Even in a truncated, five-game 2020 season heavily impacted by the pandemic, coach Kyle Whittingham never looked at the campaign as merely a series of exhibition games.
He was focused on helping his program win in the present while preparing for the future.
“There was a period of time when we didn’t know if we were going to have a season,” he said in November. “To be able to get games in and play and get reps for our new guys has been invaluable.”
Heading into the 2021 season, Whittingham has leveraged the opportunities as a bevy of young players gained crucial playing time.
The Utes were the final FBS team to play a game in 2020 after their first two games were canceled. Then they started 0-2. But Utah finished strong with three consecutive victories.
“I’m proud of these guys getting it turned around,” Whittingham said. “We took a step forward in each game. That will give us good momentum heading into the offseason. We’ll try to build on it. That’s the next challenge.”
Over the past four years, Utah has had 21 NFL draft picks, the most in the Pac-12. That includes seven last year. The Utes won’t be sending a big group to the NFL this year but that means plenty of talent will be returning.
Here’s a position-by-position look at the Utes in 2021:
Quarterbacks
As soon as the 2019 season ended, there were plenty of questions at the quarterback position.
The battle to replace Tyler Huntley was between South Carolina grad transfer Jake Bentley, Texas transfer Cam Rising, and senior Drew Lisk.
Rising won the starting job but he only lasted a few series in the season-opening loss to USC after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Soon thereafter, he underwent successful surgery.
Bentley, voted a team captain before the season started, turned in some uneven performances, with his best game coming in a dominating 38-21 win at Colorado. He finished throwing for 882 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions.
In the season finale, an ineffective Bentley was replaced by Lisk, who helped engineer an epic comeback in a 45-28 win.
That’s when things got really interesting.
One day after the season ended, Ja’Quinden Jackson announced he was transferring from Texas to Utah. Then Baylor grad transfer Charlie Brewer, who passed for 9,700 yards and 65 touchdowns, decided to join the Utes.
Earlier that week, four-star quarterback Peter Costelli signed with Utah and he is planning to enroll in January, while Bentley entered the transfer portal.
Rising is not expected to be healthy in time for spring practices.
“He has a lot of desire and wants to get back. This is going to be an extensive rehab time,” Whittingham said. “It’s something most likely that will not allow him to participate in spring ball. So he’s got a long road ahead of him but he’s determined and he has the right attitude. We expect him make a full recovery. That’s our hope.”
So the crowded QBs room has gone full circle — plenty of questions at that position heading into spring drills.
Running backs
Freshman running back Ty Jordan burst onto the scene, running 83 times for 597 yards and six touchdowns and earning Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors. It appeared that the Utes were set at running back for years to come as he had a trajectory similar to many of the great Utah running backs that proceeded him.
However, Jordan tragically died a week after the season ended, creating a massive void on multiple levels.
Before Utah’s season finale, two other running backs, Devin Brumfield and Jordan Wilmore, entered the transfer portal in part because of Jordan’s emergence.
The Utes picked up a big addition this week when running back T.J. Pledger announced that he’s transferring from Oklahoma to Utah. In three seasons with the Sooners, Pledger rushed 135 times for 695 yards and six touchdowns. In the Red River Showdown against Texas last season, Pledger picked up 131 and had two TDs in Oklahoma’s quadruple overtime win. Pledger provides much needed experience to the running backs group.
Utah also has redshirt freshman Micah Bernard (15 carries for 76 yards in 2020) and Ricky Parks, a Florida native that recently signed. The Utes are looking to improve its depth at this position. That’s a major priority during the offseason.
Tight ends/wide receivers
The Utes have proven playmakers with wide receivers Britain Covey (19 catches, 264 yards), Bryan Thompson (9 receptions, 187 yards) and Solomon Enis (11 catches, 108 yards) as well as tight end Brant Kuithe (25 receptions, 236 yards).
Kuithe announced in late December that he would return next season. And the Utes have another talented tight end in Cole Fotheringham.
There were times in 2020 when Utah struggled to get those playmakers involved, something offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig will need to do more effectively, and consistently, in 2021.
