Ja’Quinden 👋👋

[Anfernee]

“@mzenitz Utah running back Ja’Quinden Jackson has entered the transfer portal, @chris_hummer and I have learned for @247sports”

[DrahtUte]

He had a lot of potential but it was never realized. Bernard is the better back.

[RoboUte]

Bernard is probably one of my favorite Utes of all time but I’ll be willing admit Ja’Quinden has an x factor that he doesn’t. We certainly aren’t utilizing him correctly though. Bernard is the more valuable of the two for Utah, but it’s probably also our fault that that’s true.

[AZUTE]

After he got hurt in Vegas he completely disengaged from the team and game. Spent the rest of the game walking up and down the sidelines by himself.

Mentally he was already gone.

I guess money talks and BS walks

[Ute Dub]

Ouch. So much potential. His trend was 5 good runs a game, then 5 pretty decent runs while injured, then sit out the rest of the game.

I’m grateful go what he gave. I think Utah can replace his production.

[Utah5410]

I am dead. This one hurts.

[Anfernee]

What hurts is NLI as it currently stands. Rotten. What started out as a way for a player to make monies on his abilities while AT a school has turned into full-fledged, no oversight, no salary cap free agency. College football isn’t dead, but this a disease effecting every program. FOf the 186 scholarship G5-P5 transfers in 2023, 72 percent saw fewer snaps for their new team and 37 percent didn’t start a game this season. NIL money often comes with conditions, (win the starting jobs, snaps
etc) Many 19-21 year old (kids)getting bad advice from agents, coaches and boosters without their best interest in mind. It leaves many of them in limbo, never finding a team or getting lost on a roster they never should have gone to.

[The Miami Ute]

I agree… instead of calling them “athletes” they should really be called “mercenaries for hire.”. I have no problem with athletes monetizing their abilities but there should really be ground rules that protect both athletes and institutions. Right now, the script has flipped on its head and it’s all one way traffic for the athletes.

Now, before goes off and says something about how regular students can transfer whenever they want and go to any school they want, let’s be clear on the fact that athletes are not regular students. There’s a tremendous amount of resources, besides NIL, that are devoted to athletes and your normal student doesn’t get anything like that.

[Central Coast Ute]

I can’t stand that argument. An athlete gets a scholarship and has signed on with the team/school. If a regular student has a scholarship and switches schools, chances are they won’t have that scholarship.

[Tony (admin)]

Dang. Well, kick us while we’re down. I wonder what’s the next team he will be injured on.

[tarheelute]

Heading to SMU – according to 247.

247 Link

[The Miami Ute]

That was the rumor. I appreciate all he did for Utah football but oh well, on to the next guy. I wonder if they’re going to have some secret elixir at SMU that’s going to keep him healthy. Otherwise, he’s looking at another 500-700 yard season.

On a positive note, this could be a case of addition by subtraction. With JJ’s departure and his carries available, no other Utah RB should enter the portal.

[Tednab]

Thought this would be a big loss at first, I don’t see that anymore. Probably better for both sides, Best of luck to JJ, he played some good ball with us.

[Yergensen]

So, the credit JJ gets for playing with a high ankle sprain an entire season is the can’t stay healthy label and performance didn’t meet expectations? Guess he should have sat out and healed up fully.

This offense needs all the playmakers it can get and we just lost one.

[Ute2]

Agreed. Dont understand the ‘can’t stay healthy’ label.

One injury. This blows. NIL+transfer portal= blows.

[Ute2]

It just really sucks to see guys you’re a big fan of leave for the $$$.

[The Miami Ute]

I guess my point was that when he was actually featured and given major carries as a RB, he was in and out constantly. Again, maybe that was a feature of a poor Utah OL and play calling or maybe it’s a function of JJ not being able to handle the routine pounding that a RB has to take. As to his NFL future, in my view there’s little to no chance of that. There are so many RBs that are good in college that standing out is a tough nut to crack. Even a guy like John White IV didn’t even get a sniff of the NFL and we all remember how he killed it with the Utes.

