Through Two Weeks Of Camp, Here Are Five Things I’m Confident In With Utah Football
Aug 12, 2024, 8:27 AM | Updated: 10:41 am
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Football begins its third week of fall camp today as we inch closer and closer to the start of the 2024 season. Expectations are high for the program as it enters its first season in a new Big 12 Conference.
Who’s standing out? What’s an area of strength? Here is a small check-in with five things I’m confident in through two weeks of fall camp…
Better stick to football, fellas 😂🕺🏻#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/fXH3yRobUY
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 9, 2024
I am most confident in the TE room
Utah has enjoyed great tight end play over the last handful of years. Cole Fotherignham, Dalton Kincaid, Logan Kendall all made big contributions at Utah and each have moved onto the NFL.
Brant Kuithe has been the dynamic playmaker of the group over the last five years. As he enters his seventh season at Utah, he headlines a loaded room yet again. He’s a versatile offensive weapon that can play all over the field but his home is in the tight end room.
Beyond Kuithe, there is so much potential in this room. In my opinion, this group will be the biggest difference-maker for Utah this season. The depth and versatility that Andy Ludwig has at his disposal here is truly impressive.
There are multiple traditional tight ends with Dallen Bentley, Carsen Ryan, and Miki Suguturaga. There are also a handful of more dynamic options in Kuithe, Landen King, and Caleb Lohner.
Without going through every individual, I’ll talk about the two that serve as the biggest reasons why I’m confident in this room.
It sounds like Suguturaga has made significant progress this offseason. Given the experience he gained last season, assuming he has improved, that provides a solid baseline for the room.
If Suguturaga is the floor, Lohner is the ceiling and his potential is through the roof. The buzz around him is quite positive and he seems to be trending towards becoming a consistent contributor this season.
I believe Keanu Tanuvasa is going to be great
Over the past two seasons, Tanuvasa has been on an upward trajectory. Ever since he joined the program, he’s been relentlessly pursuing development and improvement.
Ladies and gentlemen, @keanu_tanuvasa on the 🎙️#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/sRzbr6a2X0
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 9, 2024
Tanuvasa has shown up to fall camp in the best shape of his career thus far. He’s gained a good amount of weight, which saw him grow to as much as 317 pounds before trimming back down to about 305 pounds. He did so to add the size he needed while also preserving the athletic qualities that could lead to him being a force.
Beyond the addition of mass, Tanuavasa has continued to develop his technique and hand usage. His motor is always running hot and that effort is a special trait for defensive tackles.
Most important than all that though is his mindset. He truly wants to be great and wants to make a very positive impact for the team. His obsession for improvement seems to be leading him to what could be a great third-year campaign for him.
Backup or not, have confidence in Isaac Wilson
The backup quarterback battle has been the headlining storyline of fall camp. Utah has three competitors in junior Sam Huard, sophomore Brandon Rose, and freshman Isaac Wilson.
All three have unique reasons that could lead to them being named QB2. Whittingham stated last Monday they’d like to have someone in place- at least internally, following the scrimmage they held on Thursday.
Whether he is named the backup or not matters little. There has been enough positive buzz around Wilson that Utah fans should have confidence in him. He’s competed quite well and has raised optimism in both his current status and future.
Though Whittingham said what he said about identifying who that would be after the scrimmage, guys are always competing for their jobs. There is always room for change if guys aren’t executing like they need to or others start to play better.
I’m confident you’re sleeping on Alaka’i Gilman
There’s been a lot of positivity around the safety position of late. Tao Johnson has grabbed the headlines, while Nate Ritchie has quietly emerged as the other starter.
The guy no one seems to be talking about though is Gilman and he may actually be the top safety in the room.
Gilman joined the program for spring ball, which allowed him to get his first taste of the Utah defense. He’s come into fall camp and has seemed more comfortable in the scheme.
That has led to more instinctual decisions, promising playmaking ability, and the sort of physicality that coaches love. He’s not only impressed but raised the competition level in the room.
Gaining confidence in two young running backs
Other than the backup quarterback battle, running back has been the most intriguing competition of camp.
Whittingham has stated that Micah Bernard is at the top of the group because he’s the veteran in the room. However, there has still been a fairly open competition here to identify a potential bell cow type of runner.
Jaylon Glover is in that mix for that role. Whether he earns that honor or not, he’s another guy that coaches trust, and seems he’ll contribute regularly this season.
But Utah has two running backs that have generated a strong buzz through the first two weeks of camp, Mike Mitchell and Hunter Andrews.
Both are bigger bodies as Mitchell checks in at 6-foot, 217 pounds, and Andrews is 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. They both run with physicality but each of them possesses athletic qualities that make them capable of generating explosive yardage as well.
They will need to prove themselves on game day but these two seem to have put themselves squarely in the mix for opportunities this season.
Utah Football Schedule
Utah will kick off the season against Southern Utah on August 29. You can find Utah football’s conference schedule here.
