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It's pretty much understood Kelvin York, who played in seven of Utah's twelve games last season, is most likely going to get the start once the season rolls around in August. Still, don't sleep on Karl Williams, who had a pretty standout day Tuesday. Williams received a scholarship last month from Utah and is doing his best to show the coaches he deserves it.
In camp yesterday, Williams absolutely tore through some of Utah's defense - including torching 'em for a handful of ten-plus yard plays. It's good news for the Utes considering running back depth is always an issue. The loss of John White IV will still be tough, and I don't want to downplay everything tied to it, but as we saw last season, and hopefully we'll see this season, York is certainly capable of stepping in and getting the job done.
Though Williams failed to make the most recent depth chart, as James Poole, Lucky Radley and Kelvin York are all theoretically above him, that could change with a few more days like Tuesday.
Here are some highlights of the practice from KSL.
Other than that, Brandon Cox appears to becoming along nicely. It seems downright improbable he'll push for the starting role, as right now he's third on the depth chart behind Travis Wilson and Adam Schulz, but he does offer a potentially unique twist to the offense - as his duel-threat capabilities are going to make him an explosive option in the Dennis Erickson spread offense.
I'm excited to see what he brings to the table considering the Utes really haven't had that second option since Corbin Louks left the program after the 2008 season.
What feels good about this year's team is that quarterback does legitimately feel like a strong spot and not just one cobbled together like the last few years. I think we've all seen what Schulz is capable of doing and Cox, as a freshman, might prove to be the real future of the program - though, I'm sure Chase Hansen, who's on his mission, will have a say in that. Moreover, unlike last year, knock on wood, one of our biggest offensive options won't depart prematurely, as it's easy to forget that Hansen was always anticipated to be an option for the offense before his injury and subsequent mission call.
So, while Wilson is definitely the go-to guy, and I believe will remain as much the rest of spring camp and then into fall camp and the season, the options are more diverse and talented than this time last year - even if, behind Wilson, much of the talent is untested.
But it feels good having confidence in the quarterback at least being healthy enough to make it through an entire season. I'll be honest, much of spring and fall last year was spent worrying about Jordan Wynn's health, and that definitely isn't an issue with any of the quarterbacks (knock on wood again!) this season.
There's also been progress with the receivers. This unit was the most disappointing last year, as, prior to the season, we spoke of 'em having some of the best talent in the conference and it didn't quite pan out that way. I'm excited to see what they can do, though obviously hype means little without the actual results. Still, I remember writing all the way back during fall camp how the receivers were not getting it done and that was a concern that proved to be a liability once the season got going. So far, this isn't an issue and hopefully it doesn't become one the remainder of the camp.
In that most recent depth change, Anthony Denham has moved out in favor of Quinton Pedroza. But I still think Denham is a quality receiver and I would not be surprised if he earned his spot back.
On a non-football note - Utah baseball defeated BYU 5-4 in 10 innings Tuesday night. It's the Utes' third-straight victory and they're coming off a 2-1 series win over the #17 ranked Stanford Cardinal. They're 12-10 on the season.