Anonymous Opposing Pac-12 Coach: Utah Is Going To Be Fine

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah football is experiencing an overhaul in talent after losing nine starters on defense and three key starters on offense from an 11-3 season in 2019.

In the Athlon Sports 2020 College Football Preview Magazine, under Utah’s section they have quotes from an anonymous opposing Pac-12 coach talking about Utah.

“This is a program that completely understands its identity, how to recruit their guys and build them up. Their problem this year is replacing all those guys they lost last season. As consistent as they’ve been, you have to expect a step back, the coach said.”

Reload Not Rebuild

After losing so much talent including seven players getting drafted and another five players signing undrafted free agent contracts, Utah will have a lot of new faces particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

“I wouldn’t use ‘rebuild,’ just maybe ‘step back and reload.’ Because they’re so consistent, you still know what you’re getting from them even with the new faces. They want to maul you. They’re the most physical team in the league,” the coach continued. “They want you in their place, at night, and they’re gonna lay the wood. It’s one of the most underrated atmospheres in all of college football. You show up and it’s loud as hell and cold and they’re doing the haka before the game on the field… All five of their starters in the secondary are gone.”

These coaches get W’s 💯 pic.twitter.com/8cRZWXFPPZ

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) May 9, 2020

Development Put To The Test

Utah has always been a program that develops the talent that they recruit. Not getting the top prospects but molding them into NFL talent when they leave the program. The anonymous coach thinks that will be Utah’s biggest test is being able to develop so many new players.

That’s the real test for the program and the coaching staff. If you’ve been as good as we think at development, you’ll be able to plug those holes… The best way to beat them is get them out of their comfort zone,” the coach stated. “They’re very specific and deliberate, especially their offense… Jake Bentley could work really well in Andy Ludwig’s system. If that clicks, it will go a long way towards keeping them at the top of the division… They’re going to be fine, but there are too many question marks on the depth chart to consider them a repeat favorite in the South.”

🙌 @Utah_Football only had 8 players on their roster with 4 stars or above and STILL got 7 players drafted this year pic.twitter.com/IV4qXduDHP

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) April 29, 2020

Utah’s challenge became even bigger than before when they were only able to get three spring football practices in before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the rest of spring. Fall camp will be crucial for the Utes and how the 2020 season will play out.

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.