It has been more than a week since head coach Kyle Whittingham released the quarterback depth chart that set the tone for the remainder of fall camp.
After releasing the depth chart that put true freshman Jordan Wynn as the No. 1 quarterback, Whittingham narrowed his search for a starter down to two but has stressed that no decision has been made.
“I want to emphasize that I am not naming a starter,” Whittingham said. “Nothing is etched in stone. The order could change at any time, but Jordan will get 85 to 90 percent of the snaps for now.”
The native of Oceanside, Calif., graduated from Oceanside High School early last spring to get a head start on his career as a Ute, and the decision has seemed to pay off.
The quarterback situation became clearer Tuesday when junior Corbin Louks announced he will be removing himself from the quarterback race and transferring to play at the University of Nevada.
Louks had not only been running with the quarterbacks this fall but had also been working out with the safeties.
Louks, who Utah safeties coach Morgan Scalley described as “a natural” in the position, made his decision to transfer after he had been dropped to third on the most recent quarterback depth chart released by Whittingham.
“I plan to transfer and I feel it is best for the team that I don’t drag things out,” Louks said. “The team needs to concentrate on the game with Utah State and I don’t want to be a distraction. Transferring will give me the opportunity to play a position I know and love.”
Although Whittingham and offensive coordinator Dave Schramm still have a difficult decision to make before the season opener against Utah State, Whittingham knows how important Louks was to the program and has nothing but well wishes for the departed junior.
“We appreciate the contributions that Corbin has made to our program,” Whittingham said. “The role he played for us the last two seasons was definitely a factor in our success. We wish him nothing but the best in all his future endeavors.”
But with fall camp officially coming to an end with the conclusion of Saturday’s scrimmage, Whittingham isn’t any closer to naming a starter. Wynn and junior college transfer Terrance Cain split reps with the first team on Saturday and both looked strong in their final scrimmage of the fall.
“The quarterback situation is just another step in the evaluation process,” Whittingham said. “It’s coming down to the wire.”
Although the pressure continues to mount on the two young quarterbacks, both seem to be handling it well considering neither have played a down in Division I football.
“I’m just trying to limit my mistakes, using what I see in the film room and transferring it onto the field,” Cain said.
“(The pressure) is about what I thought it would be,” Wynn said. “It’s just part of the job, you have to handle it.”
Wynn is handling the pressure well, and it seems the freshman’s confidence has grown with each day of practice. With the season opener coming Sept. 3, he has no doubts he will be prepared if his name is called.
“I’ll definitely be ready,” Wynn said. “I have the playbook down and I think I have the trust of the offense.”
Although both candidates have performed strongly and believe they are the man for the job, it’s up to Whittingham and Schramm to make the final call before the season kicks off next week at home against Utah State.
Tyler CobbUtah quarterback Jordan Wynn runs out of bounds after gaining yards. Wynn was named the No.1 quarterback when the depth chart was released, but head coach Kyle Whittingham has still not named a starter.