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Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham looks on during season-opening victory over Florida in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. The Utes open spring camp Tuesday, March 12. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
It’s about that time.
Next week, Utah will head out onto the field at the Spence and Cleone Eccles Football Center for the first of 15 spring practices, giving coaches their first look at the 2024 team as it enters its inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference.
Here are four storylines to watch for as the Utes get underway with spring practices on Tuesday, ending on April 13 with the annual “22 Forever” spring game at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The backup quarterback race
University of Utah Athletics
Sophomore quarterback Brandon Rose has a big opportunity as the Utes begin spring ball. The three-star recruit has been at Utah for two seasons, sticking it out while running the scout team even as just about every other quarterback around him opted to transfer.
While the starting job obviously belongs to Cam Rising, this spring is going to provide an excellent idea of who his backup could be, and as we learned last season, having a good backup quarterback — especially in the transfer portal era — is very valuable.
Rose wasn’t deemed ready to play by Utah’s coaching staff last season, and even as Nate Johnson entered the transfer portal and Bryson Barnes struggled down the stretch, including in the Las Vegas Bowl, Rose didn’t see the field.
The arm talent is there for Rose — he completed 19 of 24 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown in last year’s spring game — and with another season under his belt, he’s the favorite to win the backup job.
It’s unclear how much Isaac Wilson, the four-star freshman and Corner Canyon phenom, will participate in the spring. Wilson told the Deseret News in December…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/four-storylines-entering-utah-spring-180000390.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-03-08 18:00:00
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