This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
For as much as Utah fans are about to learn about their football team, the next month will leave plenty unresolved.
That's the nature of spring football: a lot of excitement and very few ironclad answers. Positions won and lost in the spring don't necessarily carry over to fall. And with a highly rated signing class coming in this summer and at least five players who started a game last year out with injury, the depth chart could look radically different in August.
But still, this is a critical spring for the newly extended Kyle Whittingham and his reshuffled staff: They're replacing an experienced quarterback, an all-star running back, a trio of senior linebackers and a handful of standouts at other positions. Coming off a tie for first place in the Pac-12 South, they're also looking for solutions in the passing attack that prevented them from going to the conference championship game last year.
Spring football isn't the end-all be-all, but it is an important step for the Utes in trying to establish what its program will be in 2016. Starting Tuesday, the Utes will be collecting data to figure out answers to these key questions:
1. Who is Utah's quarterback?
Stop us if you've heard this one before: It's unclear exactly who Utah's quarterback will be this spring.
The biggest difference is now, there isn't anyone who has started a game for the Utes. With Travis Wilson and Kendal Thompson out the door, Utah has a wide-open signal-caller battle that the depth chart indicates will land on either junior Brandon Cox or junior college transfer Troy Williams.
Cox is the experienced hand in Utah's system, but hasn't been consistently healthy enough to make a dent on the depth chart. He could have his hands full trying to beat out Williams, who transferred out of Washington and went 11-0 at Santa Monica College last year while putting up huge numbers. Utah likes the potential of both passers to help get its offense going more vertical — a dimension that's been lagging for several years.
Also, Utah fans will get their first glimpse of Tyler Huntley, the freshman who was Florida's Gatorade player of the year at Hallandale High (Hallandale Beach, Fla.). While he may be more of a down-the-road-type prospect, Utah's shallow QB depth may allow him to jump into the race.
2. Is there a playmaker in the passing game?
While the Utes didn't finish dead last in Pac-12 passing yards per game last season, they actually took a dip from 197.7 ypg to 180 ypg. Utah struggled with a lack of playmakers, and that problem doesn't look resolved in 2016 with leading receiver Britain Covey on an LDS Church mission and Kenneth Scott and Devontae Booker graduating. Utah's leading returning receiver is tight end Harrison Handley, who had 286 yards and four touchdowns last year.
After hiring new receivers coach Guy Holliday, Utah is looking to develop many of the pass-catchers already in the program. Tyrone Smith showed some promise last year, and players such as Caleb Repp, Raelon Singleton, Kenric Young and Kyle Fulks all have potential. Cory Butler-Byrd moved back to offense in the hopes of using his explosiveness to get the passing attack rolling. Expect Handley and running back Troy McCormick to also figure in heavily to Utah's throw game.
3. How does Utah replace its experienced linebackers?
You don't just replace a player like Gionni Paul, who led the team with 117 tackles and accounted for eight turnovers last year. Jared Norris also locked down a linebacker spot for a long time, and played fundamentally sound in the middle of the defense.
Utah's linebacking corps will be arguably the most overhauled position group, with returners Sunia Tauteoli and Cody Barton up for first-string positions this spring. While newcomers could feature prominently into this mix, that duo has an intriguing potential, with Tauteoli as a short-yet-powerful run-stuffer and Barton as a playmaker with a killer instinct. Utah's returning depth in the trenches could help cover up some of the liabilities at this position.
4. Will the secondary still be ballhawking?
With the departures of Paul and Tevin Carter, the position switch for Butler-Byrd and the absence of Dominique Hatfield (injured), Utah is missing players who got 12 of the team's 22 interceptions last year. While junior Marcus Williams (five picks) is returning from an all-Pac-12 season and nickel Justin Thomas had three interceptions last year, the rest of the unit had only one. Starter Reggie Porter has been a stalwart at corner, but hasn't always shown the hands to pick off passes. Brian Allen showed his potential in practices, but lost out reps during the season to other corners. Jason Thompson at safety will have a chance to show if his days as a quarterback have translated to an ability to generate turnovers. Things are likely to change after spring, but the unit will set the tone in the coming month under new defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley.
5. Who will be missing this spring?
Among the players out: WR Tim Patrick, CB Hatfield, QB/S Chase Hansen, TE Siale Fakailoatonga and OL JJ Dielman. Those are some big names who figure to play major roles in the fall, so we aren't necessarily seeing all that Utah can be. There are also high-impact signees: Linebacker David Luafatasaga and offensive lineman Garett Bolles surely will be competing for starting roles. At positions of need, junior college receiver Alec Dana or linebacker/receiver Davir Hamilton may play early roles. None of those players will be in the program until the summer, when position battles will become even more clear.
That being said, some currently enrolled players have a chance to distinguish themselves in spring. On the offensive line, receiver and linebacker, there are second- or third-year players who can start impressing early before the competition arrives.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Key positions, new faces
The positions where Utah is looking to fill gaps and who we'll see this spring on the depth chart:
Quarterback • Junior Brandon Cox, junior Troy Williams (transfer), freshman Tyler Huntley
Running back • Senior Joe Williams, junior Troy McCormick
Receiver • Sophomore Caleb Repp, sophomore Raelon Singleton, senior Cory Butler-Byrd
Linebacker • Junior Sunia Tauteoli, sophomore Cody Barton, freshman Chris Hart
Strong safety • Senior Jason Thompson, sophomore Casey Hughes
Punter • Sophomore Mitch Wishnowsky (transfer)
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Utah's Week 1 practice schedule
The Utes are opening all outdoor practices to the public. Sessions typically run between an hour and 45 minutes to two hours at either the practice field behind Utah's football complex or at Rice Eccles Stadium. Here's the first week's schedule:
Tuesday • 3 p.m., location TBD
Thursday • 3 p.m., location TBD
Saturday • 10 a.m., Rice Eccles Stadium —
Utah's Week 1 practice schedule
The Utes are opening all outdoor practices to the public. Sessions typically between an hour and 45 minutes to two hours at either the practice field behind Utah's football complex or at Rice Eccles Stadium. Here's the first week's schedule:
Tuesday • 3 p.m., location TBD
Thursday • 3 p.m., location TBD
Saturday • 10 a.m., Rice Eccles Stadium