SALT LAKE CITY — Utah offensive lineman Nick Ford has seen action at center, guard and tackle. He’s made 21 career starts and earned honorable mention all-conference honors from the Pac-12 last season.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound junior has proven to be both valuable and versatile. The Utes plan on taking advantage. Ford is slated to replace the graduated Darrin Paulo at left tackle. It’s the latest stop in a career that includes 13 starts at right guard, six at left guard and one at right tackle. In 2018, he saw action at center in a game against Washington State.
Ford’s ability to play multiple positions fits into Utah’s ideal model on the offensive line. It’s yet to be finalized if he’ll stay at left tackle. He may be needed elsewhere.
“That’s a good question and one that we have not got an answer to at this point and time. Right now he is working more so at outside than inside,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “Bottom line is we’ll get the five best out there, just like we talk about every year and whatever the best combination with those five guys is what we’re going to do.”
The deck, apparently, will only be shuffled if a tackle emerges that is better than one of the inside guys.
Whatever the case may be, Ford is going to man a starting spot.
“With his versatility that allows us to move him in or out. There’s a few guys that have that same capability to play inside and outside but he’s right at the top of the list,” Whittingham said. “And so it’s not as much as what Nick is doing, it’s what the other four guys are doing and who those other four guys are will determine if Nick moves inside or stays outside. But wherever he is, he’s going to be one of the best linemen in the Pac-12.”
Ford is part of an experienced offense line. The Utes return four starters — Ford, center Orlando Umana, left guard Braeden Daniels and right tackle Simi Moala — on a unit operating in front of a new starting quarterback. Jake Bentley, Drew Lisk and Cam Rising are competing for the job held by Tyler Huntley, who graduated.
“Truthfully, I think all three of them have done a great job up to this point. I do not see a huge adjustment needed for the offensive line between any of the three,” said offensive line coach Jim Harding. “It’s going to be a camp in terms of those three battling it out and whichever guy wins the battle we’ll be fine as an offensive line. So I don’t think it really affects us at all.”
“We feel really good about the front. That’s where great offenses start.” — Kyle Whittingham on the Utes’ offensive line
What does have an impact is the coronavirus pandemic. Harding noted that it kept the guys from being around each other over the summer.
“I think the offensive line is a tight-knit group and everybody is spread out across the country,” Harding said. “And even when they are back here in town we’re asking them to be real smart, try to stay away from any real large gatherings.”
That’s an issue, he acknowledged, facing every team in the nation.
“You have a bunch of kids that really care a lot about each other, but you’re not really allowed to have that interaction to what they’re used to and so certainly it’s a challenge,” Harding said. “But it’s not a challenge that anyone else isn’t dealing with either.”
Among Utah’s leaders on the line is Umana. Harding said the center has developed over the years. He’s done a nice job and the coaches have added stuff to his plate — protection calls, identifying defenses.
Whittingham said that Utah’s offensive line is capable of pass protection or run blocking as a scheme tailored to personnel is adapted. Depth shouldn’t be an issue with the Utes having as many as 12 players on the line with Pac-12 skills. That includes sophomore Johnny Maea, who tops the depth chart at right guard.
“We feel really good about the front,” he continued. “That’s where great offenses start.”