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About 80 percent of Utah's first team quarterback reps are apportioned for Travis Wilson, the "clear No. 1" by all meaningful accounts.

That leaves what remains for four quarterbacks — not including 2014 part-time starter Kendal Thompson, who is limited as he recovers from knee surgery.

2A • Sophomore Conner Manning, who's whip-smart and well-respected by co-offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick.

2B • Sophomore Brandon Cox — ditto, although a little more mobile than Manning.

2C • Redshirt freshman and returned LDS missionary Chase Hansen, who "doesn't know what he's doing, but he makes plays," Roderick said.

5 • Redshirt freshman Donovan Isom, who has every God-given gift except reps, because right now, the other four eat them all up.

All four of Wilson's backups wore red shirts to indicate that for the first time this spring they could be tackled on Tuesday.

Still, there was little resolution to the muddied picture.

Manning was up first and "might have been a little off the pace," said coach Kyle Whittingham.

Cox fared a little better.

Hansen sometimes looked like a guy who has spent the last two years in Australia — albeit one who can "do the wrong thing, make the wrong read, and gain 15 yards," Roderick said.

And Isom was relegated to throwing after practice.

Granted, Tuesday's practice was the first live work against an experienced defense, and it's common for the defense to be ahead early in spring. Greater clarity may come during Friday's live work.

After Whittingham said last December that one or more quarterbacks would likely transfer, Adam Schulz left for Houston. It stands to reason that others may now be weighing their options.

The trouble for Utah is that Wilson and Thompson will be gone in 2016. Should Utah lose more than one quarterback this spring — say, both Manning and Cox — they go from too many quarterbacks to, once again, too few.

And too few quarterbacks is a worse problem than too few reps.

Giving QBs Fitts

Defensive coordinator John Pease had kept pretty good tabs on the Utes between his radio work with 700 AM and his relationships with the team.

But, still, defensive end Kylie Fitts was a surprise.

"Real interesting," Pease said after Fitts dragged down Hansen during Tuesday's live work.

A 6-foot-4, 268-pound junior, Fitts spent last year on the scout team after transferring from UCLA because "I wasn't happy there, and I didn't want to spend the next three or four years there, and wanted to go somewhere else and be happy and enjoy the game," he said Saturday.

He's happy here, he said, and he's raising eyebrows.

Whittingham said Fitts is now running with the ones at defensive end alongside Hunter Dimick and Jason Fanaika, and that he's big enough that he could even play inside. Pease added that Utah might occasionally use a "NASCAR front," with four defensive ends and no tackles.

Fitts also has a fan in sophomore defensive tackle Filipo Mokofisi, who like him might play at both end and tackle this year.

"I think he's around the same weight as me, but he's a lot faster than me," Mokofisi said. "He can move. He's just good. I think he's a great D-end."

Injuries

Whittingham said redshirt freshman receiver Raelon Singleton was lost midway through practice with what he believes is a minor injury. Singleton, one of Whittingham's "standouts" on the first three days of spring, was expected to return to action if not Thursday, then for Friday's scrimmage. Whittingham also said that senior receiver Kenneth Scott is nursing a hamstring injury and is being held out for precautionary reasons, but as a proven commodity, would likely receive few live reps, anyhow.

mpiper@sltrib.com Twitter: @matthew_piper —

Practice notes

• Coach Kyle Whittingham has highlighted battles at tight end, defensive end, cornerback and right tackle. For whatever it's worth, first up with the ones on Tuesday were TE Siale Fakailoatona (battling Evan Moeai), DE Jason Fanaika (Kylie Fitts and Pita Taumoepenu), CB Reggie Porter (Boobie Hobbs, among others) and RT Sam Tevi (Jackson Barton). Whittingham also said Hiva Lutui is playing well enough at center that Siaosi Aiono may move to another spot on the line to ensure the best five are on the field.