Hope

[Red Rhino]

One thing I really enjoy watching are players who were under recruited who have the “it” factor. I define a player with the It” factor as someone who plays better when the spotlight is turned on them. They are ultra competitive and hungry to prove everyone wrong. Utah has thrived off of players like this throughout the years. I think many players with the it factor are under recruited because of size or perceived athletic ability. Dampier fits this category. Covey fit this category. So far, Isaac Wilson seems to shrink under pressure. One thing that gives me hope is that those hungry players will always be out there for Utah. We may miss on some big athletic players but many of those highly recruited players do not have the heart and soul of a winner. I will always be willing to cheer for players who love football, who give it everything they have, and who play fearless. Players like this are what drove me to love Utah football in the first place. Let’s get back to what made us great in the first place! Go Utes!

[CityCreekUte]

One of life’s few absolute truths is that there is no going back.

The NIL/Portal world is upon us.

The rest of it doesn’t matter.

[Red Rhino]

My whole reason for writing this post is to respond to the new world of NIl/Portal. I have found myself very frustrated and hopeless the last year in regards to this new NIL/Portal world. Whether true or not, I felt we were trending toward a blue blood team. I’ve been mourning the loss of that blue blood hope since the onset of NIL.

What I’ve come to realize is that despite the efforts of the big boys to continually decimate teams with less NIL resources, the addition of Dampier shows me that there is hope. If Dampier was 6′ 3″ he would have the blue bloods all over him. Because he’s 5’11” they pass up on him. Though he may be undersized, he may do more with less than players who are 6′ 3″ but have no heart. There will always be players like Dampier out there for Utah. Even if they come and steal Dampier next year, we’ll find others like him to replace him. If I’m being overly optimistic, at least I’m remembering that I truly like rooting for the underdog.

[Author]

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