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SALT LAKE CITY — Last spring, Utah football had a quarterback problem. Jordan Wynn, who had been injured the winter prior, sat out and his backups, Tyler Shreve and Griff Robles failed to gain any traction at the second spot. The issue was so pressing that the coaches actually went out and brought in Jon Hays.
Prior to the season, the questionable quarterback depth led to increasing uncertainty and the realization that if Wynn did go down, the entire 2011 season would be be in doubt. The general consensus prior to the Montana State game was clear: Utah couldn't afford to lose Jordan Wynn.
A few weeks later, Utah lost Jordan Wynn.
Fortunately, Jon Hays was able to step into the role and development into a pretty decent backup for Wynn - leading Utah to an 8-5 record and Sun Bowl victory over Georgia Tech. Hays, who struggled initially after taking over the starting job, had the Utes within a victory of the Pac-12 title game. So, though our worst fears were realized when Wynn went down against Washington, Utah managed to weather the storm fairly well.
Still, as much as Hays progressed as a quarterback and certainly earned fans' admiration for his resiliency, toughness, and winning attitude, his inconsistencies, both during the season and in actual games, proved just how important the quarterback spot is to Utah's success.
Certainly, if Wynn does go down, Utah fans won't suffer through a nervous breakdown like they did last season because, I think from what we've seen, Hays has proven to be at least a serviceable replacement for Wynn. Even so, it's nice to know Utah now has options.
Option one, of course, is Wynn. It should remain Wynn until injury or extremely poor play changes that. I still have faith in Wynn and believe, if he can make it through an entire season, good things will happen. But if he doesn't, options two and three are vastly better than they were a year ago today when it appeared Utah was Jordan Wynn and nothing more.
That second option is Jon Hays. When Utah brought him in for fall camp last season, not many people knew what to expect from him. He wasn't in Salt Lake long before the season officially started and the entire team's success had essentially been thrust upon his shoulders. He responded, as we later found out, rather impressively.
But another quarterback has emerged this spring to contend with Hays for that second spot. It's not entirely unusual, though a bit unexpected because, right now, he's a true freshman. I'm talking about, of course, Travis Wilson, the quarterback phenom from San Clemente High School in California. If you've paid any attention to spring ball, it's not hard to see why this guy is the future of Utah football.
Wilson quickly established himself as a true contender to the quarterback throne and that's with only a mere couple months of being officially a Ute. Not bad for a kid who graduates in 2012.
Ideally, we won't have to look down the depth chart for our quarterback and Wynn is capable of making it through the 2012 season perfectly healthy. But college football ever rarely ends ideally. We know things happen, players are injured and the season is either won or lost by who steps in and leads the team when those injuries occur.
Last year, Hays was okay in a weakened Pac-12 and managed to lead Utah to a respectable record. This year, though, is not going to be nearly as easy. While the Utes again manage to miss Oregon and Stanford, they still have to play USC, who could be number one by the time that game rolls around, an improved Washington State team, an Arizona squad that will have, you know, a coaching staff, all the while traveling to take on Arizona State, Washington, UCLA and Colorado.
That slate is going to prove though and Utah will need as much health and consistency as possible to get through it with a respectable record. A year ago, a schedule like that might have proven too daunting even for Hays. Now, though, the program is in a position where it's not necessarily relying on just one guy. If it's not Wynn, it's Hays and if it's not Hays, then it's Wilson.
That wasn't the case last season. Depth was so thin that, as we saw in the Cal debacle, Utah football couldn't afford not having Hays on the roster. Who knows where the Utes would have been had he not actually signed.
Fortunately, the coaches realized the need for more quarterbacks and went out and recruited two top-notch ones, as Wilson was joined by Lone Peak's Chase Hansen. Hansen might not be near the point Wilson currently is, but again, it adds another potential option if things don't work out as hoped.
Finally, the emergence of Adam Schulz in the Red-White game last weekend adds another layer to Utah's quarterback position. Not many expected much out of Schulz, who walked on to the program and then delivered an impressive performance in the final spring scrimmage Saturday. His emergence might not amount to much, but, as with Wilson now, it can't hurt to have these options readily available. You know, just in case.
So, as the Utes ready for the 2012 season, they can take comfort in the fact that one of the weakest positions last season now appears to be the strongest.
While Utah certainly hopes Wynn can make it through this season healthy, the fact an injury doesn't necessarily signal apocalypse for this program is definitely a welcoming sight.
