If you’re getting outplayed by someone, I don’t care if they’ve been here five years or five days, the guys who are doing the best job are going to play. – Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham isn’t a fan of depth charts, but his players said moving up or down creates some incentive amongst the players.
Freshman Javelin Guidry moved ahead of senior Boobie Hobbs on the depth chart at nickel back, while junior college transfer Marquise Blair swapped spots with Corrion Ballard at free safety. Hayes Hicken replaced freshman Chayden Johnston as the backup placekicker.
“It’s a blessing,” Guidry said of taking the top spot on the depth chart. “I worked really hard. Me and Boobie, we’ve been practicing, and we’ll get equal reps. It’s just great.”
He said the competition between him and Hobbs makes them both better.
“We push each other to do better on the field,” he said, “and to make more plays to try and get that starting spot.”
He said the recognition of his hard work is nice, but he’s not celebrating anything.
“I treat it like it’s nothing, just to keep working,” he said. “To switch my mind up. It’s all competition.”
Whittingham said there isn’t any position that isn’t up for grabs every day.
“Every position is a competitive situation,” he said. “There is nobody who has a lock on any position. If you’re getting outplayed by someone, I don’t care if they’ve been here five years or five days, the guys who are doing the best job are going to play. Javelin has really flourished. That’s nothing against Boobie because he’s a great player.”
He said Guidry’s “catch-up speed is invaluable.”
Blair, he said, has closed the gap on his teammates after missing spring football.
“He’s instinctive, and he’ll hit you,” Whittingham said. “At times, he seems to be playing at a different speed than everyone else. He is just so explosive.” Blair said he once saw himself as a basketball player, and he still looks more like a hoops star than a defensive powerhouse.
“He’s not a big kid,” Whittingham said. “He’s 190 pounds, but he’ll hit you like he’s 250 pounds.”