Utes Spring Preview

As if signifying the importance of the coming spring, the Greater Salt Lake Area was blanketed with half a foot of snow on Monday night, and yes, I realize many of you out there are currently asking yourself if this idiot writer is next going to proclaim that, “the sun will rise in the east” and people will “overreact” to the recent Heat win, as they tend to do whenever the Heat do anything. (The quotes, by the way, are an homage to Bennett Brauer) I promise my intent is not to merely point out the obvious. By Thursday, the snow was all but gone, revealing to us what remains for spring, much like the start of Spring Football practice at the University of Utah is the initial snowstorm, by the time the Red and White game rolls around in April, we should have a pretty clear idea of what to expect from the Utes in the fall. All comparisons aside, a quick preview of what to watch for this spring is kind of like parking the car in the garage so the sno…..okay, okay, I get it. No more snologies. Okay, now I’m done. Seriously. Moving on.

What to Watch For….

The Good; Receivers - Perhaps the deepest position on the team is at Wide Receiver, where replacing Jeremy Brooks should be less painful that one might reason. Returning is leading pass-grabber Devonte Christopher, and joining him in the ranks are redshirts Mo Lee, Dres Anderson, Kenneth Scott and Dexter Ransom. Ransom is a tall, fluid, strong senior, who should see a lot of time at the split end position, along with Kenneth Scott, another tall, talented freshman. Lee, Anderson, and Christopher will mostly play slot and X, with all three demonstrating some talent in the first practices of spring so far. Reggie Dunn should also see some action at the slot, truly packing the talent in at wide receiver due to the influence of Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow’s more traditional, under center, tight end, pro-style offense. Look for Westlee Tonga to have a breakout spring, with Kendrick Moeai and possibly Jake Murphy (son of Dale) also seeing time at tight end.

Running Backs- The addition of fullback should bolster the run game for newcomers John White and Harvey Langi. Luke Matthews will take his consistent, steady play to the backfield in the spring, and Utah Rugby player Thretton Palamo should be a surprise addition this spring as well. Boo Anderson has switched from linebacker to fullback, but more interesting at the primarily blocking and receiving position will be Karl Williams, a 6 foot, 230 lbs local beast out of Layton High School. Williams is the type of genetic freak that Chow utilized often while at USC.

O Line- The Hog Mollies, or Road Graters, depending on what your vernacular preference is, are losing long time starters Zane Taylor and Caleb Schlauderhoff, but experienced Tavita Stevens, who saw a few games at center and started all season at right guard, should be able to step right in. The new downhill scheme should only help an offensive line that was dominant for a major part of the season. Tony Bergstrom returns at right tackle, and JC All-American John Cullen has bulked up and looks to continue his dominance at the left tackle position. Look for new signee Benji Kemoeatu to step into the guard position in the fall, but until then, Jeremiah Tofaeono and true freshman Isaac Asiata to man the position. Sam Brenner, who saw significant backup duty, will anchor the left side, along with Snow College transfer Ron Ron Tongaonevai.

D Line/Linebackers- The big news here is moving Dave Kruger to the five technique to make room for big men Star Lotolelei and James Aiono to man the tackles, along with Tevita Finau, Latu Heimuli, and Joape Pela. At end, the Utes look to replace Christian Cox, and bolster their speed rush by adding freshman Nate Fakahafua from Utah 4-A state champion Highland, and rotating last year’s starter, Derrick Shelby, with another Kruger brother, sophomore Joe. Linebacker is another deep position for the Utes, with former starter J.J. Williams sitting out camp while recovering from a foot injury, you will see a lot of new Linebacking convert Brian Blechen, who was a freshman All-America at safety last year. The move should help a heavier Blechen to really excel at what he does best, hunt down the football, and will open up the secondary as his quickness will allow him to cover tight ends and running backs better than most linebackers. Add in last years’ starters Chaz Walker and Matt Martinez to newcomers Victor Spikes and VJ Fehoko, and having moved Trevor Reilly from defensive end to linebacker, and this corps will battle all spring in what looks to be a very talented area.

The Unknowns; Quarterbacks- Unless you’ve been living under a rock like in the Geico commercials, you know that this is an open position for spring while last years’ QB1, Jordan Wynn, sits out in order to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. That leaves the Utes with only two quarterbacks on the roster. Griff Robles, last years’ number three QB will split reps with incoming freshman Tyler Shreve. Shreve was highly touted before having an incident with a high school baseball coach, but has met the requirements of Coach Whittingham and is now in contention for what could be the starting job in fall camp. Robles is still trying to break from the “LDS mission” slump, and is more of a threat with his legs at times than with his arm. Shreve has a nice arm, and looks the part of a D-I QB, but both have a lot of work to do if they are to compete with Jordan Wynn.

Cornerback- In a system like Utah’s, where a huge portion of the scheme is man-to-man, press coverage, losing two starters, one to eligibility and one to the second round of the NFL draft, can be difficult to overcome instantly. However, the potential of the group of athletes that are located in the defensive backfield is without a doubt strong, and noticeable. Senior Konroy Black, who saw time at nickel back and a few snaps as a starter, will look to lock down a spot, along with the lengthy Jamal Smith, JC transfer Ryan Lacy, and Wykie Freeman. Look for Smith to make an impact this spring, with several talented freshmen coming in the fall.

Safety- Youth, Youth, and Youth is the only way to describe this position. Moving Blechen from safety to linebacker may look like a mistake when you realize that the only player with experience is currently injured and sitting out the spring (Greg Bird). The truth is, in the Utes system, safety is less demanding and allows for more development on the fly. Hard to say if Damian Payne or Michael Walker will be starting in the fall, when you realize the length and talent of some of the incoming freshmen, but one thing is for sure, Coach Morgan Scalley will have whatever players end up starting ready to play.