The second week of Utah Fall Camp began on Monday morning at the Eccles Football Facility with a spirited practice. It was a practice that saw a much better effort from the Utah Offense than what was seen on Friday afternoon. Head Coach Kyle Whittingham was pleased with the way things evolved on Monday Morning. Here’s Whittingham with the media following practice on Monday Morning.
Add One and Subtract One for the Year
Junior College Linebacker Bryant Pirtle is in camp and going through the acclamation process with Utah Football. Pirtle, the Pima CC transfer, arrived on Saturday afternoon. Whittingham says that Pirtle will compete at LB and could potentially get a look rushing the passer.
Whittingham announced Monday morning that junior running back Devontae Henry-Cole will miss the season with an arm injury that will require surgery. The injury was pre-existing and did not occur this fall. Utah still remains deep at the running back spot with Zack Moss, Armand Shyne, TJ Green and freshman Devin Brumfield all vying for carries.
Utah Wide Outs
The most competitive group in Camp Kyle through five days continues to be the wide receivers group. Utah has roughly 10-11 guys competing for the 6-8 spots. Monday at Camp Kyle was another good day for the WR’s. In 1 on 1 passing drills with a defensive back, the Utah Wide Outs won those battles time and again. Covey, Field and Simpkins were outstanding getting off the line and bump coverage. Mariner, Boyd and Enis showed great strength in traffic and tight coverage. The best catch of the day came from Jaylen Dixon with a defensive back all over him in the back of the end zone, he not only made the catch but also got a foot in bounds. Here is the Siaosi Mariner following Monday’s Practice.
Tyler Huntley
As each day goes by at Fall Camp, the QB picture becomes more and more clear. Tyler Huntley is not just the best QB on the roster but also looks more and more comfortable running the offense and making decisions. Huntley, who is visibly bigger than a year ago, has no hesitation in his game or decision making this fall. Last year you could see him thinking through plays, this year it looks much more instinctual. Through five days of practice Huntley’s top two targets appear to be Siaosi Mariner and Demari Simpkins, both outside receivers. When he looks inside it’s Covey and Dixon. Huntley has always carried himself with confidence, now that confidence comes with a full year of experience in the Troy Taylor system. Here’s Tyler Huntley following practice on Monday with the Media.
Troy Taylor
Following Day Five, Utah Offensive Coordinator Troy Taylor joined my show from the balcony overlooking the Utah Practice Fields. I spoke to Taylor about Huntley, His Running Back Situation, The Offensive Line and Year 2 vs. Year 1. Here’s the complete conversation with Troy Taylor.
3 Guys Who Caught My Eye
1. Jaylen Dixon-He hasn’t been talked about a ton this fall camp, but he is definitely in the mix for a Top 6 spot. On Monday he made the catch of the day in tight coverage in the back of the end zone. Dixon’s combination of speed and quickness will be a useful tool in the slot for Troy Taylor.
2. Jake Jackson-Utah’s most experienced Tight End had a couple of nice grabs in both One on One and Red Zone drills this morning. It’s unclear right now how big a part of the Offense the Tight Ends will be this year, but today Jackson was a standout.
3. Jaylon Johnson-There has been a lot of talk about Julian Blackmon so far this fall, deservedly so. Johnson has had nearly as good a camp so far. The sophomore from Fresno was outstanding in coverage on Monday in both One on One and 11 on 11 situations. Johnson and Blackmon might be as good a pair of corners as there are in the Pac 12.
