Every year there are guys who accomplish more than most expected. Who will they be in 2024 for our Utes?
My thoughts:
– Mike Mithcell – I am hearing good things about him, and he has put on some weight since spring ball. We really need one of our running backs to step up.
– O’Toole – He has always been on the cusp. However, injuries set him back. If he stays healthy – I think this will be his year. He could lead the conference in sacks.
– Tao Johnson – We know he will be starting at safety. But, because he has little experience at safety, he is underrated by local and national media. I think he could end up being an all-conferecne caliber player in 2024.
– Barton – What? How can he be considered a breakout player? He is considered one of our best players. Yet, he didn’t even make 4th team preseason all Big 12. Barton is a beast. If he stays healthy he could be an all-American linebacker.
I think we will see a breakout player on the offensive line too, maybe Fano or Kump.
Camp starts Monday. Go Utes!!!
I don’t know that our true freshman class adds a lot on the playing field this season. I don’t think that downgrades the class, I think it tells us how terrific our ones and twos are. Hunter Andrews, right now, is a linebacker. There is simply too much in front of him but he’s going to be a player. Davis Andrews is mission bound, if not already out. I think Cash Dillon has all kinds of potential as does Garcia but I don’t know that either of them see significant reps this season. Perhaps Garcia gets on the field. I do think the Washington kid has a chance to make the receiver rotation.
I like a few of our redshirt freshmen to impact this season. Caleb Lomu may start opposite Fano. Jonah Lea’ea is mentioned occasionally by coaches. Mitchell will be in the mix at running back and Zipperer should make the receiver rotation. All are redshirt freshmen. Others I think about are John Henry-Daley at D’End, CJ Blocker at corner (highly touted out of high school) and CJ Jacobsen. Does he get into the tight end rotation – again good size, weight seems to be getting better. CJ was another highly touted, highly recruited player and a legacy kid. I’m rooting for all of these players to see time.
Lots of talent throughout the program.
In most years, Utah football uses the run to set up the pass but I think it will be the other way this year. I believe we have the best WR group since the Sugar Bowl season, but both the run and the pass will require a better showing from the OL. If the OL does their job, both should be fine.
As for getting to opposing QB’s, I think the best options are Fano and O’Toole. Fillinger just seems a step slow and a little stiff. We will need a couple of young guys to step up and provide depth. There are a number of young guys on the roster.
How successful will we be at rushing and sacking opposing QBs this season?
On the one hand, we lost our best pass rusher, Ellis, to the NFL. We have also lost our best tackler, Damuni to an injury. These losses will hurt.
On the other hand, O’Toole should be 100%, and Fano sounds like he should be good to go. Add to them Fillinger and a couple of other guys. We should have excellent experience at D-end and our tackles are also experienced and talented. We have two amazing LBs in Barton and Reid.
I think we should have a very good season when it comes to QB sacks. Will it be our best in the Whitt era? Probably not, because we have had some great seasons. My guess is that we will average about 3 sacks per game as a team. We had 33 sacks (almost 3 a game) last season. Only once in the last decade did we average 4 sacks per game.
What do you guys think?
Philly, I would prefer that all P4 teams never play FCS teams. However, it does some good for the FCS teams. It is typically their biggest payday of the season.
I am glad this year that we have a chance to get some of our injured players some practice before playing the big boys. Rising, Kuithe, Barton, Fano, Bernard, and others need some real-time reps.
AND our Rush D will be paramount in the XII.
Excited to see how we fare in Stillwater against OG II & their veteran OL.
O’Toole gonna have that break out year I wanted last season. 2022 he had so many hurries and knock backs.
DL is going to be NASTY this year! Logan Fano being ready to go is huge news! Pair him up with Connor O’Toole on the other end and Van Fillinger…it’s all coming together!!
So, RB may be our best position group. (Kind of kidding)
I have never known Whitt to give anything away to the competition. Is he really going to tell the entire league, “Our biggest weakness is …” This doesn’t sound like Whitt to me.
Most all of us on here have agreed that the RB group is an unknown. Bernard is a proven back, Glover seemed to be improving, many say Mitchell will be a stud.
The best thing I heard in the presser was that Fano looks good.
DL is a question mark occasionally and is again this year.
In 2022 the front 4 got little pressure and Scalley had to blitz, a lot.
Who is going to get pressure off the edge this year? Fillinger hasn’t proven to be an alpha in 3 yrs, O’Toole has very little game experience/production and Fano is coming off his 2nd ACL.
We could well have someone step up like Elliss did last year, but that’s unknown at the present time.
