Ute Football Spring Notes: Week One

3/5/2010 12:00 AM | Football

March 5, 2010

SALT LAKE CITY--

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SPRING CAMP OPENS

The Utah football team returns to practice on March 9 after taking a couple of months off following its Poinsettia Bowl win over California on Dec. 23. Utah's 2010 version of spring camp will be split into two sessions surrounding spring break. Opening week, the Utes will practice on March 9, 11 and 13 at a location TBA (dependent on weather, field conditions). Spring practices, scrimmages and the Red-White game on April 17 are open to the public.

RED-WHITE SPRING GAME

The seventh-annual Red-White game will be held in Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, April 17 starting at 1 p.m. It is free to the public and the players will sign autographs after the game.

CAMP NOTES

Five returners will miss spring camp with injuries: running back Matt Asiata (knee), offensive lineman Sam Brenner (foot), wide receiver Shaky Smithson (shoulder), defensive end Derrick Shelby (knee) and running back Beau Burton (foot) ... Four members of the 2010 signing class will participate in spring ball: DL James Aiono, OL Ron Tongaonevai, DB Damian Payne and OL Devin Hurley ... Returned church missionaries participating for the first time as Utes are DB Mike Honeycutt and TE Westlee Tonga. Both are true freshmen who originally signed letters of intent in 2007 ... Returnees include 14 starters (8 offense, 4 defense, 2 kickers), 48 lettermen and six all-conference players. First-team all-MWC running back Eddie Wide is joined by second-team honorees Caleb Schlauderaff and Zane Taylor - both offensive linemen - and honorable mention choices Joe Phillips (kicker), Sealver Siliga (defensive line) and Sean Sellwood (punter) ... Coaching changes include the addition of 2009 Sugar Bowl MVP Brian Johnson as the quarterbacks coach. Receivers coach Aaron Roderick has been elevated to co-offensive coordinator - a title he shares with Dave Schramm. Schramm takes over the tight ends, while Jay Hill will oversee the cornerbacks.

OFFENSIVE ROUNDUP

Utah returns four of five starters on the line, though Caleb Schlauderaff, a three-year starter at left guard, will man left tackle in the spring. Come fall, sophomore Sam Brenner and highly-touted junior college transfer John Cullen are anticipated to take over at left tackle ... No. 3 on the quarterback depth chart as a mid-year high school graduate a year ago, Jordan Wynn is the clear-cut No. 1 this spring. Wynn is coming off a Poinsettia Bowl MVP performance. He is backed up by senior Terrance Cain, who was 7-1 as the starter last year before giving way to Wynn ... First-team all-conference running back Eddie Wide won't see a lot of contact in the spring to give time to younger backs like sophomore Sausan Shakerin. Matt Asiata, who received a medical extension from the NCAA last month, will continue rehabilitating his injured knee. Asiata should be cleared for action by May ... Senior Jereme Brooks is Utah's only returning starter at receiver. Sophomores Luke Matthews and DeVonte Christopher have the edge to start, but will be pushed by redshirt freshmen Sean Fitzgerald, Jamal Smith and Griffin McNabb. When Shaky Smithson returns to action, it will be as a receiver. Smithson split time between WR and RB last fall ... Tight ends will play a bigger role in the passing game with the emergence of Kendrick Moeai and addition of returned missionary Westlee Tonga.

DEFENSIVE ROUNDUP

Lei Talamaivao moves from tackle to end and Nai Fotu returns to linebacker, where he started in 2008. Fotu backed up at end last fall ... Tackles Sealver Siliga and Dave Kruger have all-conference potential and their biggest competition may come from within from redshirt freshman Latu Heimuli and JC transfer James Aiono ... The Utes must replace all three starting linebackers from a year ago, but there is plenty of talent to go around. Fotu, J.J. Williams and Chad Manis have the inside track to start, with experienced backups like Jamel King, Matt Martinez and Chaz Walker giving chase ... New starters will also take over at free (Chris Washington) and strong (Justin Taplin-Ross) safety ... All-America candidate Brandon Burton will start for a second year at cornerback, along with last year's starting nickel Lamar Chapman. Others in the thick of the mix at secondary include corners Conroy Black and Kameron Yancy, and safeties Damian Payne and Victor Spikes.

SPECIAL TEAMS ROUNDUP

Utah returns honorable mention all-leaguers at place-kicker (Joe Phillips) and punter Sean Sellwood. Phillips was the MWC's most accurate kicker a year ago, making 90.9% of his field goal attempts (20-22) ... Back to snap is sophomore Patrick Greene and Sellwood will hold for the second-straight year ... Griffin McNabb, Brandon Burton. and DeVonte Christopher could be busy when the Utes practice their return game.

HEAD COACH Kyle Whittingham

Beginning his sixth season as Utah's head coach, Kyle Whittingham has compiled a 48-17 overall record. Whittingham is 6-0 in bowl games, including a win he shares as co-head coach of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. He has averaged 9.4 wins a season and led Utah to the best season in school history in 2008, when the Utes went 13-0 and finished No. 2 in the nation. Utah holds the longest current bowl win streak in the nation at nine and Whittingham has participated in every one as either a head or assistant coach. He spent 11 years as a Ute assistant coach (the last 10 as the defensive coordinator) before taking the reins in 2005.