It was a bittersweet offseason for Ute fans, as they saw fan favorite Ja’Quinden Jackson transfer to Arkansas. This leaves Utah without a reliable 20+ carries per game bruiser in the backfield.
The 2023-24 group brings a lot of speed to the table. They welcome back Utah’s most polished and well-rounded back, Micah Bernard. They also welcome former Idaho Big Sky sensation, Anthony Woods.
Can Jaylon Glover continue to get in better shape and become a 15-20 carry back? Will one of the three 2023 highly-touted backs emerge?
Let's take a look at Utah's options heading into spring ball:
The Starter
Micah Bernard
6-foot and 206 pounds, Senior
With Jackson gone, Bernard should be viewed as the clear favorite to start and get 12-15 carries per game. He'll also add value with his touches as one of Utah quarterback Cam Rising’s favorite receiving targets.
With health on his side, Bernard will be one of Utah's most valuable weapons on offense for their first season in the Big 12.
In 39 career games at Utah, Bernard has 12 starts. He has 1,208 career rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He also has 69 receptions for 620 yards and three scores.
The Contender
Anthony Woods
5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Junior
The University of Idaho sensation is listed as a "contender" and not a backup because Utah will get the ball in his hands as much as possible. The shifty speedster has 19 touchdowns in 24 career games. In his two years with Idaho, he rushed for 2,027 yards (5.7 ypc), earning All-Big Sky first-team in 2023.
Woods and Bernard could be an elite combo in the Big 12.
The Backups
Jaylon Glover
5-foot-8 and 202 pounds, Junior
The one-time four-star back out of Florida recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game with 107 yards against Colorado. In 22 games as a Ute, he has 922 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
The coaching staff will hope that Glover continues his late-season emergence. If he does so, they'll need to find carries for him. Once thought to be a speedy and shifty game-breaker, Glover has become more of a grind-it-out short-yardage option for the Utah offense.
Mike Mitchell
6-foot 211 pounds, R-Freshman
Mitchell is a name of intrigue heading into spring ball. Now that his academics are in order, Mitchell is expected to continue to put on size to become an every-down back. He's a 10.7 100-meter speedster who was a scout team standout against a tough Utah defense during the 2023 practices.
Remember this name.
John Randle Jr.
6-foot and 182 pounds, R-Freshman
Like Mitchell, Randle Jr. also runs a fast 100 meter, although UteNation can’t find his official time. His teammates describe his moves as unique, in which it may not be fast, but catches defenders on their heels.
Randle Jr. has added six pounds to his frame over the offseason and it will be crucial for him to get closer and closer to the 190 pound range before the season begins.
Dijon Stanley
6-foot and 178 pounds, Sophomore
The 2022 Los Angeles Times Player of the Year needs to put on weight before he sees a big role in Utah’s offense. The speedster has only been able to add three pounds over the offseason.
Regardless, Utah will find ways to put his speed to use as he has run the 400 meters in a blazing 45.77 seconds.
Charlie Vincent
5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, Senior
The senior walkon could very well work his way into a bigger role on offense. What he brought that was so valuable in 2023 was the same skill set as Bernard after Utah lost him for the majority of the season.
Vincent is a more than capable all-around back, when Utah needs to call on him. He’s a dependable blocker, too.
UteNation Take
This is Bernard’s job to run away with, but Woods is expected to make a nice and easy transition from Big Sky competition to the Big 12. The duo should be an electrifying combo that gives Utah different looks out of the backfield. They can also be utilized at the same time together.
There will be intrigue on who out of Glover and Mitchell seizes the backup role. Additionally, an underrated storyline will be how creative Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig can get with incorporating the unique and explosive skill sets of both Randle Jr. and Stanley into the offense.
