Football Spring Camp Starts Tuesday

Junior Brandon Cox is one of the leading contenders to replace four-year starting quarterback Travis Wilson.

3/21/2016 12:00 AM | Football

March 21, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY -

Spring Camp Starts Tuesday

Spring football camp starts for the Utes on Tuesday, Mar. 22 with the first of 15 total spring practices over the next five weeks. Practices will typically be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (exception is Friday, Apr. 1). The 13th-annual Red-White spring game will be played on Saturday, Apr. 23.

Public Invited

The public may attend all spring outdoor practices that are held at the practice field west of the Spence & Cleone Eccles Football Center and at Rice-Eccles Stadium. For safety reasons, practices held in the Spence Eccles Field House will be closed to the public. Beginning in week two of camp, Tuesday and Saturday practices (and the lone Friday practice) will be held in Rice-Eccles Stadium. Thursday practices will be at the Eccles Practice Facility, weather permitting.

Injury Report

Injured players who will miss all of spring camp include wide receiver Tim Patrick, cornerback Dominique Hatfield, safety/quarterback Chase Hansen, tight ends Siale Fakailoatonga and Evan Moeai, and offensive lineman Nick Nowakowski. In addition, injured safety Austin Lee and defensive back Jordan Fogal are doubtful to participate in the spring. Missing the start of spring ball but expected to return at some point during camp are offensive tackle J.J. Dielman, running back Marcus Sanders-Williams and offensive lineman Nick Carman.

Camp Notes

Utah returns 15 starters (6 offense, 8 defense, 1 kicker) and 60 lettermen from last year's 10-3, Las Vegas Bowl champion team … Including walk-ons, there are 99 players on the roster for the first week of spring camp … Six members of the 2016 recruiting class are enrolled in classes and participating in camp: offensive lineman Jake Grant, quarterback Tyler Huntley, offensive lineman Scott Peck, wide receiver Demari Simpkins, quarterback Troy Williams and punter Mitch Wishnowsky.

In the Huddle

Utah will have a new starting quarterback for the first time in five years with the graduation of four-year starter Travis Wilson. Co-starters on the opening-week depth chart are juniors Brandon Cox and Troy Williams. Cox has played in one game for Utah, completing his only pass attempt for 17 yards and rushing twice for 22 yards and a touchdown against Idaho State in 2013. Williams began his career at Washington (redshirting in 2013 and playing in five games with one start in 2014) before playing last season at Santa Monica College … Favored to replace four-year starter, two-time Ray Guy Award winner and two-time consensus All-America punter Tom Hackett is incoming junior college transfer Mitch Wishnowsky. An Australian like Hackett, Wishnowsky (Gosnells, Western Australia) is a sophomore in eligibility … Utah must replace two All-Pac-12 linebackers in Gionni Paul (first team) and Jared Norris (second team). Sophomore Cody Barton has the early nod to replace Paul at rover and junior Sunia Tauteoli hopes to fill in for Norris in the middle … With starting right tackle J.J. Deilman shelved for opening week, sophomore backup left tackle Jackson Barton will get the starting reps in his place … At tight end, junior Harrison Handley and sophomore Wallace Gonzalez are the two top candidates in the absence of injured starters Siale Fakailoatonga and Evan Moeai … Dual position threat Cory Butler-Byrd opens camp as the starting slot back. He is also listed as a defensive back … See week one depth chart on page 3 for more.

Coaching Moves

Offseason coaching changes included the promotion of ninth-year safeties' coach Morgan Scalley to defensive coordinator and the addition of Guy Holliday (wide receivers). There was additional movement within the staff, most notably Fred Whittingham Jr.'s appointment as tight ends coach after four years as Utah's director of player personnel, and Lewis Powell taking over the defensive ends after one year coaching the tight ends. Fred Whittingham will also serve as the recruiting coordinator. Cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah and linebackers coach Justin Ena are the new co-special teams' coordinators.

Reviewing Last Season

Utah tied for the Pac-12 South Division title with USC, both with 6-3 league marks. Utah had the best overall record in the Pac-12 South and the second-best record in the conference at 10-3. The Utes finished with a No. 17 ranking in the AP poll and were No. 16 in the Coaches' poll. They finished No. 22 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Utah closed it season with a Las Vegas Bowl victory over BYU. Senior punter Tom Hackett was a unanimous consensus All-American and won his second Ray Guy Award as the country's best punter. First-team All-Pac-12 players included Hackett, defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei, linebacker Gionni Paul and safety Marcus Williams.

Missing football? You're in luck. Spring camp starts on Tuesday and outdoor practices open to public! #goutes pic.twitter.com/YGfiXVnSKH

- Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) March 16, 2016