Published Aug 7, 2023
UteNation Countdown to Kickoff: No. 24 Chris Curry
Sean Davenport  •  UteNation
Ute Nation
Twitter
@SeanDavenport

It is a double dose of articles in the UteNation countdown to kickoff with 24 days left, and we take a closer look at Chris Curry. The senior running back found his way to Utah via the transfer portal after suiting up for the LSU Tigers from 2018 to 2020 and was a part of the 2019 national championship team. Curry saw action in nine games in 2021 and then in three games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury.

Now healthy, he joins a crowded backfield that should be a nightmare for opposing defenses.


UteNation Take

2022 was supposed to be a breakout season for Curry as he was expected to compete for starting snaps alongside Tavion Thomas and Micah Bernard. Unfortunately, when Curry received his opportunity, he suffered an injury that ended his season early. From there, the running back room endured injuries and an internally chaotic season before the 1-2 punch of Ja’Quinden Jackson and Bernard emerged at the end of the year.

Curry should bounce back from injury and add his powerful style of running to the equation. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry before going down for the season in 2023, and while his style seems best suited between the tackles, Curry loves to take off around the edge and run through a defender. With Jackson and Bernard growing into the top of the depth chart last season, Curry will have to take advantage of his snaps to earn more playing time.

Utah running backs coach Quinton Ganther will unquestionably look for ways to get him on the field, as Curry runs very similar to how Ganther did in his playing days.


Remembering Curry’s Recruitment

Before transferring to Utah, Curry was a three-star and 5.6 rated running back with Rivals, He was the no. 48 ranked back overall in the 2018 class. Curry committed to LSU at the end of his junior year of school and stayed true to his commitment, only taking one official visit and that was to Baton Rouge. He held additional offers from USC, Ole Miss, Michigan, Florida and Nebraska, ton ame a few.