The cupboard isn’t completely bare. We have a couple of quality walk-ons. We'll work through it and away we go. – Kyle Whittingham
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah football team is suddenly very thin at the quarterback position after Brandon Cox, who was in the Ute program for four seasons, has decided to leave the program.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound left-hander, who came to Utah in 2013 after throwing for 2,700 yards and 26 touchdowns for Pasadena High School, made the decision to leave a week after junior college transfer Troy Williams was designated as No. 1 and a day after coach Kyle Whittingham said that freshman Tyler Huntley would be taking the reps at No. 2.
With just two scholarship quarterbacks left in the program, something Whittingham says is “not uncommon” but “not ideal,” the Utes are left with a pair of walk-on freshmen in Logan Bateman from Simi Valley, California, and Drew Lisk, from Jordan High School, backing up Williams and Huntley. Whittingham also said Chase Hansen, who was recruited to Utah as a quarterback from Lone Peak High School before his LDS mission but is now the starting strong safety, can be an emergency backup.
“The cupboard isn’t completely bare,” he said. “We have a couple of quality walk-ons. We'll work through it and away we go.”
Whittingham spoke after Friday’s practice about Cox “taking his game elsewhere,” praising the contributions he made to the program.
“We really appreciate everything he did for us,” he said. “He was a great teammate and he’s graduated — he has two years left — and wants an opportunity to get some place where he can get on the field. So we wish him all the best. He’s leaving on very good terms with us.”
Earlier this week, Cox was positive about his future at Utah, despite having Williams move ahead of him on the depth chart.
“As a collective group, we’re all here to succeed and our main objective is to win football games,” Cox said. “If that’s me starting or Troy or Tyler, it doesn’t matter as long as we win football games and are productive. That’s all that matters. You’ve always got to stay engaged in the game whether you’re starting or not and have to be ready when your number’s called.”
However a couple of days later after Huntley was given the nod as No. 2, Cox apparently decided he didn't want to be in the same position as the last two years when he was the No. 3 quarterback with little chance to play. Cox only played in one game for Utah, in 2014 against Idaho State when he completed three passes for 17 yards and ran twice for 22 yards in mop-up duty for Travis Wilson.
Aaron Roderick, the Utes’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, explained why Williams and Huntley moved ahead of Cox since the beginning of fall camp when all three were listed as co-starters.
“Troy established himself and has done a really nice job of taking care of the ball, throwing a lot of completions,” he said. “Tyler gets better every day, he makes a lot of plays, and we’re just trying to limit his mistakes and getting him more comfortable in the system.”
When asked specifically where Huntley was better than Cox, Roderick said, “Playmaking ability. He makes some plays out here, where you just shake your head and say ‘wow.’ He has the ability to throw on the run and to extend plays. He’s really an exciting player.”
Some folks thought Cox’s experience in the program might give him an edge over Huntley, who played high school ball in Florida last year, but Whittingham said that wasn’t a factor and the pecking order is based purely on who plays better.
“Those guys understand the reality of it, they see the tape,” Whittingham said. “I don’t care if you’ve been here five years, five days or five minutes, the best guy’s going to play — the guy that's producing and performing.”
As for trying to save Huntley’s eligibility as a redshirt, Roderick said that also wasn’t a factor in who was No. 2.
“In this program we don’t ever intend to redshirt anyone,” said Roderick. “You always come ready to play. If a guy’s in a position where he’s not ready to help the team yet, then he might redshirt. But anyone that’s ready to help the team will play.”
Cox was an excellent student, having already received his degree as a double major in communications and sociology. He has used a redshirt year, but as a graduate transfer he could play at another college, but there’s no word on where Cox might transfer.
“We’d like nothing more for him to be very successful wherever he ends up,” said Whittingham.