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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah football is all business now as the program transitions from fall camp to season mode.
On Monday, athletes returned to school and the focus of practice shifted to that of the team’s first game of the season, Weber State. The only remaining question, though, is how the two-deep depth chart will shape up coming into the season.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham said Monday that about 95 percent of the positions are settled and that there are only a few players “jockeying” for position. One of the biggest areas of need, he said, was finding an eighth or ninth offensive lineman as junior Johnny Capra has been unable to practice all season due to injury.
Redshirt freshman Nick Ford and sophomore Orlando Umana continue to battle it out for the left guard position, but both may play in a rotation. “But we think we’re going to come away with eight legit solid guys up front on offense,” Whittingham said.
At defensive tackle, Leki Fotu remains the solid No. 1, with Pita Tonga, John Penisini and Hauati Pututau working into the rotation.
“We have those four guys that are the guys,” Whittingham said. “They'll get the bulk of the snaps. It doesn't matter, they're all good players that we really feel confident in and so it doesn't matter which of those four is in the game, there should be no drop-off or very little.”
And at receiver, Whittingham said freshman Solomon Enis is definitely playing — “no doubt” — this season and is “fighting for one of those four top jobs in the four-receiver sets.” The receiver corps, though, remains one of those position groups jockeying for position.
Whittingham said he expects to release the final depth chart before the season on Friday.
Scrimmage recap
Utah held its second scrimmage of the preseason Saturday, and Whittingham said the team came away free of injury. Most of the live work was with the second string players as most of the starters were held out of the scrimmage or were limited.
Captains and senior leadership named
On Friday, the team voted upon its six captains and the leadership council for the season. Voted in as captains were center Lo Falemaka, quarterback Tyler Huntley, punter Mitch Wishnowsky, placekicker Matt Gay, and linebackers Chase Hansen and Cody Barton.
“I think the team did a great job selecting the leadership,” he added.
Of the selected 15-player leadership council, quarterback Jack Tuttle was the only freshman selected. Whittingham credits Tuttle’s ability to connect with the players as a reason for that honor.
“His peers, obviously, think a lot of him,” Whittingham said. “What he's done since he's been here, he’s got the respect and earned the respect of his teammates.”
