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Which Kruger brother is this? Kyle Whittingham has lost count.

"Number three? Four? Five?" he asked. "Which is it? Four."

Yes, No. 4: Mark, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle fresh off his LDS Church Mission to Australia is now with the team, assuming a spot after a season-ending injury to tight end Siale Fakailoatonga.

The Pleasant Grove product, the youngest of the four Kruger brothers, said he's not worried about living up to Paul (2007-08), Dave (2009-12) or Joe (2010-12) at Utah. He's got enough on his plate as a newcomer to the team.

"Some of the guys know my older brothers, but honestly, I'm just another guy on the team," he said. "Obviously they have their accomplishments. I'm just building up so I can be on that same level, you know what I'm saying?"

Among the names that really resonate at Utah, "Kruger" is a big one. Paul plays defensive end for the Cleveland Browns, and Dave and Joe both had brief stints in the league.

Mark doesn't come with much fanfare, but he's happy to be here, and the Utes seem happy to have him. Whittingham said that although he's likely to redshirt, he's "a beast" in the weight room, and "he has potential, just like all the Kruger boys."

Mark said adjusting to the grind of camp has been a challenge, but he's been inspired by the competitive atmosphere around the program. Even while he can commiserate with Lowell Lotulelei over having a well-known older brother, he said he finds himself competing with teammates rather than competing with his brothers' legacies.

"We can look to one another, because we all bring something different to the table," he said. "I'm really looking forward to it. I know we're going to have a good season this year, the way the coaches are pushing us and the way we're pushing each other."

Huntley moves to No. 2 QB

The quarterback depth chart is getting clearer behind presumed starter Troy Williams.

Whittingham said Thursday that freshman Tyler Huntley is pulling ahead of junior Brandon Cox for the No. 2 spot. It's a critical role to be decided this week: The back-up is likely to get live reps once the the season starts. The third-place passer is not.

Huntley once again showed his touch in the media period, stepping up in the pocket against one particular pass rush to deliver a big throw to Ken Hampel downfield. He also threaded a perfect 30-yard pass to Caleb Repp in the end zone, but it was dropped.

Whittingham has said that Huntley too often tries to force plays that aren't there, but can also extend plays with his athletic ability. On Thursday, he made it seem that the coaching staff was willing to risk Huntley's mistakes to gamble on his potential.

"He's a smart guy," Whittingham said. "He understands the mistakes he's making, he understands what he needs to do better and where he needs to focus, and what exactly he needs to work on."

SUU prep

With positions "90 percent" settled according to Whittingham, there's another question lingering: When does the preparation for Southern Utah start?

That begins Monday, Whittingham said. While the Utes have started to solidify positions and form scout teams, there hasn't been explicit focus on preparing for Utah's Sept. 1 home opener. It will be the team's first meeting with the Thunderbirds ever.

The Utes are 5-0 against FCS teams under Whittingham.

Twitter: @kylegoon