FOOTBALL

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    • #241861
      4
      ALUF
      Participant

      Finally, basketball is over so we can talk about what I believe most of us actually give a damn about. How are we all feeling about each of the position groups? Which side of the ball are we more excited about? How does the feeling towards the team as a whole feel? What about the schedule?

      I just want to read other people’s thoughts on the 2025 Utes

    • #241865
      5
      Tony (admin)
      Keymaster

      Man I’ve choked on the koolaid the last couple of seasons. I’m coming in conservatively across the board. I hope we can generate any kind of at least mediocre offense and we’ll start from there. Special teams have been pretty meh too. I trust Morgan will have the D ready.

      • #241866
        4
        Tednab
        Participant

        Retain what we have and if Dampier lives up to the hype and stays healthy , we should be at least bowl eligible.

        • #241867
          4
          D T
          Participant

          IF DD rises to the hype & remains relatively healthy, we’ll be more than bowl-eligible.

      • #241889
        2
        Utah#1
        Participant

        Not your fault! IMO, Whitt and the media led many on thinking the team was going to be better than the previous years. That may have been true, but one exception, Whitt can be the one to blame for the nose dive in the program. I think it is safe to say he is not very good at judging QB talent and ability, and significantly miscalculated and/or misdiagnosed his assessment or analysis of that position group.

        The past two years, he put his eggs all in one basket and it backfired on him in a big way! I don’t think Utah would have ended as badly as they did last year had he not tried a different QB after the Arizona or TCU games. He stuck with it and it burned him.

        I don’t trust Whitt on the offensive side of the ball. That will be his achilles heel and I don’t expect him to change with a new OC. It will be very hard for him to keep his hands out of the cookie jar. He’s a run first run heavy football coach and I see him overusing the new RB Wayshawn Parker. Hope I’m wrong, but BYU’s Sitake lets his coaches coach and look what happened. Whitt’s a control freak and I don’t see him changing even if it meant him going undefeated and winning a Big12 CC that way.

        • #241915
          1 2
          HATUman
          Participant

          I don’t think the media is to blame here. Utah shuts them out of practice, only letting them see a few meaningless minutes, and coach/player interviews give them nothing tangible to work with. They’re forced to project optimism because that’s all they’re given.

          That said, I agree the real issue is Whittingham’s handling of the QB position. He put all his eggs in one basket, stuck with it too long, and it backfired. His run-first philosophy isn’t changing, even with a new OC, and that will keep holding the offense back.

    • #241868
      5
      TheNuschler
      Participant

      Two words: BOWL ELIGIBLE!

    • #241869
      1
      AlohaUte
      Participant

      Our defense will be solid again. We’ll be strong on the line and at LB. I’m sure we’ll be fine at secondary, but I would like to see a bit if an alteration in scheme. It seems our pass defense has been very much bend not break, but often breaks more than it should.

      Everything else on the team i have no idea about. The whole offense is a crap shoot. I’m not convinced that UNM transfer will be the starter at QB, he might, but there is some talent in the room. So we’ll see.

      The position I’m most worried about is RB. We need a strong run game.

      • #241871
        3
        alexsmith
        Participant

        KW was on ESPN 700 the other day with Checketts and was asked a question following up on a comment by Beck stating Dampier would be the starter. KW responded with “as of today, Dampier would be the starter.” He then continued later in the statement to say that Isaac Wilson is developing quite well in the offense so I would anticipate that he would be the current #2.

        • #241875
          4
          AlohaUte
          Participant

          Wow, I’m really surprised he gave that much detail at this point.

        • #241876
          4
          ALUF
          Participant

          Can’t believe IW is still number two? Is he just a practice star? Because I’ve yet to see it in the games. Unless Ludwig just severely kneecapped him

          • #241911
            1
            Uteanooga
            Participant

            I think he is surprised at Whitt being forthcoming with information rather than Wilson’s position on the depth chart.

        • #241917
          EagleMountainUte
          Participant

          Whitt and Wilson bff.
          Mobile Ute Hub user submitted image

    • #241879
      3 1
      chinngiskhaan
      Participant

      We will be more fun to watch this year than we were the last two years. That is what I am hoping for. I’m excited to FINALLY be moving on from Rising. It really is too bad we didn’t move on from him two years ago, because I thought Ludwig’s system was great for the kind of guys we can get (tight ends and running backs with decent QB play).