Offensive line
Utah received great news in late December when Nick Ford announced he’s returning for another year. The versatile Ford played both left tackle and center last season.
Often overlooked with the Utes’ solid run game is the O-line’s ability to open up holes for the running backs. The offensive line, which gained valuable experience in 2020 and is expected to be a strength of the team in 2021, should return Orlando Umana, Braeden Daniels, Keaton Bills, Sataoa Laumea, Simi Moala, Luke Felix-Fualalo and Jaren Kump.
Defensive line
Utah’s defensive line wasn’t able to produce consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2020. The Utes recorded 10 sacks.
But there’s plenty of young players that should help in 2021, including true freshmen Tennessee Pututau, Xavier Carlton and Van Fillinger as well as BYU transfer Devin Kaufusi and Blake Kuithe. Others on the D-line expected to return are Mika Tafua, Hauati Pututau, Maxs Tupai and Viane Moala.
D-linemen Pita Tonga and Mufi Hill-Hunt entered the transfer portal after the season.
Linebackers
Devin Lloyd turned into a defensive star for Utah in 2020, earning Pac-12 All-Conference first-team honors and becoming a Butkus Award finalist.
Lloyd led the team in total tackles (48), while recording two sacks, a forced fumble and one quarterback hurry. Last weekend, he announced that he has decided to return to Utah, which is a big boon for the defense.
Meanwhile, the Utes signed five linebackers in the recent recruiting class, including four-star prospect Ethan Calvert.
“(He’s) 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds and runs like a deer. Instinctive, tough, extremely smart, and so he’s the whole package and we’re elated to have him in the program,” Whitttingham said of Calvert. “He’s got two older brothers that are good players as well at different schools in the Pac-12, and he’s following suit with his older brothers (Josh at Washington, Bo at UCLA).”
Nephi Sewell turned in a strong performance in 2020, including Utah’s first touchdown of the season with a scoop-and-score. Freshman Sione Fotu also played well as a backup.
Secondary
Amid a secondary with a lot of youth, senior free safety Vonte Davis was a welcome surprise. He had two interceptions and helped his less experienced teammates.
“He’s one of the most improved players on the team. It’s been a big deal for us on defense for him to play at the level that he has. He is somewhat of an unknown commodity and unknown entity,” Whittingham said during the season. “He didn’t get a lot of playing time in the past few years that he’s been here because of the guys that have been in front of him. But he’s done a great job of working in the offseason and adding weight to his frame. He’s done a great job of being a student of the game and studying tape. His play has been a big bonus for us because we were a little bit in the dark as far as how he was going to react when he was going to be the guy. I couldn’t be more pleased with what he’s done so far.”
True freshman strong safety Nate Ritchie, who improved as the season progressed, is planning to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. RJ Hubert, who missed the 2020 season due to a knee injury, could fill Ritchie’s spot. Malone Mataele acquitted himself well at nickelback.
At cornerback, sophomore JaTravis Broughton and true freshmen Clark Phillips and Faybian Marks ensure that the Utes will be strong at that position for a long time. Phillips had a 36-yard pick six with 2:06 remaining against Washington State.
Overall, with the Utes having to replace nine defensive starters, Whittingham was pleased with what his young defense accomplished in 2020.
“I’m so proud of this team, especially all the new guys on defense,” he said. “We were second in the league in defense entering this game. If you would have told me that at the end of the season we’d be No. 2 in defense, I would have said, ‘You’re crazy.’”
Special teams
Sophomore placekicker Jadon Redding received first-team All-Pac-12 special teams honors after finishing the season a perfect 8 for 8 on field goal attempts and 17 for 17 on PATs. He was one of five players in the FBS to not miss a field goal in 2020 and he booted three field goals of 40 yards or longer, including a career-long 44-yarder against Washington State.
Punter Ben Lennon entered the transfer portal after the season and redshirt freshman Jared March is expected to take over the job.
Covey showed how valuable he is in addition to being a sure-handed wide receiver in the return game. After an injury-shortened 2019 campaign, Covey made big plays on special teams, including an electrifying 64-yard punt return touchdown against Oregon State.