My (too early) look at 2024 Utah football

[ProudUte]

It is way too early because we have not had spring practice yet and we know there will be more guys entering the portal and coming in from the portal before practice starts in late July. But, I love Utah football …

Our best weapons

Getting Kuithe and Rising back is great news. These two guys are All-Pac12 players with a ton of experience. If they remain healthy – amazing things could happen.

Our starting three linebackers are All-Conference caliber players with athleticism and experience. I can’t imagine any team in the Big 12 with linebackers like these guys. (We did lose a lot of our backups to the portal, so there is some concern there.)

Our tight end room has now become a strength again. Kuithe is back, we have added Ryan, and King is showing some improvement.

As far as I know – our entire coaching staff is coming back. Continuity is a wonderful thing.

Cautiously optimistic

Our defensive line showed moments of greatness. But, we lost our star to the NFL. We do have a lot of experienced talent coming back. If Fano and Pepa become healthy, our Dline could be great.

With the addition of Lyons – our receivers may be pretty good. Money Parks is a good wide receiver and if Pittman can ger healthy and live up to his potential – we may have the weapons we need to have a very good passing game. Also, keep in mind that Kuithe plays a lot of receiver. There are also rumors that we may get another receiver from the portal. I hope so because you need depth at WR.

Our kicker and punter are back and both had a good season.

Development needed but could be very good

The offensive line lost its two best players. We have some good players ready to step in and some top recruits in the last two seasons. I hope these guys can develop into a cohesive group.

We lost our best running back in Jackson. But, we have Bernard and Glover back. We brought in Woods from Idaho. We had some good reccruits from the 2023 class. Hopefully, these new guys can develop.

Cornerback could be very good for the Utes if the recruits from 2023 step up (Snowden and Blocker). We have added Kenan Johnson from Georgia Tech. How quickly can he learn our system and be productive? Where will Tao play?

Our backup QB situation is still a concern. We all saw what happened last season when we were not prepared with a backup QB. I love what I see from Isaac Wilson, but I would hate to see him thrown out there too soon. Is Rose our backup in 2024? Will we get the kid from Auburn? Is there someone else out there?

We took a big hit, but …

It is never good to lose two NFL draft picks at one position in the same year. Bishop and Vaki are studs. However, Scalley and Whitt have always done an amazing job of developing safeties. We have Ritchie and Hall coming back. Tao will likely move to safety and now we have Gilman from Stanford. It’s hard to imagine that we will be better, but for some reason, I am not terribly worried.

Worst case for the 2023 Utes IMO – 8-4.
Best case for the 2024 Utes – 12-0 (Thers is not a game on the schedule that we cannot win. In fact, we may be predicted to win them all. But, we have some serious development to do before we open the season this September.

I will reserve any actual prediction until this summer when we know much more.

[tanute3]

Offensive line is currently my biggest question mark. We have the guys and the talent, but they’re young. Typically younger lines tend to struggle a bit until they all gel… If they come together as hoped, watch out. If we have similar production as last year, I think we drop a couple games. I’m hopeful

[ProudUte]

I think this is a fair assessment. However, we do have three starters coming back and another two who have started. We also have a 4-star tackle from the 2023 class and another four-star tackle from the 2024 class. I suspect it will take a few games for these guys to get it figured out, but I am hopeful they will.

[Andy]

The killer is that every off-season we hear “this is the best o-line we’ve ever had” and at least for the first 6 games it’s just a constant cluster. The Oline definitely scares me a bit this next season.

[Ute Dub]

An O-line can be helped out by good QB play. If the defense stacks the box and isn’t afraid of getting burned by the QB, it makes the o-line job a lot more difficult. Additionally, if the featured back is banged up and the backup crashes his scooter and is out, that will make the appearance of the O-line play worse. Whenever I hear people gripe about the O-line play without referencing how players grade, I assume it’s a casual fan comment. 5 guys can’t block 6 and if a 2nd string TE or 2nd string RB misses a block, then thats’s not on the O-line but the casual fan will see it that way. I wish we could get the O-line grades before throwing out blanket statements. End of rant.

[Zigziggler]

Completely agree! All the points you have made, appear to have been resolved by guys coming back from injury, transfer portal etc. I am really optimistic about the changes that have been made. I am also really excited about the new conference. I have no doubt that we will be there at the top, and continue to build our brand and be one more attractive to recruits.

[Ute Dub]

It will be fun getting to know the new fan bases.

[Charlie]

As the running game and passing game returns to normal, the OL will look much improved.

[Utah]

So much this. Our OL was at such a huge disadvantage last year.

[Utegator]

I’m hoping the poor o line play was because they knew we were trying to run it up the middle every play.

[stbone]

I don’t doubt that this was the best group of 10 OL we have had. I think our problem lay in the fact that none of our starters was lights-out dominant (I still dream of Bolles and Bam stealing souls). I am hoping Fano/Lomu will develop into that.

[DataUte]

But even Bolles, as great as he was, was good for a holding call or two every game. Didn’t really clean that up until his 3rd year in the league.

[stbone]

That is a really good point. Watching him play in college was both extremely satisfying and infuriating.

[ArcheryUte]

More smoke on possibly Singer announcing today. I’ve tried to approach this as a pessimist as the rumors have spread, but you can only read so much before you get your hopes up. It would be a HUGE get. Fingers crossed.

[RedUte14]

where did you read this from?

[UtesRule]

I heard it from Steve Bartle on Riley’s podcast (just finished it)!

REALLY hopeful!!!

[Redblood]

As in committing today, or more smoke today for his eventual commitment?

[UtesRule]

Hopeful for a commitment this weekend, if not today.

[Onlyu]

What if it’s already happened and they’re just waiting for him to announce 🤔

[tanute3]

.

[UtesRule]

That would be fantastic!!

[MFury]

I think the piece that worries me is not just what has already been said, but combined with lack of a true “between the tackles, pound the rock” RB. Bernard is great (especially wide and in space) and Glover has shown flashes of brilliance.

But both are a bit undersized and will allow the opposing D to scheme against speed and spread, while being less concerned about the Oline creating gaps paired with a smashmouth RB.

[2008 National Champ]

Utah doesn’t need a true “between the tackles, pound the rock” RB. I’d much rather see them find or develop a Miles Gaskin type. Someone who always makes the first guy miss, keeps his feet under him in tight quarters and can turn a no gain into 8 yards with regularity. They had one in Ty Jordan but that didn’t work out long term.

Bernard has shown glimpses but always seemed to be playing hurt. He tore up the parochial school in 21 when no one else could get it done but then got killed the next game after an ole block and Thomas took advantage.

[Anfernee]

Goddammit, Only-U Kanobi! Giving me the jitterbugs!