Ute Football Starts Spring Drills

3/9/2009 12:00 AM | Football

March 9, 2009

SALT LAKE CITY -

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SPRING CAMP OPENS

Just two months removed from the best season in school history, Utah will return to the field for spring drills. Camp, which starts on Tuesday, Mar. 10, will be divided into two sessions surrounding spring break. The Utes will practice on Mar. 10 and 12 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the McCarthey Practice Fields, before stopping for spring break. Camp resumes on Mar. 24 and will be held weekly through the annual Red-White game on Saturday, April 18. Including scrimmages, the team will practice the NCAA-allowable 15 times. Spring practices, scrimmages and the Red-White game are open to the public.

PRACTICE SITES/INTERVIEWS

The preferred location for weekday practice is the McCarthey Practice Fields. If the fields are unplayable, the choices, in order, are Rice-Eccles Stadium and the Spence Eccles Field House. Interviews will be conducted after practice. In spring camp, only, television cameras are permitted to shoot video of the first 30 minutes of practices and any part of scrimmages.

RED-WHITE SPRING GAME

The seventh-annual Red-White game will be held in Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, April 18 starting at 1 p.m. It is free to the public and the players will sign autographs after the game.

OFFENSIVE PERSONNEL PICTURE

Most of the spring battles will be waged on the offensive side of the ball, where Utah must replace the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Brian Johnson at quarterback, first-team all-conference offensive guard Robert Conley, every starting receiver, the starting running back and a starting tackle. Utah's four returning starters on offense are first-team all-MWC left tackle and All-America candidate Zane Beadles, left guard Caleb Schlauderaff, center Zane Taylor and tight end Chris Joppru. The 25 returning lettermen on offense include last year's leading rusher, senior running back Matt Asiata.

DEFENSIVE PERSONNEL PICTURE

Seven full-time starters return on defense - eight if you count both Kenape Eliapo and Derrick Shelby - who shared time at nose tackle last fall - but who will man their own positions now. Eliapo missed seven games with a broken foot after starting in the season opener at Michigan. He'll resume his starting duties at nose tackle, allowing Shelby to move to his natural position at end. Despite losing all-conference defensive end Paul Kruger to the NFL with one year of eligibility remaining, the Utes return a lot of experience on the line. Koa Misi may be the best defensive end in the league and Lei Talamaivao returns from injury at tackle. Linebacker is loaded, as five players with starting experience return, led by All-America candidate Stevenson Sylvester. Other returning starting LBs are 2008 tackle leader Mike Wright and Nai Fotu. Kepa Gaison started in the Sugar Bowl in place of the injured Fotu, and 2006 starter J.J. Williams has returned from an LDS Church mission. Starting safeties Robert Johnson and Joe Dale are the strength of the secondary, which must replace starting corners Brice McCain and Sean Smith (like Kruger, Smith entered the NFL draft a year early). In total, 28 lettermen return on defense.

SPECIAL TEAMS' PERSONNEL PICTURE

Two gaping holes were left here with the graduation of first-team All-American kicker and punter Louie Sakoda. A unanimous Consensus All-America kicker last year, Sakoda was a first-team All-America punter (FWAA, CBSSports) as a junior. He was a finalist for both the Lou Groza and Ray Guy awards in 2008. Utah must also find a new snapper, holder and punt returner. Kick returner David Reed is an all-conference candidate.

STAFF INTRODUCTIONS

Making their coordinator debuts this spring are Dave Schramm (offense) and Kalani Sitake (defense). Both have been with Utah for the past four years - Schramm as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, and Sitake as the linebackers coach. Schramm traded positions and will now coach the quarterbacks, while Sitake will stay with the linebackers. Other internal staff moves have Aaron Alford overseeing the running backs after two years spent coaching the corners, and safeties coach Morgan Scalley adding recruiting coordinator to his title. New hires are John Pease (defensive line, assistant head coach), Blake Miller (offensive line) and J.D. Williams (cornerbacks).

UTE NOTES

The Utes won't put on pads until they return from spring break. The first day of tackling is Mar. 26 ... Four quarterbacks will share reps, including projected starter Corbin Louks, who has played in 19 games in his first two years as the backup ... Junior Chad Manis has moved from quarterback to linebacker ... Junior Neli A'asa will start at right guard after playing tight end last fall ... Starting linebacker Nai Fotu will miss spring ball while continuing to rehabilitate from a knee injury suffered in the last regular season game ... Members of the 2008 signing class whose NCAA clock did not start until they enrolled in school this semester are freshmen OL Sam Brenner and Zach Davila ... Members of the 2009 signing class already in school and participating in spring camp are JC transfers Terrance Cain, Kameron Yancy and Shaky Smithson, and freshman Jordan Wynn. Two more JC transfers could arrive for the second session of camp: Maxwell Lacy and Ray Magee.