Spring football is over, and now the long summer months await us before we get to see the team again in fall camp. Although we didn't get to see nearly as much of the team this year as we have in years past, the scrimmages, and to some extent, the spring game, gave us an idea of what to expect going in to next season. Overall the team looks pretty solid, although there are still some question marks heading into the summer. Here are my grades for each position group, based on what I was able to observe.
QBs- B+
Utah has very good depth at QB, and all three looked pretty good throughout camp. Although a starter has not officially been named, it seems as if Troy Williams is still in the driver's seat. The quarterbacks seem to have done a pretty good job of picking up the new offense, and while I really wanted to give this position group an A grade simply due to the depth and talent there, the fact remains that Huntley and Bateman remain mostly unproven in actual games. If they continue to show progress in fall camp, there will be reason to feel very, very good about the QB situation.
RBs- A-
Zack Moss and Devontae Henry-Cole have given us a lot of reason to be excited about the running back position. Moss came into spring ball looking more fit and faster than he did last season, and DHC showed that he's got a good mix of speed and power for a back his size. Both of them showed the ability to catch and be weapons in the passing game. Even Jordan Howard, who will likely be the fourth or fifth string back, had some really good moments. Add in Armand Shyne and TJ Green in the fall, and the Utes' depth and talent at running back is looking very good.
WRs- B
The receivers had their moments, and several guys really started to separate themselves from the pack, proving that Utah has some good depth at receiver. However, there are still some problems with drops, but that issue seemed to be improving somewhat by the end of camp. Singleton, Simpkins, and Wilson are proven players, and Fulks, Nacua, Hampton, and Young earned praise from the coaches and their teammates for their performances. The arrival of Bryan Thompson, Derrick Vickers, and Jaylen Dixon in the fall, as well as some possible late under-the-radar additions will add more good depth to this group.
TE- Incomplete
It's difficult to judge the tight end group at this point, because three of Utah's four scholarship tight ends sat out for spring ball. Bapa Falemaka, a redshirt freshman, had his moments, as did walk-on Tyler Bell, but we'll have a better idea of how the tight ends will function in this offense in fall camp, when Fakailoatonga, Handley, and Hekking return.
OL- Starters- B+, everyone else- C-
We knew that the offensive line was the biggest question mark going into spring ball, and although the starting unit looked solid, the backups still have a lot work to do going in to fall camp. The guys we expected to look good did, (Barton, Uhatafe, and Falemaka), and Paulo and Capra looked solid as well. Toala, Peck, Scott, and Umana all had their moments as well, but need to be more consistent. The good news about the backups is that they all seem to be good run blockers already, but the bad news is that their pass protection really needs to improve. The line will get more help in the summer with the arrival of Jordan Agasiva, Mo Unutoa, and Michael Richardson, although Unutoa and Richardson probably won't be ready to contribute this season.
DL- A
Utah's defensive line looks to be really good again. In other news, water is wet. Despite entrenched starters Lowell Lotulelei and Kylie Fitts being held out of spring practices while they continue to heal from injuries, several guys stepped up and proved their worth on the line. We already knew Filipo Mokofisi was really good, but Bradlee Anae, Chris Hart, Maxs Tupai, Leki Fotu, Hauati Pututau, and Caleb Repp all had very good showings as well, proving that, once again, Utah's D line has excellent talent and depth. Two other players to keep an eye on are Pita Tonga and Davir Hamilton, both of whom showed flashes of the type of player that they could be for Utah in the future.
LBs- B+
This was wavering on the verge of an A-, but I'm still slightly concerned about how much of a drop off there will be when Tauteoli and Luafatasaga aren't on the field. Those two are monsters, they know the defense very well, and are fast, hard hitters, and smart. Thompson looks like a beast, Barton looks solid enough, and Liljenquist appears to be an athletic freak and a capable rotation player. My gut tells me that the linebackers will be a strong point of the defense this year, but my memory of some of the struggles they had last year makes me hesitate just a little bit. The Utes will receive some more help in the linebacking corps this summer with the arrival of freshmen Devin Lloyd and Ali'i Niumatalolo. Arizona transfer Cody Ippolito should also be healthy in time for summer and will provide more depth. I don't expect Lloyd or Niumatalolo to contribute this year, as they'll likely be deep on the depth chart, but Ippolito could get some decent situational playing time in his final year of eligibility.
