If it is going to take a huge NIL offer to get JJ back

[chinngiskhaan]

I think I would rather let him walk, and spend that NIL money on another player. We have plenty of running backs with talent, and it will be exciting to see what they can accomplish. Also, if we are going to entice any good receiver to come, we are going to need all the NIL money we can get. We could also spend NIL money on an experienced safety, or even a more durable short-yardage running back.

Honestly, I’m not worried about JJ leaving.

[Ute Dub]

Agree. Love him, but got other needs.

[Red Rhino]

I respectfully disagree. If healthy, he is an elite level RB. Our offense needs someone who can break tackles. We also need to set a precedent of blocking teams from coming after our best players.

[chinngiskhaan]

What about his production this year suggests he’s elite? 4.8 yards per carry is good, but it isn’t elite. Jaylon glover averaged 4.2 yards per carry, and I’ve been under the impression that he not close to elite. Does .6 ypc make up the difference from adequate to elite? I don’t think so.

JJ may have elite potential, but you gotta be on the field for that to matter.

[Ute Dub]

JJ runs upright a lot, which will make him injury prone all year. His 10 carries a game is below the level we’ve seen with Moss or Booker. His potential is high but his actual production is below the level of a featured back at Utah. Injury’s are a scapegoat, but if he doesn’t have the durability, then his below average production for a featured back at Utah is the reality of who he is.

[Red Rhino]

Especially need to block conference foes.

[perceptionate]

From a fan perspective, I disagree. The narrative of our team is so much better with JJ. There’s a lot of history. If we get to the CFP next season, it would be so much sweeter with JJ.

[The Miami Ute]

Utah is a better team with JJ, that’s a fact. At the same time, having JJ by itself isn’t going to catapult you to the CFP or even the CCG. So, if someone wants to overpay for a RB that’s frequently injured and really hasn’t lived up to his potential, so be it. It’s not like JJ is Barry Sanders or Earl Campbell. I also doubt that his injury history will completely disappear once he gets to his next destination.

[chinngiskhaan]

yeah… that’s basically my point. He’s a good player, and I want him on the team, but if is going to cost more than he’s worth to keep him, let him go (assuming a booster would be willing to throw that same amount of money at another player we needed more).

separate point: it feels like the same dudes have been front and center on the team for a long time. As great as they have been, I’m ready to see a new look football team.

[2008 National Champ]

it feels like the same dudes have been front and center on the team for a long time. As great as they have been, I’m ready to see a new look football team.

Count me in on that one. If for no other reason than some of these kids have to be running out of classes to pretend to take after 6, 7 or in some cases 8 years on campus.

[The Miami Ute]

I think that a lot of them are either working on their Masters or a second baccalaureate degree. Bernard graduated in the spring of 2022. Both Kuithe and Rising have been in college since 2018 and should have graduated in 2021..it goes on from there…

[Hellhound152]

Johnson has NFL potential at running back. This season he was fighting a high ankle sprain all season and was still productive. I don’t see him as injury prone in his time at Utah. He will be a key contributor next season.

FWIW if the rumors are true and we are competing against Okie lite for his services word on the street is the “attempt” to keep Spencer Sanders last season was a Raptor and a bass boat. If they are going to “pony up” like that to keep their starting QB imagine what they are throwing at Jackson… A moped, perhaps an electric scooter?

[The Miami Ute]

Here are the stats from JJ’s last five games:
Oregon – 12 rushes/37 yards
ASU – 13 rushes/111 yards
Washington – 10 rushes/29 yards
Arizona – 10 rushes/47 yards
Colorado – 21 rushes/68 yards

Again, I like JJ and would definitely prefer to keep him but, if he’s going to be playing bell cow RB, he needs to find a way to stay healthier and be more productive. He had four decent to good games this season. All of the other ones, for whatever reason (health, bad OL, weather, etc…) were pretty bad when you look at the stats.

[Trailgoat]

The OSU rumor is interesting. OSU has the NCAA leading rusher in Ollie Gordon. Sounds like Gordon has not committed to coming back to OSU yet. Next season, OSU’s Oline is loaded with all five talented starters returning. Evidently OSU has a NIL, collective whatever you want to call it now dedicated to support the Oline. OSU’s Oline coach is Charlie Dickey. Charlie was the Oline coach for Utah 2005-2008. He left for Kansas State with Ludwig in 2009.

