Who will be the starting quarterback this year? There has never been any rest to the loaded question every Utah fan or media member has been asking since the Utes were crowned champions of their bowl game late last season.
The debate back and forth among spectators has continued to raise eyebrows over three main contenders for that role.
There’s Kendal Thompson, who last season showed a little bit of what he can do on the field, namely in the UCLA upset in the Rose Bowl. Go ahead and throw freshman Chase Hansen into the mix, who recently returned from an LDS mission and joined the roster after redshirting a year prior. And, of course, there’s the four-year veteran Travis Wilson, who has had to fight and claw his way to playing time in each season.
All are viable options, so it seems, but head coach Kyle Whittingham has finally answered the question as to who he feels confident placing in the quarterback position come Thursday night when Michigan comes to town.
“There has been frequently asked questions on the QB position — Travis won that position, Travis was the best,” said Whittingham. “Travis is the guy, and we’re excited to see what he can do.”
Last year, Wilson was 190-for-313, passing the ball for 2,170 yards. He showed off his running ability as well with 309 yards on the ground. He finished the season by being named the Las Vegas Bowl MVP after the Utes beat Colorado State, where Wilson threw for 158 yards and rushed for an additional 91 and three touchdowns.
The coaching staff is counting on Wilson to replicate that MVP performance this entire season, and so far, he hasn’t disappointed. Wilson has continued to impress his coaching staff with his dedication and work ethic throughout his career as a Ute.
“He just continued to play well with that poise and confidence throughout fall camp,” Whittingham said.
This year, Wilson has been working on building a better relationship with all of his coaches, mainly Aaron Roderick and Jim Harding, and it has been a smooth transition working with the two of them. He thinks the style of offense this year is better-suited to his strengths and style of play, and everyone on the offense, Wilson included, is growing in confidence.
After practice last week, Travis was emulating this confidence and spoke highly of his teammates and the progress they have made.
“I’m excited that it’s finally here, I think everyone is excited to get our season under way,” said Wilson. “I just want to solidify everything and get everything fine-tuned. Make sure we’re doing all the right things, executing and get everything ready.”
While alluding to the pressure to perform and compete against the other quarterback options, Wilson is confident in himself as a leader, and he’s thankful the other guys will have his back in times of need.
“I just want to be the best QB and leader on this offense and just play well throughout this season,” Wilson said. “Make sure I’m doing everything I can to be the best I can, and hopefully that will show this season … I’m always happy with competition. I think competition made us better through fall camp. I know my teammates will be there for me on Thursday and will help me with what they see on the sidelines. I appreciate them a lot.”
Fans may continue to speculate and debate over who they feel is an adequate fit for the quarterback position, but Wilson is sure the Utes know what they are capable of and are working toward executing that production.
“I’d say, don’t worry about it,” Wilson said. “We have some good wide receivers and we’ve got some young guys, but they are stepping up to make some plays — so we’ll be good.”
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