Utah Utes football: Kyle Whittingham says spring practice is 'all about us'

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has made it clear. When the Utes open spring practice today, they won't be focusing on upcoming membership in the Pac-12. Nor, he added, will anything else detour their attention.

"Spring ball is all about us," Whittingham said. "We're not concerned with other teams or what other teams are doing schematically."

In the past, however, Utah did dedicate some time to defending Air Force's triple-option attack.

Switching conferences has changed all that.

"With that no longer in the picture for us, it's all about getting our offense installed and becoming a more fundamentally, technique-sound football team at all positions," Whittingham said. "That is really what the main thrust of spring is, fundamentals and technique and making sure that we're improving — that each player individually is improving."

The quest to get better begins with practice this afternoon. It's the first of 15 spring sessions.

"We've got three or four things that are the most pressing issues," Whittingham said before reeling off a list of things to get done.

Priority No. 1, he explained, is getting newly hired offensive coordinator Norm Chow's "new wrinkles" in the offense installed. That includes getting all the repetitions needed to pick up the new concepts and such in the multiple offensive scheme.

Other areas of immediate concern for Whittingham include establishing a depth chart at running back and in the secondary.

"We have a lot of new faces there, so we've got to get that defined," Whittingham said.

At running back, the Utes must replace co-starters Matt Asiata and Eddie Wide, as well as Sausan Shakerin.

Converted wide receiver Luke Matthews opens spring on top of the depth chart. Highly touted junior college transfer John White and former Bingham High standout Harvey Langi are also considered frontrunners. Thretton Palamo and Beau Burton are also in the mix.

"We've got a whole new look at running back," Whittingham said. "So getting the running back depth chart established will be a focal point."

Same goes for the secondary, where the Utes are depleted of starters. Cornerbacks Brandon Burton (NFL) and Lamar Chapman (graduation) are gone. So, too, are safeties Justin Taplin-Ross (graduation) and Brian Blechen (moved to linebacker).