DBs- B+
This group was the biggest surprise of spring camp for me. They were the second biggest question mark after the O line, and I feel like the younger guys and newcomers stepped up in a big way. Corrion Ballard is going to be very good. He and Chase Hansen have already proven themselves to be a fearsome safety tandem. Julian Blackmon was probably the biggest revelation at CB, but Tyrone Smith, Boobie Hobbs, and Terrell Burgess all had good showings as well. Casey Hughes and Nygel King made a lot of good progress, and Montana State transfer Tre Strong showed that he can be a very solid rotational player, although he won't be eligible to play until next year. I think it's possible that one of the starters at cornerback isn't on campus yet, whether that's Jaylon Johnson or Tareke Lewis, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Blackmon or Smith be the other starter. I think this group has the potential to be an "A" once Johnson, Guidry, Lewis, and Blair arrive on campus, but given the personnel that they had in spring, a "B+" grade is something to feel very good about.
ST- B-
Mitch Wishnowsky earns an A+ here, but uncertainty about the kicker position drops the overall grade down. Hayes Hicken has a good leg, but his accuracy is still very questionable. The same can be said for Cristian Antezana. It's likely that Utah's next starting kicker isn't yet on campus, as Chayden Johnston will join the team in the summer. I didn't notice any bad snaps on field goals or punts, which hopefully will mean that Utah's tradition of excellence at the long snapper position will continue with John Aloma. Several guys got looks at kick and punt return, including Hobbs, Fulks, and Simpkins. All seem capable options, but other than Fulks at KR, I'm not sure if any of those positions are set. Don't be surprised if Javelin Guidry, Tareke Lewis, and Derrick Vickers get looks as returners in fall camp.
This is a discussion thread, so feel free to provide your own assessments and where you agree/disagree with my thoughts.
QBs- B+
Utah has very good depth at QB, and all three looked pretty good throughout camp. Although a starter has not officially been named, it seems as if Troy Williams is still in the driver's seat. The quarterbacks seem to have done a pretty good job of picking up the new offense, and while I really wanted to give this position group an A grade simply due to the depth and talent there, the fact remains that Huntley and Bateman remain mostly unproven in actual games. If they continue to show progress in fall camp, there will be reason to feel very, very good about the QB situation.
RBs- A-
Zack Moss and Devontae Henry-Cole have given us a lot of reason to be excited about the running back position. Moss came into spring ball looking more fit and faster than he did last season, and DHC showed that he's got a good mix of speed and power for a back his size. Both of them showed the ability to catch and be weapons in the passing game. Even Jordan Howard, who will likely be the fourth or fifth string back, had some really good moments. Add in Armand Shyne and TJ Green in the fall, and the Utes' depth and talent at running back is looking very good.
WRs- B
The receivers had their moments, and several guys really started to separate themselves from the pack, proving that Utah has some good depth at receiver. However, there are still some problems with drops, but that issue seemed to be improving somewhat by the end of camp. Singleton, Simpkins, and Wilson are proven players, and Fulks, Nacua, Hampton, and Young earned praise from the coaches and their teammates for their performances. The arrival of Bryan Thompson, Derrick Vickers, and Jaylen Dixon in the fall, as well as some possible late under-the-radar additions will add more good depth to this group.
TE- Incomplete
It's difficult to judge the tight end group at this point, because three of Utah's four scholarship tight ends sat out for spring ball. Bapa Falemaka, a redshirt freshman, had his moments, as did walk-on Tyler Bell, but we'll have a better idea of how the tight ends will function in this offense in fall camp, when Fakailoatonga, Handley, and Hekking return.
