Ahead of opener, walk-on Bryson Barnes named QB2, running backs 'all going to play'

SALT LAKE CITY — With his walk-on status still alive and well — at least for the time being — quarterback Bryson Barnes continues to impress within the Utah football program.

His Rose Bowl heroics have been well-documented, but his offseason work continues to impress the coaching staff. On Monday, Barnes was publicly named the backup quarterback to Cameron Rising, ending a long battle with fellow quarterback Ja'Quinden Jackson for the QB2 spot.

The battle for the backup spot was about the most drama out of Utah's fall camp this season, but one in which the coaching staff was comfortable riding out for as long as necessary.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said Monday that Barnes was selected as the backup quarterback because he has a "better command of the offense" and had "fewer mistakes." But Whittingham was quick to add that the staff still believed in Jackson.

"We believe in JJ; he's still got a lot of football ahead of him and certainly is a tremendous athlete and able to really — is a true dual-threat," Whittingham said. "But right now, Bryson Barnes, we feel, is the best solution if something were to happen to Cam, just based on total body of work through spring and fall camp."

As for Barnes' scholarship status, that's still to be determined — maybe his 12,000 pigs back home in Milford can be used to spell out "on scholarship" for a viral moment.

As for Jackson, who transferred from Texas ahead of the 2021 season, he was selected by the team for the Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe Memorial Scholarship on Saturday. Whittingham said the players, who are the sole voters in the scholarship decision, awarded it to Jackson, and that it was by a "fairly large margin."

"There really is no parameters other than guys who you think is the guy that should be representing the spirit of those two players, as far as the spirit of competition, the personalities, just everything they embody and what they were about — who is the person that you want to be that representative," Whittingham described.

The death of both Jordan and Lowe impacted the team, but likely none more than Jackson, who developed a friendship with the two before coming to Utah. Jackson said he "shut down completely" last year as he struggled to overcome the grief he felt for his two friends, in addition to others he loved that had died around the same time.

Running backs galore

When the Utah athletic department released the two-deep roster Monday morning, the running back room had several "OR" designations next to the players' names. In year's past, that had often been an indication that at least two players had not worked out a starting and backup role — the playing field was still even.

And while that still might be the case to some extent for Utah's running back room, it speaks more to the depth and talent that Utah has coming into the 2022 season, where at least four guys could see significant playing time.

Whittingham said each running back will "have their role" in the offense this season and playing time will be based more on who the team plays and the game plan instituted for the week.

"Each one brings something different to the table, and they're all going to play," Whittingham said. "You're going to see them all."

That includes veteran backs Tavion Thomas and Micah Bernard, in addition to freshman Jaylon Glover and LSU transfer Chris Curry. Whittingham said Thomas, who rushed for 1,108 yards and to a school record 21 touchdowns last season, will be the guy that "is most likely to get the majority of the carries," but that it's not a guarantee, either.

Bernard showcased his multi-talented skill set last season and is expected to figure more into the offensive game plan this season. Whittingham said Bernard's skill set is "outstanding" and is one of the best players to catch passed on the team — "he catches the ball as well as any receiver that we have; he's that talented."

And while Bernard played a key defensive back role in the Rose Bowl, Whittingham joked he's only going to figure in on the offensive side of the ball, where offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig will be lining Bernard up "in a few different locations."

Highly-touted incoming freshman Jaylon Glover is someone that has done a "great job with the inside zone run game" with his "shifty" ability, Whittingham said, and his "vision" will be utilized in different packages this season. Curry, too, who is a "bigger back" has been "more of a tackle-to-tackle" guy and one that has picked up the blitzes well, according to Whittingham.

"Everybody brings something different, but if you're going to say who is most likely to get the most carries, it will be Tavion."

Healthy going to Gainesville

Most importantly, Utah came out of fall camp with its health. Whittingham said the team did less live work than they traditionally do for fall camp, comparing it to the 2019 season when the team was loaded with veteran talent.

Though there were some minor injuries here and there, the team should be fully healthy going down to Gainesville, "which is a big plus," Whittingham added.

Other notes:

• The starting offensive line — Braeden Daniels (LT), Keaton Bills (LG), Paul Maile (C), Sataoa Laumea (RG) and Jaren Kump (RT) — was identified earlier in fall camp "by design," Whittingham said, in order to get that group to gel earlier in the season. Utah has started out slow on the line before, but with veteran players occupying most positions, Whittingham feels confident in what Utah has moving forward.
• Receiver Devaughn Vele and running back Micah Bernard will assume the starting role at punt and kickoff return, respectively, for the Utes this season. Vele "does a great job catching the ball," Whittingham said, which is a must in punting situations; and Bernard is a "tremendous athlete, great speed, and just seemed to be the best fit" for kickoff returns.
• Sophomore Jordan Noyes has overtaken junior Jadon Redding for the placekicking duties to start the season. After a strong freshman campaign, Redding made 10-of-14 field goal attempts last season and had two missed PATs. Noyes was just 2-of-4 last season in his field goal attempts but was 100% in PATs.

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