[EagleMountainUte]

JJ, Glover or anyone else for that matter didn’t benefit because the passing game wasn’t a threat. Stacked boxes hurt him.

[Ute2]

It’s just that he had 1 injury this year which nagged him all year.

Thats different than going from a knee to an ankle to something else and always being nicked up.

[stbone]

It doesn’t really matter why he didn’t stay healthy, fact is, he didn’t. And, when he finally was healthy at the bowl game, he was reinjured in short order. RB is a position where durability is one of the top attributes. If you are a RB that can’t stay healthy, you aren’t that much of a RB. JJ’s career is pretty comparable to Luke Staley’s. Brilliant when healthy, just doesn’t have the body to withstand the abuse. Maybe we would get lucky and get a year out of him, but chances are, he would be hurt at a critical point.

Also, I don’t see why people are acting all sentimental about a player who clearly has less sentiment about the team than we do. Losing JJ sucks, but he never played at the level of TT, TJ, or ZM. The worst of having him leave is losing the chance to see what could have been.

[Ute2]

It matters a lot why he was in and out in terms of evaluating whether he’s injury prone or not.

He had a singular injury, the dreaded high ankle, which kept him in and out all year.

Thats different than going from a knee to a toe to a shoulder to a whatever and always being out that way.

And he is and elite talent…

[DataUte]

Craig James can pass the white powder for the secret elixir

[tarheelute]

When I first saw Ja’Quinden run, he reminded me of Eric Dickerson, both with a upright, darting running style. If he does end up at SMU, I expect they may see the similarities. Potential – who knows, JJ may not be able to pound it out. Dickerson had a running partner however, Craig the other half of the ‘Pony Express’.

Erik Dickerson’s Running: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClXMD5YgVwk

Not so fun fact: Unfortunately I had to watch Jim McMahon’s ‘Miracle’ last second touchdown pass to Clay Brown in the 1980 Holiday bowl, giving the Zoob’s their first bowl win (46-45) over SMU. Craig not Dickerson was the co-MVP with Jim McMahon.

McMahon’s Hail Mary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmeLZ-nGCFA

[noneyadb]

It’s time to #fireludwig. Need an OC that can develop QB’s, WR’s, RB’s and OL. Next year is going to be difficult. Rising better hope he can run better than before injury.

[Ute Dub]

Did you like Rising’s QB development? How about Tavion’ 21 TD development in 2021?

[2008 National Champ]

Help me with “Rising’s development”.

If we are talking one read and take off, that doesn’t really fit with development.

If we see the same guy in 2024 as 2021/22, making the same plays but also not making the same plays, did he really develop?

Rising has proven the ability to run Ludwig’s 1990’s vintage offense at a high level. From my 30,000 ft view, he does a good job with pre-snap reads and checking to an alternate play. Where he needs to improve, in my opinion only, is allowing the play to develop instead of locking in on his hot read. He got away with that alot in the past because he would check to Kuithe (and then Kincaid) for his hot read and he trusted them to make the play.

But if you watch Penix in the playoffs, you’ll see a guy who knows all of the routes, identifies where he thinks he will have single coverage pre-snap, and trusts ALL of his guys to get to where they are supposed to be. Once the ball is snapped, he is just confirming that what he saw was correct and gets the ball out. When Rising shows even a glimmer of that ability, I will say that he has developed.

[Ute Dub]

BACK TO BACK P12 CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Like, are we really having this conversation? Watch Yasmin’s TD against USC in the PAC 12 championship. Cam changes the play 3 times at the line of scrimmage and gets the ball to a playmaker for a TD. That’s development. That’s Ludwig and Cam. You never won anything before Ludwig except with Urb’s spread. And now you want that to change? You sound insane to me.
YOUR SCREEN NAME IS 2008 NATIONAL CHAMPS. THAT’S IN LARGE PART DUE TO ANDY LUDWIG!!!!!

