Utah Football Opens Spring Camp Tuesday

3/23/2015 12:00 AM | Football

March 23, 2015

2015 Utah Spring Football Prospectus

SALT LAKE CITY--

SPRING CAMP STARTS MAR. 24

Spring football camp starts for the Utes on Tuesday, Mar. 24 with the first of 15 total spring practices over the next five weeks. Highlighting the schedule are two scrimmages and the 12th-annual Red-White spring game on Saturday, Apr. 25.

COME WATCH

The public is invited to attend all outdoor practices in the spring at the practice field west of the Spence & Cleone Eccles Football Center and at Rice-Eccles Stadium. For safety reasons, practices held inside the Spence Eccles Field House will be closed to the public.

SPRING SCRIMMAGES/GAME

The Utes will hold scrimmages in Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, April 11 (10 a.m.) and Saturday, April 18 (10 a.m.). The Red-White game is Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m.

PLAYING STATUS

Safety Tevin Carter, who missed most of last season with an injury, is expected to receive a medical hardship extension from the NCAA and may participate this spring. The Pac-12 Conference has submitted a request to the NCAA to add a sixth year for Carter, which would enable him to compete next fall ... Senior quarterback Kendal Thompson has been cleared to participate in non-contact drills. He missed the last four games of 2014 with an injury/surgery ... Held out at the start, but expected to participate later in spring camp are starting linebackers Jared Norris and Gionni Paul, starting wide receiver Tim Patrick and linebacker Sunia Tauteoli ... Scholarship players who will miss all of spring ball due to injuries are starting offensive guard Salesi Uhatafe, running back Dre'Vian Young and cornerback Ahmad Christian.

HEISMAN HOPEFUL

Devontae Booker will enter his senior season as Utah's first Heisman hopeful since quarterback Alex Smith was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2004. A first-team All-Pac-12 running back in his first NCAA season in 2014, Booker averaged 116.3 yards per game overall and 130.1 yards in nine conference games. He finished with 1,512 yards net yards, second all-time in a season at Utah, and his seven 100-yard games tied for the third-most in a season in school history. His 229 yards at Oregon State was the best single-game rushing total in the Pac-12 in 2014. Booker also had 43 receptions for 306 yards and finished second in the Pac-12 and 17th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (144.2).

CAMP NOTES

Utah returns 18 starters (7 offense, 9 defense, 2 kickers) and 61 lettermen from last year's 9-4, Las Vegas Bowl champion team ... Including walk-ons, there are 104 players on the spring roster ... Members of the 2015 recruiting class who are in school and participating in camp include linebacker Jake Jackson, defensive back Austin Lee, wide receiver Tyrone Smith and defensive tackle Vaha Vainuku. South Carolina transfer Ahmad Christian is also in school, but will miss all of spring and fall camp with an injury. He has one year of eligibility remaining and hopes to be available during the season ... Players who changed positions in the offseason include Monte Seabrook to receiver (from running back), Clarence Smith to linebacker (from defensive end) and Jason Thompson to safety (from quarterback).

COACHING MOVES

Offseason coaching changes include: Aaron Roderick and Jim Harding are the new co-offensive coordinators. Roderick continues to coach the quarterbacks and Harding the offensive line. Running backs coach Dennis Erickson was appointed the assistant head coach. Morgan Scalley takes over as the special teams' coordinator in addition to coaching the safeties. New hires include John Pease as the defensive coordinator. He will also coach the defensive line, a position he also coached from 2009-10. New additions are Justin Ena (linebackers) and Lewis Powell (tight ends).

REVIEWING LAST SEASON

Utah finished 9-4 overall and 5-4 in Pac-12 Conference games in 2014. The Utes defeated Colorado State (45-10) in the Las Vegas Bowl. Punter Tom Hackett became the first Ray Guy Award winner in school and Pac-12 history and was a consensus All-American. Defensive end Nate Orchard won the Ted Hendricks Award, the Morris Trophy and made 10 All-America teams, including first-team Walter Camp and FWAA All-American. Returner Kaelin Clay made four All-America teams and defensive tackle Lowell Lotulei was a Freshman All-American by USA Today (1st team) and Scout.com (2nd team).