This is great to hear and probably best case scenario. The program has been building for quite a while now and I think we all hope that that trajectory continues, even if it’s not a linear ascension.
That said, I think the biggest concern, even with Whitt, is how his pitch to recruits will land in this new NIL environment. In the past, they could sell guys on buying in, working hard, and getting good NFL opportunities, regardless of your recruiting ranking. Hell, guys like Tim Patrick are still in the NFL, and Utah’s never been a factory for skill position players.
In a P2 world (which is where we’ll end up eventually, no doubt), if Utah’s on the outside looking in, not only will they have less money to offer, but less media exposure (let alone convincing recruits to come to SLC as opposed to Miami, LA, other locations). They’ll need to have a very, very sound program and pedigree to lock those recruits in, imo.
Here’s hoping they can salvage this season and reload for next.