Kyle Whittingham Praises Leadership First Day Of Fall Camp
Jul 31, 2023, 6:25 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah football is back and eyeing a three-peat in 2023 as the Utes took the field for the first day of fall camp. As the day wound down, head coach Kyle Whittingham noted he’s been pleased with the leadership of his group after day one.
The Utes have long taken pride in their culture and leadership, so hearing Whittingham praise his group for working well together and doing the “extra” things comes as no surprise. In fact, Whittingham has called out the work ethic of his group the past few seasons- all of which have led to Pac-12 Titles and Rose Bowl appearances.
Could Utah be in for that coveted third and a little more based off of the earlier talks? Only time will tell, but it is nice hearing early on the team chemistry is still there as we get into the thick of another great football season.
Day 1 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/AUU5z8guBs
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) August 1, 2023
“It Says A Lot” – Whittingham Praises Culture, Leadership
Earlier in the day, the media was able to talk to the coordinators and assistant coaches about their individual groups in preparation for fall camp. All of them noted in some form or fashion the extra work their groups have put in over the summer to be better and that was also praised by Whittingham after the first practice.
“It says a lot- it says that our guys care about what they are doing, they are committed to what they are doing,” Whittingham said. “They are all in and it also says a lot about our strength coaches. Our strength coaches are as good as there is or the best in the country. We just couldn’t be more pleased with the toughness that is instilled. You not only want to get stronger and more flexible, but the mentality. They follow suit with our mentality as a team, perfectly in our weight room as far as building mental toughness.”
First Day Back Injury Update For The Utes
All eyes of course will be closely watching starting quarterback Cam Rising as he starts to be reintegrated into the offense coming off of an ACL tear in the Rose Bowl. Reports have been positive about QB1 through spring and summer, but that doesn’t mean precautions won’t still be taken as football ramps up.
“He’s practicing, but will have limitations,” Whittingham said. “That will pretty much be the report for the next couple of weeks- practicing with limitations. Hopefully some of those limitations start to get lifted when we get deep into camp, but today was a good start. We’ve just got to be intelligent about it.”
Intense match happening here @crising7 | @Cole_bishop_8 pic.twitter.com/wk10Qrm4tI
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) July 21, 2023
One of Rising’s favorite targets in Brant Kuithe will also be closely monitored as he also comes back from an ACL that ended his season after the Arizona State game last year.
“He’s able to do a few things- today was predominantly weight room stuff,” Whittingham said. “As soon as he’s ready, as soon as we get the green light, we’ll start to work him in as well.”
In terms of where both players currently stand, Whittingham says they are “right on schedule”.
A Good Catch?
Another guy who was kind of on injury watch for Utah was receiver transfer Mycah Pittman, but Whittingham reported he did everything in practice day one and looked good doing it too.
“Did everything today,” Whittingham said. “Did everything today with no limitations. Of course, it was nonpadded practice. We might be a little more cautious when it comes to putting the gear on, but for now, he’s doing a good job.”
🧘🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/WoGsyL4QVm
— MJP (@MycahPittman) June 6, 2023
Utah’s Biggest Position Concern?
Ironically, Whittingham says his biggest concern for his team is quarterback, but not because there is no faith in Rising or his ability to return. It has more to do with making sure the depth is ready and capable of carrying the torch at a moment’s notice with little drop-off.
“Outside of quarterback, the biggest focus would be quarterback,” Whittingham said. “Then it would be quarterback again. I can’t think of anything that is even close to that right now as far as making sure in the event that Cam can’t go, we have the right guy who can start the game. That supersedes everything. If you had to put another item on there, the pecking order would be wide receiver. Starting to get those guys- it won’t happen right away but after we accumulate enough body of work, who the number one target is, number two, number three and so on.”
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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