BJ we have a better example of what his NFL talent likely could have been. Cam is an incomplete due to injury. So, while I agree that Cam likely wouldn’t have had the pro career as Mitchell did – I do think it’s only fair to give Cam’s NFL potential an asterisks because frankly, none of us know what he could have done had he not been injured in that Penn State Rose Bowl game (assuming he doesn’t come back for 2023 if he enters the NFL Draft).
You’re contradicting your own point.
What you said earlier:
Utes since the mid-1970s and the only actual elite QBs we have had are Scott Mitchell and Alex Smith.
Mitchell was a fourth-round draft pick in 1989 (the 93rd pick overall) – literally where you suggest Cam was being projected. But he wasn’t a first-round draft pick, so, by your definition: not elite.
Cam is elite by Utah standards. Not only is he toward the top in multiple offensive stats at Utah, despite playing fewer games than many of the players ranked around him (Cam only had 30 games played ever at Utah, starter or otherwise, while someone like Travis Wilson had 46 games – more than a season’s worth of games – and BJ (44) and Scott Mitchell (35) – he and Smith are the only two modern-day quarterbacks who have won multiple conference championships at Utah.
In the context of what Utah typically puts up at quarterback, I think both BJ and Rising are elite. Whittingham is 46-13 (.778) when either BJ or Rising started (a couple of those games, like OSU in 2007 – and Penn State in 2023 were games either were injured in and didn’t play for a good chunk of the game but I’ll leave ’em in the 13 losses) and 122-73 (.625) with someone other than those two playing. With Brian Johnson and Cam Rising, Whitt has three conference titles, three NY6 bowl berths, two top-ten finishes (2008, 2022) – and a top-twelve finish (2021). Outside those two? Zero conference titles, three losing seasons and the highest AP finish of 16.
I think both deserve to be considered elite – if at least by Utah standards.
OTOH, Utah threw the ball 22 times for 165 yards (70 of which came on that first play) and ran the ball 30 times for 105 yards against Florida in 2023.
Against USC, Barnes threw 23 times for 235 Yards. Utah ran the ball 47 times for 247 yards.
This. Dampier might not be an all-world passer, but he is an elusive runner, and sure seems to be a better passer than Barnes (and I like Barnes). This year should be better than 2023 on offense, and certainly light-years better than last year.
The first Pick Em contest of the coming college football season is OPEN! For those of you who are new: each week there’s a Predict the Score and a Pick Em contest. Prizes are awarded for weekly winners (sponsors needed). If I can find a sponsor or a cool prize for each season long winner, there will be a prize for the champion of each contest. So that means you want to make sure you do your picks and predictions every week to have the best chance of winning!
In Pick Em I try to pick about a dozen of the most interesting or relevant games for the week, or the most difficult to pick. You can make your picks on the website by going to the HUB menu, then Pick Em. On the FREE Ute Hub mobile app, tap Pick Em on the home screen.
I don’t have any predictions for the game but I do have some concerns that I will be watching for during fall camp.
1. Center of lines: Utah is returning all starters on the O Line, but the interior has gotten beaten badly the last two years. On the other side, Utah is replacing the 3 who got the most time at DT the last two years with people that didn’t beat them out. I don’t feel like Utah can control this game if there are camp injuries and/or mediocre performances between the Tackles.
2. Receivers: I need to hear repeatedly that they are making plays. Let me rephrase, I need to hear repeatedly that they are dominating the DB’s and making all the 50/50 plays. Even then I might not believe it. But I won’t feel good about this group if we’re just getting the standard so-an-so is looking good and starting to separate. I need to start hearing that multiple guys are uncoverable.
3. Health: Utah just can’t have another fall camp with multiple starters beat up. Granted, we won’t hear about camp injuries until late October. But if Parker spends the season limping off the field like Jackson did in 2023 or they have to start the season with the 3rd string Center it could get ugly in a hurry.
First game of the year is tough on everyone. On paper 2022 Utah was better than Florida and they laid an egg. I don’t see this years team having that same advantage on UCLA and Utah is notorious for limiting the play sheet game one so it will come down to execution. For me to believe that Utah can go down there and win handily, I need to hear that the offense is making the D look silly in camp. I trust Scalley to get his guys where they need to be when it matters. I haven’t had that same belief from the offense since 2004.
Being creative would be using Johnson as a decoy. I do not want to be predictable. I agree with you on that. However, using Johnson does not make us predictable IMO. Look at Vele in 2023. Look at what Weddle did for us. The ball does NOT and should not go to Johnson just because he is on the field.
If I had to guess at one cause, I’d say it’s the successful year they had down south.
Our 2023 was disappointing, but we were still the best team in the state. In 2024, we were not. That’s probably raised some blood pressure around here.
Yeah, in 2023 the ticket office charged $25 extra to print paper tickets. Last year, they wanted $50.
Very customer-unfriendly.
It isn’t that I disagree with many on this board who criticize Whitt’s decision making; but it can’t be emphasized enough that he went all in on a healthy Rising for 2024. I think how he handled 2023 deserves some scrutiny but if Rising is healthy in 2024 the U contends for the the league championship just as projected. I also think he and Ludwig simply missed on thinking Wilson was more prepared than it turned out. I think it’s that’s simple and I get it.
To your point on old school coaching and NIL, I think Whitt does understand that. It’s why Beck was hired. I think it’s a factor in Whitt’s pending retirement. Like Saban, I think Whitt struggles with how the game is changing. Hell, I’m struggling as a fan. I’m with MiamiUte and others who are evaluating carefully the next few years.
Utah @ 
UCLA 