Let’s not let the Utah Oline off the hook here. Utah losing their two best Oline players from a group that was very inconsistent and over all underperformed against good teams. Utah averaged a dismal 98 yards rushing per game in their four losses. JJ’s injured ankle slowed him down combined with the one dimensional Utah offense didn’t help. The RB room at OSU could set JJ up to have a break out season helping improve his draft stock. There may be a pay out from OSU, there is also a lot of opportunity for a RB to shine behind an experienced Oline.

[The Miami Ute]

I can definitely see your point. It makes sense. However, life has a way of going in unexpected directions. At Utah, JJ is the undisputed starter when healthy and is set to get the lion’s share of carries. We don’t know if that will be the same at OSU. For all we know, he might get beaten out or pick up an injury or not learn the playbook,etc…the point is that he’s got a sure thing at Utah and a not so sure thing at OSU.

Look at Dorian Singer…in 2022, he was a 1st team ALL PAC 12 selection at WR with Arizona. After that season, he entered the portal and transferred to USC. Things didn’t work out for him there and he was routinely the fourth or fifth option for Caleb Williams. As a consequence, his stats fell off a cliff and he went from being a possible 1st/2nd RD draft pick to God knows what. The point is that he cost himself a lot of long-term money with an ill-timed, short-term move. Hopefully, JJ doesn’t end up the same way.

[Red Rhino]

I agree that the stats don’t back up my comment. We have to remember he was injured all year. It’s less a matter of stats for me and more about the eye test.

[RustyShackleford]

Also a garbage pass game makes running pretty hard

[Red Rhino]

Maybe I’m getting old. I don’t remember JJ getting injured last year. This year it was the same injury all year and he couldn’t heal because he was playing through it.

[Jutahjutes55]

JJ is definitely worth it. We have seen what a healthy version of him can do and WILL do when healthy. This year was just a combination of injuries that led to us having a poor offense.

[noneyadb]

Anybody trying to claim JJ is expendable based on stats after this season needs to have their ability to post comments withdrawn.
Just delete your account and go watch Jazz bball.

[chinngiskhaan]

The fact that you are disagreeing with me only serves to validate my point.

[The Miami Ute]

LOL… there’s a concept in life known as “is the juice worth the squeeze.”. Is JJ worth what it’s going to take to keep him or would you be better off using that money on other players? Professional teams in all sports have to deal with this situation all of the time. Sure you want to keep him but not to the detriment of the rest of the team. Would you keep him at all costs? What if he’s asking for a similar deal as Rising and OSU is willing to give it to him?

[Ute Dub]

Not body said expendable. What was said is that we don’t want to overpay for below average production of a featured running back.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

JJ is a huge part of the offense. 4+ yards on first down makes us more difficult to defend. RBs with his size and speed don’t come around often.

It’s hard to put a value on his worth. If he stays healthy and puts up big numbers and we get to the CFP then he’s worth it. If he gets hurt or we have another8-4 year he isn’t worth it. If we only had a crystal ball. Miami has valid points.

Another angle to consider. How about the people (collective) putting up the money. When do they step in and say we’re tapped out. Their pockets are only so deep and they don’t have the means to get in to bidding wars. What is their incentive?

Congress has to step in and help because the courts have shown the law is on the players side. Agents and attorneys running the show.

[The Miami Ute]

Jim, good points. At the end of the day, what really needs to happen is that the Supreme Court needs to step in and codify that athletes are employees of a school. That’ll go a long way towards ending all of the shenanigans because it’ll make scholarships and NIL contract based. That way, if an Alabama wants a Landon Barton, they’ll have to buy out his contract with Utah. Of course, I’m certain that will also mean that a lot of prestigious schools (Ivys, Stanford, Cal, NW, Vandy, etc..) will also probably drop athletics altogether seeing as athletics don’t do anything for their brands in the first place.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

I hope something gives Miami. This level of money and disarray is not sustainable. A friend of mine was a big donor at Utah State for years. He said every year they hit him up for more. He felt pressured and finally walked away completely. The money being paid out to 18-21yr olds (now 25-26) could go a long ways towards providing shelter and mental health facilities. We need a reality check. Let’s not lose sight of the cost of a full ride education at a great school. Pay the players a monthly income to compensate them for their time.

[DataUte]

Let us also not forget that Jackson is the Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe Memorial Scholarship recipient. There’s some loaded aspects to his past, present, and future and how the team thinks of him. He did his best playing injured almost all year (we all just waited for him to come up limping after a tackle some time early in the game). But if it requires too much $$ to keep him, it is what it is and is beyond all these other things.

[2008 National Champ]

There is an aspect of TJ/AL that has to be a constant reminder that they are gone. It’s healthy to move on from that. He can honor them however he feels necessary but I don’t think he would stay around just because of them.

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