SALT LAKE CITY — Not long ago, Utah offensive coordinator Troy Taylor and tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham crossed paths in a classroom at Folsom High School in California.

Now, they’re teaming up to prepare the 21st-ranked Utes for their Pac-12 opener Friday (8:30 p.m., FS1) at Arizona.

“I actually went and did a guest presentation for my daughter in his class for extra credit,” Whittingham recalled. “That’s the first time that I met him and now we are here coaching and entering our first Pac-12 game together. It’s really exciting.

“I’m happy he’s here. He’s doing a great job,” Whittingham continued. “It’s kind of surreal to think six, seven years ago we were both in Folsom, California doing different things. But I’m excited for the future. I think that our offense has a ton of potential. We’ve had some decent games, but I don't think you’ve seen the best of us yet.”

BOTH SIDES: Sophomore defensive end Bradlee Anae has switched uniform numbers in recent weeks, going from No. 56 to No. 6. He’s done so for a reason. Anae explained that he may see some action at tight end.

“I either had the option to change my number to an eligible number or to switch my jersey in-game every time,” Anae said. “And that was a hassle.”

Besides, Anae acknowledged, he always wanted to be No. 6, and it was the perfect time.

However, as for catching some passes in a game, Anae was a bit coy.

“We’ll see,” he said.

SAME RESPONSE: Junior safety Chase Hansen, who did not play against San Jose State because of an unspecified injury, didn’t offer a lot of insight concerning his status this week.

“We’ll see,” said Hansen, who added that he always plans to play and would chose to be on the field every game.

Hansen noted that it comes down to being “able to.”

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READY TO GO: Quarterback Tyler Huntley is extremely confident heading into his first Pac-12 start Friday in Tucson. He enters the contest ranked second in the conference and 10th in the nation in total offense with 360 yards per game.

“It’s going to be fun. I know I’ve just got to lead the team,” Huntley said. “We’re going to do a good job of coming out and getting a win.”

Email: dirk@deseretnews.com

Twitter: @DirkFacer

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