[RedRocks]

I think you are missing the point of the statement/argument: “Development”

@cptmrgn05 is not saying Cam is not a good quarterback, merely that there has not been much development.

Cam was a great QB when he first started playing at Utah. However, he arguably never really improved or developed in any significant way. His weaknesses/strengths from his first few games at Utah were still weaknesses/strengths in his most recent Utah games.

In response to your post below about Penix and Cam, ESPN shows that Cam’s numbers have remained largely the same from year to year (admittedly with some improvement).

I am in no way saying that Cam is not a great QB. I am glad he is returning.

[Ute Dub]

The premise of the original poster is that Ludwig needs to be fired because he can’t develop QB’s. Rising was not a top 10 QB before Ludwig and now he is. Is that not literal QB development? Cam was a non starter at Texas, sat at Utah for two years as a redshirt and then medical redshirt and somehow became really good because of himself only, according to you foolish logic. That’s your argument. But that’s not what Cam says about Ludwig.

[Ute Dub]

I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE YOU USED MICHAEL PENIX JR AS AN EXAMPLE. Let’s look at this dude’s long-ass 6-year QB development.
2018 – completed 21 passes
2019 – completed 110 passes
2020 – completed 124 passes
2021 – completed 87 passes
2022 – completed 362 passes
2023 – completed 307 passes ESPN LINK
This is the progression you and other Ute fans want Ludwig to develop in 1 year’s time, right?

Now compare that to Cam’s 3-year progression with Ludwig. It looks like Cam is right on track: https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4362075/cameron-rising

[RoboUte]

An OC will never wildly succeed at Utah under Whitt. Ludwig isn’t doing well and he’s the best we’ve had by a long shot. We absolutely cannot do better at current. We know what the OC carousel looks like at this point. A bunch of guys who all end up looking curiously similar to one another who, entirely coincidentally I’m sure, end up parting ways with the team after about two or three years.

Any OC that comes in right now is on notice to prove themselves to Scalley TBH. And after Scalley just carried Ludwigs stinking corpse of an offense to 8 wins like Forest Gump carried Bubba in ‘nam Ludwig knows it damn sure ain’t going to be him.

[Ute Dub]

Last season, Utah was second in the conference in scoring, behind USC. Good hell, how quickly have we forgotten the past seasons of great football:

https://static.pac-12.com/sports/football/pdf/2022/Pac-12_FB_Stats.pdf

[RoboUte]

“how quickly have we forgotten the past seasons of great football”

Not quite as quickly as we’ve forgotten the bad ones, apparently. Four days is an impressive turnaround though. If I ever need to forget my own birthday, or my last name, or the color of grass I’ll DM you for pointers.

[Ute Dub]

Ok. I will. And make sure you don’t fire your wife if she has a minor fender bender because the car breaks failed, unexpectedly. Especially if she won Geico driver of the year, the previous two years and would have this year, if it weren’t for some fluke car injury, none of which was her fault.

[RoboUte]

“make sure you don’t fire your wife”

Ah so in this metaphor Whittingham is the wife, that’s very cute and sweet and definitely not a disturbing window into the way you view your relationship with our coach…

Furthermore, my wife works for free, as it were. But if it was the case that my wife was merely my employee and I paid her $5 Million a year to drive well then yes, she might be getting fired. Especially when the “car injury” (lmao) effecting our season was extremely her fault because we had money to buy another car entirely and 4 more cars in the garage that she refused to even put tires on… for several years, which is odd because we have a full time mechanic in the garage who we pay $2 million a year to be able to do things like put tires on cars.

[Ute Dub]

Don’t divorce her, in other words. Also, the OP said fire Ludwig.

[RoboUte]

The wife and the mechanic are having an affair so they’re a package deal. And the wife has really let herself go and will be divorcing you in about a year, so everything will work out. We just start hitting the titty bar at this point.

