Camp Kyle is underway for his 20th season as Utah’s Head Coach. With the recent news of Defensive Coordinator Morgan Scalley being named as the “Head Coach in Waiting,” there’s a real chance that this could be the legendary coach’s last ride.
The Utes were picked as favorites to win the Big 12 Championship in their first season as conference members. Because of this, the staff will head into the next month trying to mentally prepare the team for the target that will be on their backs.
Let's take a look at some key storylines as fall camp for 2024 begins:
The “Rising” of a Utah legend
The intention was to talk about all key players returning from injury, but let’s face it: quarterback Cam Rising is the single most important storyline. It’s rare that the presence of one player can make a resounding difference, but that’s what Utah has in their quarterback.
Rising looked like he was back to his old self this spring, so now it’s just about keeping that progress going and building off of the encouraging offensive signs from spring camp.
A healthy Rising means a dangerous Utah football team. A dangerous Utah football team, means school records will fall as Rising finds his name in plenty of awards conversations.
Just protect the man at all costs, who has earned a place on Utah’s Mount Rushmore of greatest players.
A side note: Utah placed a major focus on the backup quarterback position in the offseason, so that they wouldn’t have to rely on an overachieving and gutsy walkon to step in, if ever needed. No knock on Bryson Barnes, who performed admirably in 2023, but it was the worst case scenario which led to him being the the guy. Nate Johnson’s development was hampered due to injury last offseason and Brandon Rose had the freak injury.
This time around, Utah’s quarterback room is loaded with options, so there will be plenty of intrigue with who becomes Rising’s backup. The options included former 5-star transfer Sam Huard, 4-star freshman Isaac Wilson, and Brandon Rose, who might have the best arm of the group. Can Wilson continue his spring momentum and become Rising’s sure-fire heir apparent?
But wait, there’s more…
Utah’s 2023 season was annihilated due to so many crucial injuries. Along with Rising, Utah played the whole season without Brant Kuithe, who is also on track to break Utah career records. Additionally Utah welcomes back Micah Bernard, Logan Fano, Lander Barton, and Connor O’Toole — all crucial players who missed significant time in last season.
The positive to some misfortune is that Utah’s depth will be even stronger due to players that had to step up and fill in for those guys. However, Utah needs to keep this group healthy.
Will the offensive line be ready to start strong?
Historically, Offensive Line Coach Jim Harding has entered fall camps with the “Best five will play” philosophy and utilizing the versatility and athleticism of his players. However, sometimes those battles and decisions go deep into camp, giving the starting five only a week or two at most to gel together. This can make the unit start the season slow before usually finishing strong. The offensive line requires the five positions to move in sync more than any other group. With the starting five looking mostly set, how early into camp does Harding decide to solidify his main rotation to begin that connection?
Spencer Fano, Michael Mokofisi, Jaren Kump, Caleb Lomu and Tanoa Togiai all seem to be in the mix for starting spots, but who else may step up in the opportunity and where? If Johnny Maea can stay healthy and perform in camp as the program knows he can, that can alter the look of the starting group.
The return of Rising leading the offense should also help steady the line with his in-game adjustments from reading the defense — something that the offense tremendously lacked in 2023.
Defense is elite, but how will the secondary look?
Utah is bringing back a lot of key familiar talent at every position. One question that still remains is the state of the Utes defensive backfield. To fill some holes left by transfers and NFL departures, the Utes have added cornerbacks Kenan Johnson from Georgia Tech, Cameron Calhoun out of Michigan, and safety Alaka’i Gilman out Stanford from the transfer portal beef up the room with some immediate help. Who earns the starting positions in secondary and where do the Utes fill the gaps?
Over the summer, one key injury hit this group, something that should be addressed by the staff early in fall camp.
Zemaiah Vaughn leads out the corners with the most experience, and Kenan Johnson will play opposite of him on the outside after picking up the defense quickly and being a spring standout. After a promising showing during his freshman season, Smith Snowden has the nickel back spot locked down, unless they need to move him occasionally to the outside.
Tao Johnson made the full-time move from nickel to free safety after seeing more and more time there in 2023 as the season progressed. The program and former Ute Eric Weddle are extremely high on Johnson’s potential, as they believe he’s Utah’s next star safety.
After picking up Alaka’i Gilman in the transfer portal, the Honorable Mention All-Conference safety could be an asset at strong safety. However, Nate Ritchie and Johnathan Hall will have something to say about that with their experience in the program. While there are questions and concerns about strong safety, the program is confident they’ll have a reliable starter and solid depth at the position.
Filling the void of Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki will be a tall task for Morgan Scalley but he has a few guys in the mix to earn the starting position.
What’s the running back pecking order?
Micah Bernard is THE guy. From there, that’s where the questions start. Mike Mitchell (6-foot and 211 pounds) torched the Utah defense when he was taking scout team reps last season. He looked to carry that momentum into the spring, but he was slowed by a minor injury. He brings impressive speed and agility for a guy his size.
If Mitchell starts slow, Jaylon Glover will be the guy to back up Bernard, but the hope is that he starts to show that he’s more than just a straight-ahead back. There were some signs of that against Colorado, but that game wasn’t a good one to predict future performance off of.
The change-of-pace backs will be Dijon Stanley and John Randle Jr.. Both backs have struggles to gain weight one year into the program, but are dynamic if used right. Look for this duo to be utilized in read-option situations or as receiving threats out of the backfield.
All gas, no brakes
With the return of Rising, a sudden embarrassment of riches with offensive weapons in the passing game and now proven every-down back, the plan is for Rising to let it fly. It’s a bit of necessity and also understanding your playmakers and the stakes for this season.
When healthy, Bernard could be an every-down back, but he needs to stay healthy. Even at that, Utah sees his biggest strength in the passing game out of the backfield. He could be one of the Utes’ most dangerous playmakers in 2024.
The offense added high-level transfers Dorian Singer, Damien Alford, and Carsen Ryan. They’ve also seen promising development from their underclassmen wide receivers and tight ends. As good as Singer can be (he looked like “Arizona” Dorian Singer in the spring), Money Parks could be one of the biggest beneficiaries to these offensive adjustments.
Regarding the tight ends, Utah’s teased the idea of having 3-4 tight ends on the field frequently. It’s something that they’re eager to test out more and more during fall camp.
While they’ll take it one game at a time, Utah wants to leave no doubt that they’re one of the top teams in college football. They don’t want to just get into the CFP on a technicality by winning the Big 12.
