Some Of Utah’s Budding Stars Weigh In On Spring Finale

SALT LAKE CITY- The Utes are done with spring ball and on to a month long “break” before starting summer conditioning. After the Red and White game, quarterback Cam Rising along with safety Cole Bishop, linebacker Lander Barton, and running back Jaylon Glover gave their thoughts on where Utah is at and where they want to go before their season kicks off in the Swamp.

Trying to decide who in this group ends up having the biggest season in 2022 is like asking me to only bring one puppy home from the pet store. #ImpossibleChoice #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/fHx7OVRUv7

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) April 25, 2022

Cam Rising

Utah’s starting quarterback only played in one series during the spring game but it was a good one. Rising fearlessly and with what felt like little effort drove the White team offense down the field for an early touchdown before calling it a day.

“It was fun,” Rising said. “It was a great drive, and I am glad we got to get it in, go and get into the endzone.”

After Rising was sidelined, it was all about the backup quarterbacks Bryson Barnes and Ja’Quinden Jackson battling it out of the second spot. The coaches have said all spring they were in a dead heat and Saturday was no different with both quarterback’s stat lines looking very similar. Rising was impressed with how prepared his teammates were leading the Red and White teams while also acknowledging there is still room for improvement.

“Bryson Barnes and Ja’Quinden Jackson did a great job of making sure the team was going in the right direction, and there are always some things you have to clean up, but they are on their way,” Rising said.

Rising wasn’t the only starter to have a short day. Utah’s core group of tight ends did not play which opened the door for the wide receivers to show what they can contribute.

“They are coming along, and they are doing a great job and making sure they are attacking the ball and being aggressive,” Rising said. “They are taking ownership in winning the one-on-one battles, which is why they have gotten so much better over the past few weeks and owned everything they’ve got going.”

Jaylon Glover

Freshman running back Jaylon Glover may not have been used to playing in the cold and sleet, but it didn’t seem to affect his game much. The Florida native was just excited to have some fans in the stands to show off what he and the rest of the Utes are capable of doing in 2022.

“It felt good,” Glover said. “I am happy to play with the guys and go against the guys that we have been going against all spring. I am glad we got to put it all together to show the fans that we came to play. I had fun and had a great time.”

Cole Bishop

Bishop was a sneaky find from Georgia for the Ute defense in last year’s signing class. An uncooperative hammy kept Bishop sidelined for the first half of the 2021 season, but the minute he did get in a game it was very apparent why Utah was excited about him. This year Bishop is hoping to continue on that trajectory and take the defense to another level.

“I feel I had a pretty good spring,” Bishop said. “I definitely progressed. Last year I got a lot of experience at the end of the year, but there is still a lot to work on. I am trying to work on building off of last season and keep going.”

Lander Barton

Another freshmen with sky-high potential for 2022, Barton impressed throughout spring and finished with a bang in the Red and White game. Seemingly everywhere on every play, Barton was just happy to be in more of a game-like situation with his brothers.

“Today was fun,” Barton said. “It was a lot of fun. We have been waiting for this all spring. I was excited to get out there and end the spring right and take advantage of all my reps. Today was a good day.”

 

 

 

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