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SALT LAKE CITY — His only playing time of the season has been in garbage time — mop up duty as the starters rest after building up a big lead on their respective opponent. Those minutes, however, are where freshman running back Jaylon Glover goes to work.
The heralded four-star running back from Florida — who is built like a tank, yet quick out of the backfield — has played in only two games this season, but he has 18 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns in his early debut for Utah.
His first touchdown of the season, which came in Utah's blowout win over Southern Utah in Week 2, was a "surreal moment" for the freshman, but one, he said, that "you've got to act like you've been there before."
For Glover, any time he's on the playing field — especially in garbage minutes — he's about the business. Nobody cares that he was a highly sought after running back from a fertile recruiting region in Florida or that he's still learning on the job. It's time to act like you've been there before.
Against Southern Utah, it was a first — and later that same game a second — touchdown of what he described as the "first of many, and I'm excited to keep going."
After a two-game sample size, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham already sees a bright future for his freshman running back that is working to climb the depth chart in a deep running back room with several experienced and talented players ahead of him in the pecking order.
"I'm gonna tell you right now: Jaylon Glover's gonna be a really good running back before it's all over," Whittingham said, a rare statement of immediate praise for one of his freshmen athletes.
Glover has merited the praise from Whittingham and his offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig in the early results. The freshman running back has shown promise in his play, and it's been easy to see that translate on the field, even when the stakes have been significantly lower the last two weeks. Still, progress is being made.
"He's got a great second gear when he puts his foot in the ground and gets north and south on the inside and outside zone play, and runs with good pad level, good ball security," Ludwig said. "The thing, and usually the last thing to come for a running back, is pass protection and understanding the complexity of the protection series. But he's shown some real strides in that area."
Glover is still learning, but this week he moves up the depth chart after backup running back Chris Curry suffered a season-ending ankle injury in his lone carry against San Diego State. The LSU transfer and Florida native escaped for an 8-yard run on Saturday, but an apparent ankle injury left him hobbling off the field with help from trainers before teammates carried him off the field.
"It's too bad about Chris — just a great teammate, a great kid," Whittingham said. "The silver lining, I guess, is he'll be back next year, where he's got the injury. ... We expect a full return to health and 100% be ready to play football again, but it does change the dynamic a little bit at running back."
"It's hurtful, because when you talk about guys that's just put their head down and grind, Chris Curry is the guy that's going to do that," Glover said of his fellow Florida native. "You see him, he's not really in the media; he's just a guy that's really just wanted to get out of here and try to make it to the next level."
Whittingham said he was "a big Chris Curry fan" a week prior to the injury, mostly for Curry's ability to stick with the program and get better in the offseason, despite limited touches in 2021. Now, Curry will have to wait another year for his chance to shine.
Tavion Thomas, who is recently grieving the death of his aunt who helped raise him, remains the lead back and the one to get the bulk of the carries. But behind the all-time single-season rushing touchdown leader in program history is Micah Bernard and Glover. And seemingly for Glover, more reps are coming in meaningful minutes of games that matter toward Utah's conference record.
Is he ready? Whittingham said he's going to have to be.
"Well, Jaylon's gonna have to be — he elevates and becomes more of a factor," Whittingham said. "Tavion is still the lead guy, but Jaylon Glover becomes more prominent."
"He's got a lot to learn, but he's getting better each week, learning a lot," Ludwig added. "But the time is right now."
Now is when the season counts, and Glover said he's ready for the moment.
"Yeah, man, I'm feeling good," he said. "The biggest thing is always be ready when my number's called. And my number's gonna be called a few more times this week, and I'm just gonna be ready, man. ... I work hard day in and day out trying to get bette. My time is coming, and I'm just ready to continue to work."
Glover now gets his shot, and he's certain to act like he's been there before when he does; it's no longer a new moment for him but an increased opportunity to show his hard work pay off on a bigger stage. Even if his role doesn't significantly improve, he's eager to learns he bides his time for more opportunities.
"It's not really hard, especially when you've got a group of guys like this that just make you excited to come every day, day in and day out and get better," Glover said. "You know, ultimately, I know I'm a young guy and I've got a lot of years ahead of me. So my job is just to stay healthy, stay ready, and cheer on my guys while they're on the field."