[Ute Dub]

😂

[UteBacker]

I’m sorry to see that potential walk out the door, but as of today, that’s all it was. Poor guy couldn’t get healthy.

[Ghost of the HEB]

Well wishes to Ja’Quinden. Let’s not forget the peculiar journey he’s had. JJ was a high 4* QB from Dallas. Redshirted a season at Texas. Decided to transfer to Utah with full intentions of playing QB with his best friend at RB. Never got to step on a field with him. Became close with A-Lowe, whose life was also cut short 10 months later. Waited patiently all 2021 as backup QB. Watched a walk-on get put in over him at the Rose Bowl. Stayed with the team. Trusted the coaches and switched positions. Became an integral part of the 2022 Pac-12 championship team. Played through injury all of 2023. Now heading to make a good paycheck and play a year in his hometown with some local guys. Hope he balls out and gets a shot in the league.

[Yergensen]

Amen, JJ gave a lot to this team. Once a Ute, always a Ute.

[RoboUte]

For sure. Except Samson Nacua, he can turn his jersey in.

[Anfernee]

Ghost, my fear before Vegas Bowl was more guys bolting. And then the outcome was the worst possible one for that IMO
Any more legit dudes gonna transfer out? We gonna get some to come here? Very unsettling right now.

[Ghost of the HEB]

Yeah, that wasn’t the best momentum builder to kick off the offseason. No idea why Whitt decided that game was Bryson’s no matter what. Having that mentality in the AZ game rubbed some people the wrong way. Judging by tweets from some parents and players, it appears to have not been a unanimously popular decision once again. No imminent news regarding starters that I’m aware of. King kicked the tires a bit, but it appears he has bought into the 2024 Cam offense vision. Was some smoke about a byu-p WR moving up North but it’s been all quiet there. UW WR Taeshaun Lyons is a priority target. Auburn QB Robby Ashford is scheduled to visit. The Georgia push on Isaac Wilson the day before NSD was a real threat. Luckily, that didn’t become another blow.

[RoboUte]

As far as QB decision making goes I’m pretty sure some genius at BYU has figured out the real life version of inception and is beaming the dumbest s**t possible directly into Whitt’s head. This ridiculous explanation is somehow less far fetched than the idea that a coach who deserves a statue out in front of the stadium would be making a nearly year long string of decisions that can best be described as sabotage. But here we are.

“Judging by tweets from some parents and players, it appears to have not been a unanimously popular decision once again” and yo deets on some of those.

[RoboUte]

I hope he balls out and gets some NFL money.

[EagleMountainUte]

JJ was one of the good ones. Really hurts to see him leave because Utah lost a leader and a great talent again.

Offense is trending towards something. Utah coaches have a lot of work to do.

The first thing is getting a QB coach. Feel like it is a must at this point.

[SteelUte]

Bummer- it is a loss. He had a lot of potential and was maybe asked to shoulder more of a load than he could carry this year. Switched positions for us, He fought all year through injury. Admire his toughness and wish him well. Sad to see him go. I think we’re seeing the dying embers of the TJAL 22 love.

[Ute in Chatt]

Well, I was hoping he could have one more year as a Ute. We worked his butt off, but things never opened up for him as much as they should have. When you’re run-happy people, know what you’re going to do. I was always hoping he could get to full speed a couple of times a game. I wish him well and I think SMU will be a contender in the ACC vs. a pretender if they keep pouring out the nNIL money.

[Utes 69]

Run up the right side and then limp off the field last five or six games. Not a very durable back for his size get a new back and OC. Bernard should have started and played way more than he did in the bowl game

[RoboUte]

That’s weird I was told that definitely no one on the team cared about the QB situation and that it’d have absolutely no effect on our team by a good number of people on this board. Hmmm…

This young man has that x-factor that only comes around so often, unfortunately he’s also apparently not very durable. I actually hope he goes somewhere and plays QB, because whatever our program sold him on who can and cannot be a good QB should be discounted as absolute bulls**t.

