Utah Spring Thoughts with Two Weeks Left
As the University of Utah entered its final two weeks of 2023 spring ball, the back-to-back Pac-12 champs have made good use of their time thus far. An abundance of depth has been shown, some questions have been answered, and some still are yet to be figured out.
Here are my thoughts as the football team hits the spring ball homestretch:
The Utah defense is ready to aim for a 3-peat
Let the hype train begin…
Whispers out of spring ball are that this Utah defense could be one of the best of the Kyle Whittingham era.
The biggest questions really just revolve around depth at the safety and defensive tackle spots. However, the starters at those spots are some of the best in the Pac-12, and those positions are historically good for Utah.
The additions of Miles Battle and Tao Johnson to the secondary gives that group an embarrassment of riches, while freshman Elijah Davis is also emerging.
After the spring, the deep linebacker group will add an immediate impact player in former Stanford star and captain Levani Damuni. Along the defensive line, young guys like Keanu Tanuvasa, Chase Kennedy, Ka’eo Akana, and Logan Fano are all taking advantage of their increased reps due to guys either being held out or limited from action.
It’s an embarrassment of riches. As good as Cam Rising and the offense have been the last two years, defense wins championships. This group could rival the 2019 squad.
Increased reps benefit the young running backs
There’s little doubt that Ja’Quinden Jackson and Micah Bernard will lead the backfield. It’s a 1-2 punch that caused fits for opponents at the end of 2022. Even if Rising is completely ready to go by Florida, the Utes know they can rely on these two in the early part of the schedule.
But after those two…
No one can be faulted if they forgot about Chris Curry. However, before he suffered his season-ending injury in 2022, he was about to take a bunch of Tavion Thomas’ reps. Utah running backs coach Quinton Ganther loves his game because he runs with the same tenacity that Ganther himself once ran with.
The pleasant development of spring ball has been the emergence of Jaylon Glover. After coming to Utah as a four-star recruit, Glover ran for 360 yards and four touchdowns on 78 carries. Those are solid numbers for a freshman, but he still seemed overmatched at times. Glover needed to adjust to the speed of the college game. He also needed to shed some weight after losing the wiggle that made him so effective in high school. This spring, he’s both dropped the weight showing better patience and vision.
Lastly, it would be unfair to leave out Charlie Vincent, who has had a solid camp. However, there’s likely too much depth for him to see any kind of extended action.
A backup quarterback needs to truly emerge
Ever since 2017, the Utes have gone into a season knowing that they’re set at the quarterback position. That year, up-and-comer Tyler Huntley beat out expected starter Troy Williams. For 2023, there’s no doubt that Rising is the straw that stirs the drink. He’s one of the greatest players in Utah history. The full expectation is that he’ll be the quarterback on August 31st against Florida. Still, a Plan B is needed, regardless of any optimism.
With just under two weeks left in spring ball, there’s still no easy answer to who his backup is.
Bryson Barnes was a feel-good story during the 2022 Rose Bowl. However, in his extended action after that, he hasn’t done anything to wow and convince anyone that he’s the next man up.
Nate Johnson is a dangerous running threat who is dealing with a minor leg injury, according to Whittingham. The arm talent is there, but the accuracy needs to catch up.
Brandon Rose has a strong arm. His passes wow everyone at times, but he’s been prone to turnovers. He’s a capable runner, but he’s not the runner that Johnson or Rising are.
These next two weeks are key, as well as continuing to develop and progress into the summer and then fall camp. The freshmen have been given every opportunity to seize the backup spot. Rose currently has the upper hand, not just because Johnson has been slowed by injury but because of his overall experience. While Johnson was making waves in a specialty role in 2022, Rose took full advantage of being the scout team quarterback. That means Johnson has seen a lot less practice reps than Rose.
Whoever it is just needs to be ready if called on. With a defense like Utah has, all they need to do is play smart football. That right there, could eventually open the door again for Barnes.
Receivers continue to be a camp question mark
The addition of wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted will eventually turn into a big positive. He’s received rave reviews early on for how he coaches his guys and how he is as a communicator. He’s also expected to pay dividends on the recruiting trail. At the present moment, however, his guys still have plenty of progress to make.
After being the talk of spring, the first scrimmage came and went without much of an impact from freshman receiver Mikey Matthews. Because of this, it’ll be important to see how he responds the rest of the spring camp.
Devaughn Vele is as solid as they come, and Utah knows what they’re getting with him. Money Parks has a golden opportunity to take his momentum from the end of the 2022 season and run with it. Unfortunately, this spring he’s been plagued by a fair amount of drops that also has Whittingham publicly mentioning it.
While others have had their moments, the Utes need to look into the transfer portal after spring. They’ll also be hosting former five-star Oklahoma receiver Trejan Bridges during the weekend of the 22 Forever Game.
Who’s the center?
I’ll begin this with saying that there’s not a ton of panic here. Johnny Maea is more than capable, but he’s been injury-prone through his time at Utah. Kolinu'u Faaiu was thrust into action after late season injuries to both Maea and 2022 starter Paul Maile. In that time, Faaiu actually graded out better than both Maile and Maea.
After being the odd man out in 2022, Jaren Kump played in 13 games with two starts. In 22 career games, he’s started 11, but he was brought along slowly last season after a season-ending injury in 2021. Offensive line coach Jim Harding is giving Kump a long look at center in an effort to get the five best and most experienced guys on the field. Harding also wants to get more length and athleticism at the position, something Kump unquestionably provides.