Utah Running Back Room Looking To Remain A Strength In 2023

SALT LAKE CITY – Running back has been a strength for Utah football going back years and 2023 appears to be no different for the Utes.

Not only do the Utes bring back known talents in Micah Bernard, Jaylon Glover, Chris Curry, and Ja’Quinden Jackson, but they also have a handful of incoming freshmen with promise as well- even if their position coach Quinton Ganther isn’t ready to talk about them just yet since they aren’t on campus.

Still, Ganther, along with some of his returning vets think they have a good room with guys looking to compete while also actively making each other better.

 

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The Strength Of The Group, Is The Group

Last season, the running back room was tested with guys coming in and out of the running back lineup for one reason or another. While it wasn’t necessarily the prettiest effort at times, the group got through it largely due to the efforts of Bernard, Glover, Curry, and Jackson who will once again be the core of the Utah running back room in 2023.

“I think the room is a really good room,” Ganther said of his group. “I will continue to say this and will say it all the time, the strength of the group, is the group. Every guy does something a little different. They bring their own flavor to the table and I’m excited about everyone letting their personalities to come out in their play.”

Jackson agreed, noting he can and has leaned on every person involved in the running back room at one time or another as he’s gotten up to speed with the position after moving from quarterback halfway through last season.

InnatMODE‼️🥷🏽 pic.twitter.com/g5UqqoAXlS

— Ja'Quinden Jackson (@leg3ndaryjaay) March 25, 2023

“Jaylon Glover, Chris Curry- basically the whole running back room plus the G.A.s and coaches,” Jackson said. “We all are a family. Outside of football, we still hang out. That group right there is one of a kind.”

While Jackson is older, he and Glover were in a similar position last season trying to get their legs under them in the running back room and Glover says it resulted in a very organic friendship.

“I mean, that’s my brother,” Glover said. “We are always going back and forth on helping each other with different corrections or just encouraging each other. Uplift. Sometimes you have bad days and he’s the first one to tell me to pick my head up and vice versa. Being with me- I’m going to make him better and he’s going to make me better.”

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 and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports

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