Curry Finds New Home in Utah Backfield
No doubt existed in Chris Curry’s mind where he belonged once he left LSU and entered the transfer portal. Curry saw what Utah offered him and quickly realized he had found a second home with the Utes.
A home where he could reach his full potential as a running back. A home tailor-made for his special set of skills.
“I feel great about the season coming up,” said Curry. “I feel like I fit the running scheme. Everybody (in the running back room) fits the running scheme, but seeing all the guys that came before me, my mind is just going all over the place. The sky's the limit.”
Curry entered Utah’s fall camp as one of four running backs battling to emerge as the team’s lead back this season. The sophomore spent three years in LSU’s backfield before entering the transfer portal following the 2020 season.
He showed flashes of potential during his time with the Tigers. Curry ran for 90 yards on 16 carries in the 2019 Peach Bowl. His effort helped LSU dismantle Oklahoma 63-28. The Tigers eventually claimed a national championship after beating Clemson 42-25 in the title game—a game in which he started.
After helping LSU climb to the top of college football’s highest mountain, Curry wants to play a role in guiding Utah to that same towering peak.
“Not too many people can say they won a national championship,” said Curry. "I'm trying to do that here. I'm trying to do that here for sure.”
Curry did not get a chance to really tap into his full potential while at LSU.
He entered last season atop the depth chart on the heels of that memorable Peach Bowl performance. But Curry missed his second game against Vanderbilt with an undisclosed illness. He quickly fell behind Tyrion Davis-Price and John Emery on the depth chart. Aside from tallying 64 yards on 17 carries against Florida late in the season, Curry did not play a significant role for the Tigers the rest of the fall.
Curry is confident things will be different in the backfield at Utah. He credits Utes running backs coach Kiel McDonald for seeing his potential and doing an amazing job of recruiting him. Once McDonald entered the picture, Utah stood apart from the other schools pursuing him.
“He made me feel like I was one of his sons,” said Curry. “Not just a player. It's more than just a player. It's a family aspect.”
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham described Curry as “a bigger back” in the same mold as fellow sophomore Tavion Thomas. In other words, a physical runner who relies on overpowering defenders to move the chains.
Employing a power-running bruising style suits Curry just fine. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, he possesses the same build as a prototypical Utah back from recent seasons. And to join the elite company of those past rushers, he knows exactly what is required of him to flourish within the Ute offense.
“You have to be a warrior,” said Curry.