      The biggest disappointment for me the last couple of years has been the terrible talent at RB. We didn’t sign the right guys, and we didn’t coach up the guys we did sign. The RB room has been terrible, and I’m glad we cleaned house in that regard.

    • #241880
      2
      UteBacker
      Moderator

      In interesting side-effect of this whole NIL and transfer portal nightmare is the impossibility to predict how good a team is going to be (at least for me anyway). There are a bunch of patchwork teams out there that we just have no idea how well they’re going to gel and play as a team. I’d hate to be Phil Steele trying to keep track of all of this stuff.

    • #241883
      8
      UteButters
      Participant

      QB: B … Dampier is solid but needs to improve consistency throwing the ball. The backups are up in the air … Nate Johnson is playing receiver, but he’s a good security blanket for the group.

      RB: B+ to A- … The backs are performing well right now. Solid all around group. Arguably our best running back room since 2021.

      WR/TE: C+ to B- … Z Williams, Whittemore, and Zipperer are going to be very good players. Tia is also someone to pay attention too. Still waiting on Singer news from NCAA. Hunter Andrews might be a star in the making at TE.

      OL: A+ … Nasty group in a good way!

      DEFENSE: Not worried … early during install the O had their way with the D but the D’s adjusted to Becks offense. Solid group all around! They’ll add 1-2 guys on the DL post spring. Best linebacking group in the conference. Shemwell and Stokes are guys to pay attention to at corner.

      SPECIAL TEAMS: This group will take a step forward. We have a kicker who can bang it through the end zone on kickoffs. That alone will improve us.

      OVERALL: I really like the team Utahs assembled. Backup QB is probably my greatest concern (PTSD From last few years) … I do think Utahs in an okay spot behind Dampier. Isaac will take a step forward being in his second year of college. Having Nate Johnson on the roster eases some anxiety’s too.

      I’ll also add … I don’t think Utah has to be prolific throwing the football to be effective next year. I honestly believe if Dampier can cut down on turnovers, and just keep the D honest through the air we’re going to have a good team. I think Utah will have a top 25 rushing attack in CFB … Our O Line mixed with the rushers we have: Dampier, Parker (Other RB’s), Whittemore, Nate Johnson, H Andrews, and others will be solid. Utah just has to be effective enough through the air to keep teams honest.

      • #241890
        AlohaUte
        Participant

        Where are you getting your intel on the RBs? Isn’t the whole room new? What kind of practices are they holding at this point?

        • #241891
          2
          UteButters
          Participant

          Yes the whole room is new.

          The team has been having voluntary practices for a while now. These voluntary practices are mainly focused on install.

          • #241892
            1
            Yergensen
            Participant

            Unless Guillory rises up, this is a one man RB room. Kinda like last year.

            • #241893
              //r00t4Utes
              Participant

              Or 1 of the 2 highly rated freshmen might step up to be a reliable 2nd or 3rd back.

              • #241897
                Yergensen
                Participant

                Guillory is the highest rated recruit of the 2 FR, had multiple blue chip offers.

                I put zero stock in the MW transfers. Why do we think backups from NM and UNLV will be more than backups on a P4 team?

                The backups we need are RB1’s in waiting that can replace starter productivity. In 2021-2022 we had 3 of these guys. Not JAG to carry the ball for 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

            • #241894
              UteButters
              Participant

              Fair feelings … until proven on the field it’s just hype.

              That said this running back room is going to surprise some people. It’s not a finished room either. Guillory will be here in the summer and I expect the staff to add another back after spring.

              Right now they’re performing really well though.

              • #241905
                1
                highlandute7
                Participant

                Is UteButters the new OnlyU? I haven’t heard much from OnlyU lately, although it has been the off-season, but still. You still around OnlyU?

                • #241916
                  BD
                  Participant

                  Butterball Jones?

    • #241902
      1
      BD
      Participant

      I’m cautiously optimistic. With an emphasis on “cautiously”.

