • As a runner-up to Masina's "big-time" score, How about a sideline deflection and one-handed pick by Boobie Hobbs on a Chase Hansen pass intended for tight end Siale Fakailoatonga during man-to-man drills.

STANDOUT • Kyle Whittingham's pick was, again, redshirt freshman wide receiver Raelon Singleton. He's been a broken record about Singleton in the same way he was early last spring against Devontae Booker, and we saw how that turned out.

KEEP AN EYE ON • Tuesday's practice will say a lot about which quarterbacks are winning coaches' favor. Whittingham said again Saturday that Travis Wilson is the clear No. 1, and that behind them, they want to see more separation. "If you try to give everybody reps, then nobody gets better in the long run."

QUOTE OF THE DAY • Care of The Tribune's Brennan Smith:

Dom Hatfield walks to the sideline: "Yo, I'm about to retire." Two Utah personnel guys: "Why?" Hatfield: "Because I'm too good" #Utes

— sltribsports (@sltribsports) March 28, 2015

— Matthew Piper

mpiper@sltrib.com

Twitter: @matthew_piper