Utah Football To Start Season With Running Back By Committee Approach

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – For the first time in a long time, Utah football will start a season with multiple running backs.

For what has seemed like a decade of Utah having a lead running back each year, the Utes will go into the 2020 season with more than one running back getting the workload according to head coach Kyle Whittingham.

“They’ve separated themselves in different ways,” Whittingham said. “Each of them have different strengths it is going to be more by committee at least early in the season, unless through a lot of live repetition, somebody starts to separate himself and deserve more reps. But right now each of them does something particularly well as opposed to the other. What play calling is gonna have will determine what back in the game.

Whittingham said the running backs will be by committee through the early part of the season.#GoUtes @kslsports

— Trevor Allen (@TrevorASports) October 28, 2020

The Utes have benefited greatly from running backs in their history. Zack Moss is the all-time leading rusher in school history, Joe Williams, Devontae Booker, John White IV are some of the great rushers to come through the program over the last 10 years.

Four guys on the 2020 roster will split game reps. Those running backs include junior Devin Brumfield, sophomore Jordan Wilmore, redshirt freshman Micah Bernard and true freshman Ty Jordan.

“I’m not going to go through their strengths right here because why tip off Arizona for whatever back is in the game to what to expect. One of them is exceptional inside the tackle runner, one is an exceptional receiver out of the backfield. One has got elusive speed. There’s just a lot of strengths that each of them possess and they’re different,” Whittingham stated. “The four backs all of them, there’s no similarities, really, between each one. Each one of them is unique and different in their style and what they bring to the table. Bottom line is we don’t anticipate a guy getting 25 touches in a game not yet anyway, that could play itself out and become a different situation after a game or two. But going in it’s going to be more by committee and inserting the back that fits what Andy (Ludwig) is doing in that particular series or that particular play.”

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for KSLSports.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.