OL- Starters- B+, everyone else- C-
We knew that the offensive line was the biggest question mark going into spring ball, and although the starting unit looked solid, the backups still have a lot work to do going in to fall camp. The guys we expected to look good did, (Barton, Uhatafe, and Falemaka), and Paulo and Capra looked solid as well. Toala, Peck, Scott, and Umana all had their moments as well, but need to be more consistent. The good news about the backups is that they all seem to be good run blockers already, but the bad news is that their pass protection really needs to improve. The line will get more help in the summer with the arrival of Jordan Agasiva, Mo Unutoa, and Michael Richardson, although Unutoa and Richardson probably won't be ready to contribute this season.
DL- A
Utah's defensive line looks to be really good again. In other news, water is wet. Despite entrenched starters Lowell Lotulelei and Kylie Fitts being held out of spring practices while they continue to heal from injuries, several guys stepped up and proved their worth on the line. We already knew Filipo Mokofisi was really good, but Bradlee Anae, Chris Hart, Maxs Tupai, Leki Fotu, Hauati Pututau, and Caleb Repp all had very good showings as well, proving that, once again, Utah's D line has excellent talent and depth. Two other players to keep an eye on are Pita Tonga and Davir Hamilton, both of whom showed flashes of the type of player that they could be for Utah in the future.
LBs- B+
This was wavering on the verge of an A-, but I'm still slightly concerned about how much of a drop off there will be when Tauteoli and Luafatasaga aren't on the field. Those two are monsters, they know the defense very well, and are fast, hard hitters, and smart. Thompson looks like a beast, Barton looks solid enough, and Liljenquist appears to be an athletic freak and a capable rotation player. My gut tells me that the linebackers will be a strong point of the defense this year, but my memory of some of the struggles they had last year makes me hesitate just a little bit. The Utes will receive some more help in the linebacking corps this summer with the arrival of freshmen Devin Lloyd and Ali'i Niumatalolo. Arizona transfer Cody Ippolito should also be healthy in time for summer and will provide more depth. I don't expect Lloyd or Niumatalolo to contribute this year, as they'll likely be deep on the depth chart, but Ippolito could get some decent situational playing time in his final year of eligibility.
DBs- B+
This group was the biggest surprise of spring camp for me. They were the second biggest question mark after the O line, and I feel like the younger guys and newcomers stepped up in a big way. Corrion Ballard is going to be very good. He and Chase Hansen have already proven themselves to be a fearsome safety tandem. Julian Blackmon was probably the biggest revelation at CB, but Tyrone Smith, Boobie Hobbs, and Terrell Burgess all had good showings as well. Casey Hughes and Nygel King made a lot of good progress, and Montana State transfer Tre Strong showed that he can be a very solid rotational player, although he won't be eligible to play until next year. I think it's possible that one of the starters at cornerback isn't on campus yet, whether that's Jaylon Johnson or Tareke Lewis, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Blackmon or Smith be the other starter. I think this group has the potential to be an "A" once Johnson, Guidry, Lewis, and Blair arrive on campus, but given the personnel that they had in spring, a "B+" grade is something to feel very good about.
ST- B-
Mitch Wishnowsky earns an A+ here, but uncertainty about the kicker position drops the overall grade down. Hayes Hicken has a good leg, but his accuracy is still very questionable. The same can be said for Cristian Antezana. It's likely that Utah's next starting kicker isn't yet on campus, as Chayden Johnston will join the team in the summer. I didn't notice any bad snaps on field goals or punts, which hopefully will mean that Utah's tradition of excellence at the long snapper position will continue with John Aloma. Several guys got looks at kick and punt return, including Hobbs, Fulks, and Simpkins. All seem capable options, but other than Fulks at KR, I'm not sure if any of those positions are set. Don't be surprised if Javelin Guidry, Tareke Lewis, and Derrick Vickers get looks as returners in fall camp.
This is a discussion thread, so feel free to provide your own assessments and where you agree/disagree with my thoughts.
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