      If Utah can be reasonably healthy, they’ll be in contention for the conference championship.

      That said, we’ve been absolutely snake bitten at QB injuries. So what do we do? Get a running QB. Which concerns me. He’ll be effective running the ball until he’s injured – at least it is hard for me to NOT think negatively like this.

      However, the OLine has two of the top tackles in the nation. If they can stay healthy that OLine itself will probably be enough to keep the offense humming along. Dampier will need to cut back on turnovers and improve on passing. I think he can – it’s just that the question is can he remain healthy. That is questionable right now as any running QB is always at risk of serious injury.

      The D should be solid as always. Scalley will have them ready and they will be in the tops of the conference again.

    • #241919
      1
      EagleMountainUte
      Participant

      I am actually setting really low offensive expectations for this season. I would say getting the overall offense to a 50-60 overall statistical position is being mostly realistic.

      Defense should stay the same.

      I am mostly interested in the kicking game as well. Wonder if we get news on that.

    • #241925
      3 1
      ProudUte
      Participant

      I am surprised by how optimistic many of you are about our D. Our linebackers should be fine. But, we have holes in all of the other positions IMO.

      I certainly hope our offense is MUCH better. It would be hard to be worse.

      If I had to predict, I would say we will win 6-8 games. This is an improvement from last year, but it is not where any of us wanted to be when we entered the conference. If we win more than 8 games – I will eat crow and do so happily!!!

      • #241939
        4
        Tednab
        Participant

        We’ve take some hits to the D this offseason and we’ll probably have a few more after spring ball.. this is one year I’m not sure we’ve replaced equally the talent we lost

      • #241947
        1
        EagleMountainUte
        Participant

        Utah’s defense in the Big12 should be fine. No one scares me.

        • #241958
          3 3
          Tednab
          Participant

          That was the same sentiment last season and we got smoked

          • #242000
            2 3
            EagleMountainUte
            Participant

            Demonstrate to me where a Big12 offense SMOKED Utah’s defense. Including the 3 people giving you thumbs up.

            @Tednab

            • #242024
              2 2
              Tednab
              Participant

              “We should be fine” to “we got this” was the same comments going into last year.. a 2-7 conference record proved we got smoked

    • #241979
      chinngiskhaan
      Participant

      Cool

    • #241985
      Utah Man 3
      Participant

      It all depends on how good dampier can be. If he improves then we make the playoffs. If the step up to the big 12 is too much then it will be the same thing as last year but I am confident he will improve and be great

    • #242007
      Charlie
      Participant

      Myself, I think the offense had more potential than we saw last year. I think we were trying to resolve the unknown issue to us that led to Ludwig’s departure. Beck is a fresh start. The OL has the potential of our great OLs, which is a good starting point. We do have a QB and OC going into their second year together. We don’t know IW’s eventual potential but another year will likely make him better even as a backup. I noticed Nate is a QB on the roster, I am curious to see if he develops differently with an OC that is high on duel QBs. I expect he gets a look at WR as well. RB potential is mostly Parker until someone steps up. Beck does need to develop a couple of high volume receivers among the TEs and WRs.

      The defense does have holes to fill. The DT group usually has 2 or 3 dominate players at the level we are looking for the first. However, no one develops DT better than Utah. LBers are so solid I expect our sets to have more LBer than past years. Safety is good but CB needs a couple of players to step up.

      Utah will contend for the Big-12 if the QB position simply becomes reliable enough to consume only typical cycles in the weekly practice routine. Answers at DT, CB, and WR will get us back but we will not be a favorite until those spots develop. Our situation is promising but no reason to believe we are solid yet. Evans looked good at the end of the year, just need to pull a few more rabbits out of the hat.

    • #242022
      lgt4141
      Participant

      All Utah needs is an average offense. The defense will continue to do what they do as they always have. With an average offense and Utah’s usual defense they will be competitive. Whittingham is way too competitive to not have a bounce back year this year. Scalley will have the defense ready. Beck and Dampier want to prove they an coach and play at this level. I think we will be surprised. That being said my personal expectation is 7 wins and beat BYU. With that I’ll be happy.

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