Utah Utes football: Whittingham not impressed by ranking

Utah football's highest preseason ranking ever — 18th in the USA Today Coaches Poll released Friday morning — doesn't mean much to head coach Kyle Whittingham.

"No reaction" was his initial response to the poll.

"I guess it's a sign of respect in a lot of ways that people have taken note of what we've been able to accomplish in the past," Whittingham said. "But each year, as I've said many times, is its own separate entity, its own set of circumstances, and we'll just have to see how things are."

Whittingham added that he'll have a better read on where his team deserves to be ranked after the season begins.

"To me it's a real crapshoot when you vote before you get four or five weeks into the season," he said while acknowledging it's always better to be ranked than unranked.

Unlike a year ago, however, Whittingham isn't part of the electorate. He wasn't part of a new random draw that determined who will vote in the coaches poll this season. And his omission apparently has nothing to do with his one-man mutiny — when he broke tradition and voted Utah No. 1 instead of the BCS National Championship Game winner (Florida) — last January.

"I don't think so. Maybe somebody pulled my name out of the random hat before they picked," Whittingham joked. "But I haven't heard anything to that effect."

THE FUTURE IS ... NOW: The delayed enrollment of Snow College All-American James Aiono and other uncertainties have allowed quarterback Griff Robles and linebacker L.T. Filiaga to participate in camp. They were going to "gray shirt" and start school in January.

"It all equals out," said Whittingham, who noted it's why the Utes traditionally "over sign" when it comes to recruits.

Because of Utah's ongoing three-quarterback competition, Robles will only get limited reps this fall and, according to Whittingham, is "98 percent" certain to redshirt.

PUTTING ON THE PADS: The Utes are progressing through the NCAA's acclimatization period. They'll add shoulder pads to the mix this morning.

Whittingham said it will make "a huge difference" in evaluations.

"The more gear you have on, the more live you can make things," he explained. "That's where you really start to find out who's who and where we are at."

EXTRA POINTS: Former Utah basketball star Walter Watts III is in town to watch his son, Walter IV, participate in camp. Watts, a junior, is competing for a starting job on the offensive line. ... Ex-Ute quarterback Brian Johnson stopped by Friday's practice. ... A busy Saturday includes practice in the morning and Media Day in the afternoon. The latter includes photos and a press conference.

e-mail: dirk@desnews.com