Thursday saw Day 2 of Camp Kyle for Utah Football at the Eccles Football Center. Much like Day 1 it was full of good energy per Head Coach Kyle Whittingham. The install of the offense continued for Troy Taylor, with Tyler Huntley continuing to lead the way at the QB1 spot. Here’s Kyle Whittingham with the media following Day 2.
Offensive Line Coming Together
The Utah Offensive line returns 4 starters from last year’s group and one open slot for this fall. Whittingham and Troy Taylor have both remarked that they are in the process of trying to find the best 5 guys to play together. Really what that means is they are trying to find a 5th guy and where they need to slot him in at the guard position. The two tackle and center positions seemed relatively set right now. The leading candidate early in Camp to take that 5th spot is redshirt freshman Nick Ford (6-5/315). Ford told me that he is comfortable playing on either the left or right side. I caught up with Ford after Day 2 and here’s the conversation. Whittingham says they’ll have a better feel for the Offensive Line sometime next week after the pads go on.
Youngsters Stepping Up on Day 2
A number of newcomers to Utah Football are making plays in practice early in Camp. On Thursday, a number of true freshmen stepped up. Nickel Back Malone Mataele, Defensive End Blake Kuithe, Wide Receiver Solomon Enis and Running Back Devin Brumfield all had moments on Thursday afternoon in 11 on 11 drills. How much they’ll impact in games this year is still to be determined, but they haven’t wasted anytime in making an impact and impression in practice.
Tyler Huntley’s Team
A year ago at this time Tyler Huntley was enjoying a good fall camp with very little fanfare or pressure. Most thinking that it would be Troy Williams getting the nod as starter. This fall all eyes are squarely on the junior from Hallendale, Florida. It’s very apparent that Huntley has put in the work this offseason. He is visibly bigger and stronger, with a real sense of ease and confidence on the field. Teammates have commented that he appears even sharper than last year. In addition to his play on the field, Huntley is clearly the leader of the offensive unit. On Thursday, he was leading from the sidelines when the 2nd and 3rd teams were on the field. Huntley has always been a lead by example guy, he now appears to be leading with his voice too. Here is Tyler Huntley with the media after Day 2.
3 Guys That Caught My Eye
1. Julian Blackmon-Great Day in Coverage. Leading by example. Defensive play of the day, breaking up a pass from Huntley to Mariner in man coverage downfield.
2. Devin Brumfield-Freshman RB buried on the depth chart showed a couple nice bursts running the ball.
3. Tyler Huntley-Very Vocal with backup QB’s from sidelines. Looked very good on the field too. Sharp!
