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There's a whole movie about the position, for goodness sake.
The left tackle spot, often called the "blind side" (if your quarterback is right-handed, anyway), is one of the premier spots in football. You need a guy who is big, athletic and sure-footed.
You know, a guy like C.J. Poutasi.
Unfortunately for the Utes, they can't bring back the third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans. But they do have a couple of intriguing prospects who took a few lessons from Poutasi last season: Sam Tevi and Jackson Barton. At the moment, it's a dogfight.
"We'd like to have it solidified a week before the game," coach Kyle Whittingham said. "They're both improving, but we haven't got a lot of separation."
The summary of the battle so far: Tevi is athletic but raw, adjusting to a position he started playing last year. A one-time four-star recruit, Barton isn't as quick, but his 6-foot-7 frame and condor-like wingspan make him tough to rush around.
The competition at left tackle is very close, both say, but they haven't lost a sense of camaraderie.
"We have different things to work on, different techniques," Barton said. "But, hey, I don't want to take anything away from Sam. He's a great player."
Barton said he worked on his foot speed over the summer with his uncle, and co-offensive coordinator Jim Harding said his quickness has improved noticeably even from the spring. Tevi is still learning the finer points of the position, Harding said, and has taken strides in his fundamentals.
Coaches have said throughout camp that neither is ready to start today, but hope they'll be ready for the opener. There's a chance that both could split time against Michigan if the competition is still at a dead heat the week before the opener.
There's also a chance that if the Utes feel neither is among the best five linemen they have, they could move center Siaosi Aiono out to one of the tackle spots and start veteran Hiva Lutui at center. Neither Tevi nor Barton wants to see that happen.
"It creates a lot of pressure, but it also humbles me," Tevi said. "It helps me get in the playbooks, in the weight room, focus in practice. It makes me want to get better."
Defense sharp again
In any given practice, defensive coordinator John Pease looks for four turnovers and a score from his unit.
On Tuesday, mission accomplished.
The Utah defense was again looking strong in the first day of fully padded practice, limiting explosive plays during the 20-minute media observation session and again stifling the top two offensive units in end-of-practice two-minute drills. Whittingham acknowledged the defense also made several interceptions during the day, including picks by Tevin Carter and Uaea Masina.
While the coaching staff again said they expected the defense to be ahead of the offense early in camp, they're looking for more fight at the end of practice. It didn't' help that the Utes were without Kenneth Scott, Tim Patrick and Raelon Singleton and are shelving Devontae Booker during live work.
As for quarterbacks, Whittingham said he wasn't too impressed: The group threw interceptions and struggled to move the team down the field. He played coy talking about Travis Wilson and Kendal Thompson, not specifying who threw picks or completed fewer passes. Wilson remains the top contender, he confirmed, while Thompson is at No. 2.
One passer Whittingham hasn't been shy about praising is Chase Hansen, who has regained some of his arm strength during the summer. He threw a short touchdown pass to Tyler Cooperwood during the media session, and showed good speed when escaping from a Pita Taumoepenu sack. Coaches are considering what on-field role he'll play this fall.
"There may be a wildcat package for him and you may see that, maybe a red zone package," Whittingham said. "He's too good of an athlete to not utilize in some way, shape or form. Maybe on special teams. We'll see how that progresses."
Butler may stick at cornerback
Cory Butler has been at cornerback for only two days, but it seems more likely that he'll stick there — even though coaches say they'll make a final decision in two days.
The Tribune has learned the most likely scenario is that Butler finishes camp at cornerback, which adds up considering Utah's need at the position combined with the influx of talent at slot receiver, where Butler played on offense.
Butler actually requested to make the switch himself.
"I asked to move back over there because it's a little more natural," he said. "Our receiving corps is pretty great. … I feel like they are actually good enough themselves, so I went back to what I know best."
At L.A. Harbor, Butler was a standout defensive back with sticky hands: He caught five interceptions as a sophomore. Whittingham said his coverages he learned in junior college are similar to Utah's schemes, but he's still blending into the terminology and signals. He also has friendly faces on the other side of the ball: He was recruited by cornerback coach Sharrieff Shah and played Pop Warner with Carter.
Meanwhile, Utah may have more options than it can field at slot, where Whittingham said Bubba Poole and Britain Covey are battling for the first-string role. Kyle Fulks and Tyler Cooperwood have also stood out early. Butler was a strong performer at receiver, even topping the depth chart released Monday, but he said he would have to work on his route running extensively to feel more comfortable on offense.
Butler is expected to compete with Brian Allen for a starting spot opposite of Reggie Porter.
Briefly
Butler may be also looking to start at kickoff "on-returner," where he, Covey and Kyle Fulks are leading contenders, Whittingham said. At the "off-returner" spot, which will more typically be a blocking role, Poole and Monte Seabrook are two guys up for the job. … Utah had its first "double day" on Tuesday, running a second afternoon practice on the Utah baseball field. Whittingham said afternoon practice sessions are not unlike walkthroughs, more focused on schemes, but a little faster paced. … If you call fall camp "Camp Kyle," best not to share that with Whittingham. "I hate Camp Kyle," he said.
Twitter: @kylegoon