This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Utah Utes went into spring practice wanting to know which young guys were going to distinguish themselves from the rest.
Now, with just a few practices remaining, Utah's coaches know the answer to that question.
Running backs Thretton Palamo and Harvey Langi, quarterback Tyler Shreve, defensive lineman Joe Kruger, cornerback Ryan Lacy and safety Michael Walker have been the most improved players in spring ball, according to coach Kyle Whittingham.
Palamo, a former rugby star, has possibly made the most gains on offense.
"He has made tremendous strides for a guy not knowing much about football," Whittingham said. "He is looking like a Division I back."
Kruger, a 6-foot-7, 264-pound sophomore, has been the most improved on defense, although, as a whole, Utah's coaches feel the safeties have made the biggest gains as a group.
They had the most to gain, with no returning starters. Walker, a sophomore, and converted receivers Terrell Reese and Tyron Morris-Edwards have eased concerns that the position could be a weak spot for the Utes.
"Tyron has been a pleasant surprise and has proven, already, he can play safety," safeties coach Morgan Scalley said. "He is physical and fast, and Terrell has made a good transition. We're still not game-ready, but we're feeling a lot better about them."
The go-to guy
While Shreve has been impressing the Utah coaches on the field, offensive coordinator Norm Chow continues to be impressed by the way returning starter Jordan Wynn carries himself, believing the junior has exhibited all the leadership characteristics he wants out of a starting quarterback.
"Jordan is going to be the go-to guy," he said. "He has a great grasp of football IQ."
Any day a good day
The thought of having college football games on Thursdays, Fridays and possibly even Sundays might not thrill fans who prefer the tradition of Saturday games, but Whittingham is all for a nontraditional schedule if it means bringing more exposure to his Utes.
Whittingham, who said he hasn't followed Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott's pursuit of a new TV deal too closely, said he'd heard of the possibility of non-Saturday games.
Scott wants teams to play on a variety of days for TV purposes, which is a different approach than that of the Mountain West Conference, which tried to schedule most of its games on Saturdays. However, a lack of TV coverage on major networks meant many of the MWC games couldn't be seen by the participating teams' fans much less receive a lot of exposure on a national scale.