Steve Bartle interview

[ProudUte]

He is hosting an NIL golf tourney this coming Friday at Eaglewood. A number of players will be there and be part of every foursome. You can join at acrrossthegreenu.com
Utah landed three-star Ashtin Lopes as we know. He has played safety the last few years but his growth (6’3″ 210 pounds) has led him to move to linebacker. He plays at St. Johns Bosco (a great HS program).
We now have seven commitments for the 2024 class.
He said they lost a couple of possible recruits last week, but overall things are looking good for the 2024 class.
Lamar Radcliffe, a RB out of Sacramento will be announcing this Saturday. Bartle thinks that Utah has a very good chance to get this kid. His top three are Oregon, USC, and Utah. He is 6’2″ and 225 pounds. He got injured last year and missed most of his junior year.
A top DL recruit out of Bountiful could announce any week now.
Bill and Steve are surprised that USC got 18 of 18 first-place votes from 247 Sports. Bartle thinks USC will have the best record during the regular season but Utah will win the conference championship.
Bartles’s top 5 are USC, Utah, Oregon, OSU, and UW. He is not as high on UW as some others are.
Utah has the best defense any team in the PAC12 will face this season.
USC has helped themselves on defense, but will not be significantly better. However, their offense is amazing.

[D T]

IF UW beats us & USC [conveniently missed both last year], I’ll be impressed.

Besides barely beating UO, what did they accomplish last year? I mean, they freaking lost to ASU of all teams!!

[Utah]

Oregon State is the same. They lost to USC, UW and us. 

[HoosierUte]

https://acrossthegreenu.com/

[EagleMountainUte]

Kind of surprised by the comments about the defense. I really think 2023 is going to be special.

I just hope Utah has the special teams to match it. I am not super high on the offense other than the Oline and Rb which primarily that is because JJ.  

[Ute2]

Those are the most important part. They could make you pass catchers look reallll good.

Fwiw, I think our stable of pass catchers is probably as good as it’s ever been in awhile I think…
And if bridges pans out and can come be a Darrin Carrington, then that group suddenly looks Realllly solid. Fingers crossed!

Vele
Cope
Parks
Pittman
IU transfer whose name escapes me

Yasmin
Kuithe!

That’s not a bad group all in all compared to our all time history…. It’s deep.

Bridges****

[Ute2]

2014 was better. That was a ballin’ group really…

Clay multi year nfl guy
Timmy Patrick.. still there
Dres Anderson, son of Flippper
K Scott had the size and body fit days

I know the TEs were decent too.
Fakialoatonga
Wes Tonga?
Jake Murphy too?

I think this is probs the best sense then top to bottom… at least at wide receiver

[Duhwayne]

2014 and 2015 were some of my all time favorite teams.

[Ute2]

Right?!?!

That turn from two 5-7 seasons to beating usc and Michigan, taking the race for the division all the to week 11 with our fate in our own hands was really something. What a turn.

I still have Booker as my RB goat even though maybe I shouldn’t. But he was on a per game basis every bit as boss as moss and he was the offense. Most impactful single Ute in the Pac-12 era I think.

[Central Coast Ute]

Personally, I think Booker was the better back. Moss was here all 4 years so he has the records, but I give the slight edge to Booker.

[Ute2]

Yup. Booker had like 2 shortened seasons.

2014 he didn’t start until game 5.
2015 he ducked out a few games early with an injury.

[2008 National Champ]

Agreed. Not to take anything away from Moss but Booker was so much more effective as a receiver and was a threat to take any carry to the house. Moss was so good at getting more out of any play than initially seemed possible but was limited to swing passes in the receiving game.

It’s really 1A and 1B with White close behind.

[Charlie]

We have a smaller than usual list of open items which encourages me. We also have possibilities for each open item, we just need to see the outcomes. QB is a big open item, however at the start of 2021 we really didn’t know what we had in Rising. Can Rose or Johnson be a similar unknown? Two possibilities to get one is good odds. We don’t know that we have an all conference RB but we might and we have solid 2,3 and 4 that may make the best RB room in the conference. If Kuithe returns to form the TE group will be very good. I like our young WRs and transfers, I feel this group has their arrow pointing up. Our cover teams on special teams have not been as expected but I feel it may be because our kickers have been giving advantage to our return enemies. I think Becker will solve half that problem, I don’t know what to expect from our punter. If our possibilities are mostly realized in these open items our defense will carry us through. I am hoping we can play a all the guys on our depth chart the first 6 games up to USC, win without difficulty, and be fresh for the second half. If OSU is the only team to press us in those 6 we are in good shape in that Oregon, Washington, and USC all have tough games in their second half. We just need the usual couple of developments that are better than expected.

[AZUTE]

The thing that’s helping Utah with Radcliffe is OU and USC both see him as more of a LB where Utah is recruiting him as a RB which is where he wants to play.

Also and maybe more important is his Mom absolutely loves Utah.

[chinngiskhaan]

I love big running backs. They are very effective in College football.