Utah Utes football: Utes set to open spring drills

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham insists it's been a typical offseason, a little drama here and a little drama there.

Apparently it takes more than a lucrative offer from Tennessee to alter his view of things.

"It was very standard this year," said Whittingham, who is preparing for his sixth spring camp as head coach of the Utes. "I'm looking forward to getting back out on the field and working with this new group of guys."

Offers for other opportunities, he added, tend to come and go every year.

"I've got a great job here and I'm excited to get back out on the field," Whittingham said. "That's what we do, coach football. It's going to be good to get back out with these guys."

The Utes open spring ball with a two-hour practice today. It's the first of five sessions over a nine-day span before spring break. Camp resumes March 29 and concludes with the annual Red-White Game on April 17. Scrimmages are set for April 2 and 10.

Whittingham said the players have had a very good attitude throughout winter conditioning.

"It's another hard-working group of players that we have," he explained. "I think we've got a lot of talented players. We're short on experience at some positions, but that's the nature of the game. Everyone in the country deals with that in one extent or another.

"So it's up to us as a coaching staff to develop those young guys, and it starts this spring," Whittingham continued. "We've got to get ready to compete for a championship."

The Utes enter spring ball with distinct priorities.

On offense, Whittingham said job No. 1 is to develop young receivers "that have to be ready to play for us."

Senior Jereme Brooks is the only returning starter. Thus, young receivers like DeVonte Christopher, Luke Matthews, Jamal Smith and Sean Fitzgerald need to step up.

Whittingham said the same goes for six new starters in the back seven on defense.

"The linebacking corps is obviously a top priority," he noted.

The Utes must replace the starting trio of Stevenson Sylvester, Mike Wright and Kepa Gaison. Early frontrunners include Nai Fotu in the middle, Chad Manis at stud and J.J. Williams at rover.