The Utes released a new depth chart Thursday morning and it was full of changes. The most notable of the changes was the decision to put quarterbacks Travis Wilson and Kendal Thompson as co-starters, further showing that this debacle is far from over.
However, when I looked at the depth chart, my attention wasn’t immediately drawn to that — rather I was intrigued that freshman defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei made his way into the starting lineup.
While this move was expected, as Lotulelei, brother of former Ute standout Star, was disrupting the UCLA offensive line all night long last weekend, it got me thinking — how will this team look next year? Three years? Five years?
Despite having the potential to make this season a great one, after a much deeper look at the depth chart and the recruiting haul coming in, I honestly believe that next year will be THE year for Utah.
I know, I know. The Utes are going to lose a lot of important pieces of this year’s squad due to graduation. Nate Orchard, Brian Blechen, Tevin Carter, Kaelin Clay and Junior Salt all will be gone. I don’t think I even need to go into the amount of production these names have contributed in 2014.
That said, some of these younger guys have looked very impressive thus far in the season. In addition to Lotulelei making noise in the trenches, you’ve also got Justin Thomas and Dominique Hatfield — who also plays offense — playing well in the secondary. I’d go as far as saying Thomas has been the most impressive player in the secondary that has flown under the radar.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Utes will return nearly everyone on the line, save Salt. The offensive captain will for sure be missed, but his backup, Nick Nowakowski, has seen some playing time this season due to some nagging injuries to Salt that should help him in the future. Nowakowski will use that experience to his advantage in 2015. That makes for almost a complete return of the offensive line, who at times has struggled this year.
If any one of those guys don’t pan out next season, or the line continues to struggle, Utah has freshman Jackson Barton coming back and his brother, Cody, who will be a freshman next season, joining him. I’m not saying it’ll be the best offensive line in the country, but with the experience returning mixed with incoming talent, I think both the pass and run blocking will be improved.
On top of that, you’ve got a quarterback returning, whether it be Wilson or Thompson or both, Devontae Booker manning the backfield, and although the receiving corp loses Dres Anderson and Kaelin Clay, it keeps Kenneth Scott and Tim Patrick. The playmaking ability of Anderson and Clay will be missed, but Scott and Patrick are more than capable of shouldering the load.
I haven’t even touched on the talent level of some of the incoming recruits and JUCO transfers, but let’s just say that Utah is bringing in some top-end speed. Next season will see a lot of new guys come in and contribute right away, very similar to how Clay and Booker have this campaign.
As for further down the road, it’s hard to predict just how good the Utes can be, but if they can keep recruiting the way they have, there’s no reason to believe this program can’t be a contender in the Pac-12 for many years. I mean, some of the freshmen and sophomores on this year’s squad have looked very impressive, so the arrow for the future is pointing up.
This season could turn into a real special one for Utah. It could also take a huge hit in this brutal six-game stretch coming up. But one thing is for certain, the future is looking bright for the Utes.
@GriffDoug