Report: Bryson Barnes Will Get The Start Against USC
Oct 21, 2023, 12:43 PM
LOS ANGELES – To no one’s surprise, Pete Thamel reported on College GameDay that Utah will once again be rolling with backup quarterback Bryson Barnes against USC.
Barnes started for the Utes last week against Cal in place of redshirt freshman quarterback Nate Johnson and seemed to help spark some offense with the help of safety Sione Vaki and running back Ja’Quinden Jackson.
Utah has been hopefully waiting for the triumphant return of starter Cam Rising, but, according to Thamel, it sounds like conversations are beginning to shift to Rising potentially taking a medical redshirt to return next season. Rising suffered a torn ACL plus a few other things in Utah’s Rose Bowl loss to Penn State earlier this year.
Not a surprise here. @PeteThamel on @CollegeGameDay reporting Bryson Barnes will start today against USC.
Also reported convos around Cam Rising are shifting to taking a medical redshirt for next season. #Utes pic.twitter.com/7cfWmGatGa
— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) October 21, 2023
More About Bryson Barnes
The college football world first became aware of Barnes during Utah’s first Rose Bowl appearance in 2022 after Rising suffered a concussion against Ohio State.
Part of what has peaked college football fans’ curiosity about Barnes is the fact he hails from a very small town in Utah called Milford.
Located in the south-west corner of Utah in Beaver County, Milford boasts a population of 1,431 according to the 2020 census. It also mainly boasts farmland which brings us to our next point.
In Barnes’ second career start against Florida earlier this season, he wasted little time letting everyone know Utah would be ok under his leadership dropping back and launching a 70-yard touchdown pass to receiver Money Parks in his first play of the game.
The Utes went on to beat the Gators, 24-11, and Barnes was given a scholarship for his efforts after having participated on the team the previous two years as a walk-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 X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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