[Charlie]

I need to take umbrage with the description of absolute. There have been a few QBs at Utah with the question of athlete or QB. Some HS QBs have had all conference years at other positions. Some QBs have been encouraged to look at other positions. Some have left the program to continue the QB role other places. I am wondering how many QBs that left were actually the best QB in the room at that point? Possibly NJ or JaQuinden could be exceptions in the future. But absolutely I think coaches that attend practice every day will be a better judge of potential over someone that does not attend practice.

[RoboUte]

“I think coaches that attend practice every day will be a better judge of potential over someone that does not attend practice.”

Me too, but then I watched our 2023 season. After this experience I’m left with no doubt that if a blind monkey in a BYU shirt threw darts at a wall of QB related options written by the bitter spirit of Lavell Edwards we’d have probably emerged from this season with no less than 7 wins and as many as 9. Also I’m thumbs upping you purely for the use of the word umbrage, you’re a lexical powerhouse.

[Charlie]

I suppose I was thinking Hansen and Covey were correctly encouraged to consider a position change away from QB. Because I could not recall a QB encouraged to change that went on to success elsewhere I was falling short of absolute. I have heard Whitt discuss the value of HS QB as athletes because often the best athlete on the team is asked to play QB. Many HS QB are not college QBs. Clearly, mistakes can be made but many HS QBs go on to great success in other positions. In HS an athlete can play QB with poor throwing skills paired but awesome running skills. No doubt it is desirable to have these awesome running skills on the team. Why not try to develop the throwing skills? Coaches can make mistakes, however from my experience, often an athlete can insist on being a QB to their own determent. I simply have nothing but games to form an opinion on recent QBs which is not enough for me. If NJ or Ja’Quinden play better then the future Utah QBs remind me to be more skeptical. It could also be said that Utah’s QB situation has been hurt by trying to play athletes at QB, but I would disagree. It takes a lot of practice time to assess an athlete as a QB but I would not move away from the pursuit.

[RoboUte]

All true. I think the rule is that QBs move to other positions for exactly the reasons you outlined. My point isn’t that what was told to Ja’quinden wasn’t generally sound advice, or likely even correct advice, it’s that it came from a source that I now have every reason to discount as credible. Heck, I wonder if Bryson Barnes should be playing another position.

[Charlie]

It is always a gamble even at the middle school and HS level. The same gamble around very good QBs that stay healthy looks good but when all the good QBs have injuries it can look bad. Thompson, Jackson and NJ all have skills you want on a team beyond QB but they all seemed unlikely to become QB1 at a ranked school. Barnes, I don’t know. It appears his greatest quality was determination. Projects on the team are fine but in the world of NIL a project and top level NIL may not be so compatible to anyone but quite a gambler.

[The Miami Ute]

Charlie, to what do you attribute JJ’s inability to make it at the QB position? He was, after all, the #7 nationally ranked HS QB of the 2020 class. Do you think that the coaching staff gave up too quickly on him as a QB given Rising’s presence? I didn’t think so at the time but, given the experience we’ve just had with Johnson, I’m no longer sure.

[Charlie]

Only a guess. In HS a QB can go very far with simple physical skills. As a duel threat QB it is easy to see his running ability may be his best skill. College will demand good decision making that needs to be quick. Possibly that was not developed in HS as running skills alone can bail him out. My thought was Rising and the following QBs paired with Jackson as RB was viewed as a greater package than Jackson at QB with the Utah RBs. Maybe he could have played QB but that does not create the best package. He does seem to be more RB than QB. His need was not just to be a QB but to be QB1. That would not be even possible until Rising’s departure.

