It's encore time for the Utah Utes.
Less than 10 weeks after capping an undefeated season with a 31-17 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, they're back at it again.
The Utes open spring practices today.
"There is no down time," said head coach Kyle Whittingham. "But if we have this problem every year, it would be just fine with us."
To keep the good times rolling, though, Utah has a couple of vacancies to fill.
Topping the list is finding a replacement for quarterback Brian Johnson, who claimed Most Outstanding Player honors in his final game with the Utes.
"It's the biggest question mark," Whittingham said. "The quarterback position is so important to any football team and having that guy in place is so critical."
Utah's cupboard isn't bare, he added, with four strong candidates competing for the job.
Junior Corbin Louks, who was Johnson's backup last season, is the early frontrunner. Junior college transfer Terrance Cain, redshirt freshman Devonte Christopher and true freshman Jordan Wynn round out the contenders.
All of the players are enrolled in school and will participate in spring practices.
The cupboard isn't bare, Whittingham noted, so it'll be a case of just finding someone to emerge from the pack.
"We are going to find out about all these guys," he said while pointing out that Louks will go in taking snaps with the first unit. "It's an open competition. By no means is anything solidified."
As such, there's no timetable to name a starter.
"We're not going to make a decision until we are sure," Whittingham said. "If that means we continue the competition in the fall, then so be it."
In a perfect scenario, though, the Utes would prefer to have the depth chart solidified before spring ball is complete.
"All four guys are going to get a shot. We're going to look at all of them," Whittingham said. "Obviously the upperclassmen have the upper hand with Corbin's experience here and Terrance's experience at the junior college."
Even so, the others are still very much in the mix.
"It's going to be a situation where we are going to go with the best guy," Whittingham continued. "Experience just gives you a head start. It doesn't win the job for you." Louks, the only quarterback in the group with any experience at college football's top level, understands the situation.
"I definitely want to solidify myself as the No. 1 guy and just prove to my team that we're going to pick this thing up and keep going," he said.
Louks, who believes getting his reps and improving each day are the keys to his success, isn't lacking in confidence.
"I'd say it's my job to lose coming into it. I feel like it should be my job," he said. "I'm obviously going to get pushed. We've had great guys recruited and they've been recruiting great guys every year. So I'm excited and it's going to be a fun spring."
Louks appeared in nine games last season, rushing for 218 yards with three touchdowns on 27 carries and completing four passes for 104 yards.
The limited action, he added, isn't a problem.
"I wouldn't say it was tough because we had a dream season. We were very blessed — going 13-0 and winning the Sugar Bowl — so I was very excited about that," Louks said. "It would have been nice to see some more time. Yeah, it would have been nice. But I can't complain. Brian is a great quarterback. He had an amazing season. So I can't complain about anything."
As Johnson's understudy, Louks learned a thing or two.
"Definitely. You always learn from the guys who are above you," Louks explained. "He taught me how to study film and really prepare for a game."
Leadership is another attribute Louks believes he has in his arsenal. He's determined to exemplify it with continued hard work.
"You either got it or you don't," Louks said. "It's one of those qualities."
A variable, no doubt, that the coaching staff will be looking for in filling the vacancy. So, too, is a competitive attitude.
"You've got to go in there with the mindset that you're going to play," said Cain, a record-setting quarterback from Blinn College in Texas. "Each one of these guys is going in with the mindset to compete and try to get the job."
Cain's focus is on the present, not the past or the future.
"I just came here to work hard and try to earn my spot," he said. These are very great players. Everybody, all the quarterbacks, have very, very good talent. So it's going to be a real competition."
The fact that the NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year passed for 3,138 yards and 29 touchdowns last season is irrelevant.
"I leave all that behind. I'm at the next level," Cain said. "So I'm just going to worry about the next step I just made."
Cain is excited to be around players who know what it takes to win at Utah's level.
"It's a good opportunity," he said. "They can help me out along the way and show me what it takes."
Christopher, who was the Nevada High School Player of the Year in 2007, observed the Utes' success first-hand as a redshirt. Though his season on the sidelines was rough, he acknowledged it was beneficial in terms of body development and mental toughness.
"Redshirting was definitely a good thing for me," Christopher said. "I just can't wait to get on the field, though."
Although the coaching staff flirted with the idea of making him a wide receiver last season, Christopher has remained a signal caller.
"Devonte has got a lot of ability. He's very raw still but very talented," Whittingham said. "It's just a matter of him continuing to refine his game at the quarterback position."
Christopher acknowledges his athleticism sometimes outshines his play at quarterback. As such, he has worked real hard in the offseason to improve.
"Absolutely. My mind is just focused on things I've got to do," Christopher said. "I just feel like if I do the things I've got to do, then that potentially will help me become a better quarterback for my team. It's the little things with me."
Wynn, the only true freshman in the mix, is busy trying to add bulk to his 175-pound frame and learn the system. The California prep star graduated early after passing for 3,336 yards and 32 touchdowns last fall.
He did so in order to compete.
"It just brings out the best in everyone," Wynn said. "... All four of us are great friends. We talk a lot and everything. We are just going to go out and have fun."
Having all of the candidates in camp, Whittingham emphasized, is the biggest thing the Utes having going for them. It'll make things much easier to sort out. And it'll be fun to watch.
"I think they've got four very talented guys, obviously," Johnson said while preparing for next month's NFL Draft. "I know it'll be a great battle and I'll be watching it very closely."
So, too, will Utah fans. Replacing Johnson is a priority.
"They are really big shoes to fill. Brian had a lot of experience. We're just going to try. That's all we can do, try to do what he did," Wynn said. "He set the bar real high last year ... We're just going to try keep up with what they did last year."
EXTRA POINTS: Besides quarterback, Whittingham said the right side of the offensive line (replacing graduating seniors Robert Conley and Dustin Hensel) was a priority this spring ... Safety Joe Dale, linebacker Nai Fotu, offensive lineman Zach Davila and wide receiver Mychal Robinson won't participate in spring ball because of injuries ... NCAA rules restrict spring practices to 12 contact days (eight tackle) and three sessions without pads ... Former quarterback Chad Manis is now a linebacker.
Who's No. 1?
Corbin Louks (6-0, 195, junior)
Terrance Cain (5-11, 186, junior)
Devonte Christopher (6-1, 195, RS freshman)
Jordan Wynn (6-1, 175, freshman)
e-mail: dirk@desnews.com