Utah’s QB battle continues

We are less than three weeks away from the Utes kicking off the 2017 season, and the staff is yet to name a starter at QB, of course, that’s the case with so many positions. The QB being the most high profile position that’s where all the eyes are when Utah takes the field. It’s been very common for the Utes to not name their starter early in the fall camp over the last couple of years, because Coach Whitt likes to have a competition at all positions, this year may be a little bit different.

Coach Whitt has stated that Troy Williams, as the incumbent starter, has a leg up in the competition, and I do believe that he will be the starter for game one, but I do think Tyler Huntley has really caught the attention of the coaching staff, namely new OC Troy Taylor. Here’s a bit of a breakdown, in my opinion of the two front runners to the QB spot, Huntley and Williams.

Some of Troy Williams’ pros are: a poised pocket passer, experience winning in the Pac-12, has some mobility, throws a nice ball, to all areas of the field, emotional leader. Some cons: he is a bit turnover happy, and it sounds like that bug still bites him a bit in the fall, just based off of some sound bites post-practice. Not as dynamic in the run game (albeit steady).

As for Huntley, his pros are: very dangerous when breaking the pocket and can really extend plays, throws a pretty deep ball (possibly the best on the team), possibly more dangerous in the QB run game than Troy. Some cons: at least when I’ve seen him, he can get some happy feet in the pocket, inexperienced in meaningful snaps (especially passing the ball), and it sounds like he has turned over the ball a bit in fall camp.

Again, I think Troy is the starter, but it’s nice to see Tyler is pushing him and making a strong case for the job. With the addition of Troy Taylor, that may have evened the playing field a bit, just based of Taylor not really having a loyalty to either guy, and not going through the battles of last year. Coach Whitt has said one day one will shine and the next the other will, so they’re just waiting for one to show a bit more consistency. It may be another week until we hear a definitive statement on who the starter is, if they name one before the North Dakota game.

What pros and cons do you see with each QB, and who do you think has the leg up and will start to open the season?