[Charlie]

Sad to loose a RB but in today’s world of NIL he is very hard to value against risk management. The potential is clearly very high, however he runs violently in a way that has a high likelihood of injury. An option with less risk would be a RB that avoids direct contact with quickness. As for the NIL investment, it can go to zero in a single play. It is possible that other teams may be more willing to gamble high NIL on a high risk investment. Utah may have viewed the NIL package more in line with that of Bernard and Glover and would not likely go max on all three. Maybe Rising uses up the budget for high risk of injury NIL investment. Utah, I think, will be more of a development program than a max NIL program with only a few exceptions.

[OmahaOmaha]

Is he a graduate transfer? If so, can’t blame a guy that wants to finish his career at home with a few extra dollars in his pocket. I’d bolt too so my parents could see my last year as a college player.

[Andy]

I hate this. While He was injured most of the year and even in the bowl game he was absolutely the best offensive player we had this year. It kills me that he is leaving this team, not what Ty and Aaron would have wanted in my opinion. I’m really not liking the direction that college athletics is going with the wild wild west of transfers and NIL. It bugs me especially that someone was in his ear about $$$ even though he was “committed” to a team and on their roster. In any other league that is what we would call “tampering”, but apparently legal now.

A great coach once said “I wish him nothing”

[TX_UTE]

JJ was a trooper and will be missed but if correct that SMU is his destination, he’s heading to his hometown team with a small but so well-heeled alumni base that they were able to join the ACC and forgo TV money for nine years! Wish him all the best and as always, Go Utes!

[belli1976]

I appreciate what JJ did for the Utes.

My thoughts are that he may recognize his durability issues. Getting paid at SMU helps him financially for the rest of his life. Plus the AAC will have smaller defensive players than the Big12.

I hate the NIL, but he is taking advantage of it. I have to respect the guy, purely as a capitalist.

[2008 National Champ]

SMU will be in the Atlantic Coast next year, not the American Athletic. He will play against the same P5 caliber defenses that he did in the PAC

[RustyShackleford]

This will get downvoted but screw him. Coaches bent over backwards developing him and fans embraced the hell out of him. How much is your integrity worth? I wish him nothing.

[The Miami Ute]

I wouldn’t go that far but understand your sentiment. It’s one thing to leave early to go to the NFL and quite another to chase dollars at another university and possibly become a future opponent. Once any Utah player enters the portal and goes to another university, he becomes just that, a player at another university.

[belli1976]

You’re right Rusty. None of us have ever changed companies or jobs to make more money.

The college sports of old are no longer.

[The Miami Ute]

How many of us have had a company invest tens of thousands of dollars in training and benefits so that once we finish training we can go to the highest bidder? Guarantee you not too many because you normally a contract to get all those bennies and training. I’m also personally sick of the argument that all of these athletes got to where they are in proficiency by themselves alone. They didn’t.

[The Miami Ute]

How many of us have had a company invest tens of thousands of dollars in training and benefits so that once we finish training we can go to the highest bidder? Guarantee you not too many because you normally a contract to get all those bennies. I’m also personally sick of the argument that all of these athletes got to where they are in proficiency by themselves alone. They didn’t.

[RustyShackleford]

Not the same thing at all

[lgt4141]

Is this not the new reality of college football? How many fanbases right now are disappointed that a certain player from their team entered the transfer portal? How many transfer players are we excited to see come to Utah and the fan bases of their old school are sad to see them go?

The transfer portal reminds me that I am spending my entertainment budget on 20 year old kids playing football and I can’t let myself get too wrapped up in their decisions. I love watching them play but life still goes on. I do still believe that the Utah culture will help Utah navigate the portal in the best way possible.

[lgt4141]

Is this not the new reality of college football? How many fanbases right now are disappointed that a certain player from their team entered the transfer portal? How many transfer players are we excited to see come to Utah and the fan bases of their old school are sad to see them go?

The transfer portal reminds me that I am spending my entertainment budget on 20 year old kids playing football and I can’t let myself get too wrapped up in their decisions. I love watching them play but life still goes on. I do still believe that the Utah culture will help Utah navigate the portal in the best way possible.