What Kyle Whittingham learned from Utah’s first scrimmage of fall camp

Utah approached its first of two fall scrimmages with a bit of caution.

The majority of the scrimmage for the first-teamers was “thud work” and didn’t include live tackling, with “live work” for the second-teamers.

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While there’s certainly time for physicality, and it’s something that Utah has incorporated into practices, coaches felt the best approach for the opening scrimmage of fall camp was to ease up on the starters and reduce the risk of injuries.

“We just felt it was the best approach for the first scrimmage,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “Twos got all the live work … so got some good teaching tape and I think we’re in a good place right now, 10 practices in after today and 15 more to go and we’ll be ready to play.”

The first scrimmage of fall camp is an important time for coaches and players alike, and after seeing the team in a game-like setting, roster decisions can start to be made.

That includes the wide receiver group.

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Receivers

Whittingham said Monday that it feels like they’ve identified the top seven or eight receivers, the ones that will travel with the team to road games and the receivers that Utah will sink all of their practice reps into as the team moves forward in fall camp.

One of those players is Larry Simmons, the post-spring transfer from Southern Miss. Quarterback Devon Dampier mentioned that Simmons, who caught 27 balls for 421 yards and a score last season, had a “very big day” during Saturday’s scrimmage.

At another key position battle —starting outside cornerback — Blake Cotton is emerging.

“Blake Cotton, I’d say he’s got the edge right now,” Whittingham said.

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The 6-foot-2, 190-pound UC Davis transfer totaled 25 tackles and two pass breakups a season ago and has been locked in a very competitive battle between Don Saunders, Rock Caldwell and others.

Whoever gets the nod will start opposite Scooby Davis at outside corner. Smith Snowden will play nickel, but also play on the outside at times when Utah plays two cornerbacks.

Running backs

Another place where the depth chart has been whittled down is at running back, where Washington State transfer Wayshawn Parker and New Mexico transfer NaQuari Rogers have established themselves at the two top running backs.

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Both players share a similar build — Parker is 5-foot-10, 206 pounds; Rogers is 5-10, 205 — and the longtime Utes coach described both players as having similar styles.

“They both do an outstanding job of picking up blitzes, they’re not afraid, they stick their nose in there,” he said. “They’re north and south guys, so they run behind their pads well, get upfield. They both have good hands, so they’re very similar. NaQuari just has more experience; Wayshawn’s just a sophomore.”

Parker ran for 735 yards and four touchdowns on 137 carries in his freshman season, while Rogers totaled 382 yards and five touchdowns on 74 carries his junior season.

“They’re interchangeable as the one. We’re also having some good production from Daniel Bray, Raycine Guillory a couple of freshmen that they have a lot of promise and of course Devon is like a running back back there at times, so he’s adding to what we’re doing and then we’ve got guys running the speed sweeps, the wide receivers that are supplementary,” Whittingham said.

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Those receivers that could factor into the running game include Nate Johnson and Hunter Andrews.

QB2

As far as the backup quarterback competition goes, Utah still hasn’t made a decision, but one will come soon, possibly after Friday’s second and final scrimmage at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The two contenders for the spot, sophomore Isaac Wilson and freshman Byrd Ficklin, both had their moments at Saturday’s scrimmage, but both also made mistakes, and the competition continues.

Wilson’s experience playing in nine games last season (1,510 yards, 10 TD, 11 INT, 56.4% completion) is working in his favor against Ficklin, who was impressive in high school but unproven at the collegiate level.

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“Obviously Isaac is the one that has the Division I experience, has helped him and will help him if he’s called upon this year. We’re not sure how Byrd will react in a game situation, just a true freshman, and so that works in Isaac’s favor as far as the experience factor,” Whittingham said.

Ficklin, meanwhile, has a game that more heavily incorporates the quarterback run and plays similarly to Dampier.

“Byrd is a guy that is very mature, doesn’t seem to flinch when his number’s called, when he gets his opportunities, and so whichever one emerges as the guy, we’ll have confidence in him,” Whittingham said.

At the defensive tackle position, where Utah will need some true freshmen to help out in the rotation, Whittingham highlighted Pupu Sepulona and Karson Kaufusi as standing out.

“They’re all doing things well and they’re all coming along and learning and getting better each day. We think that we’re going to have some real superstars emerge from that group,” Whittingham said.