Utah Utes football notebook: Team wraps up camp with scrimmage

After completing camp with a scrimmage at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham summarized the past few weeks of preparation.

"I think it was solid. We got a lot of good work done," Whittingham said before looking ahead to the Sept. 3 season opener against Utah State. "We still need these next 12 days before we play."

Beginning Monday, when school begins, the Utes shift into season mode. They'll do it with an impending decision to name a quarterback. Freshman Jordan Wynn and junior Terrance Cain took equal reps with the first offense in the scrimmage.

"It's coming down to the wire," said Whittingham, who added that both did well on Saturday. "We've got just a few days left to decide which direction we are going to go."

The evaluation process, he explained, will continue. The final decision will also include evaluating their camp performances as a whole.

Other strong showings came from starting right guard candidates Walter Watts and Tevita Stevens; all eight wide receivers on the depth chart (David Reed, Jereme Brooks, Aiona Key, Luke Matthews, John Peel, Shaky Smithson, Elijah Wesson and DeVonte Christopher); and the kicking game.

The latter, Whittingham said, have come along faster than anticipated. Ben Vroman tops the kickers and Sean Sellwood is the No. 1 punter.

Vroman made 10 field goals in the scrimmage, including a 50-yarder.

Except for two-minute drills, many projected starters did not participate in the camp finale.

Even so, Whittingham called it "a good work day" and clear than the previous two scrimmages.

"I think we got a lot of good work done," he said while noting there were very few penalties and less mental errors.

"It went pretty well," Wynn said.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Whittingham's son Tyler has joined the team as a walk-on, replacing Corbin Louks on the 105-player roster. The former Brighton Bengal, who served an LDS Church mission, is a sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining.

"It's good to have him out here," Whittingham said. "He's been away from football for a few years and got the urge to come back out."

Tyler, he added, is working hard on the scout team.

Whittingham's other son, Alex, is a senior linebacker at Brighton High School. The three-year starter tore his ACL early in Friday's 24-0 win over Davis and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

SLY'S STYLE: Linebacker Stevenson Sylvester is no longer sporting a blond mohawk hairdo.

"I had to cut it off. It wasn't doing me justice," he joked. "It just wasn't working."

And besides, Sylvester noted, it was just for training camp — a show of unity with his fellow linebackers.

Sly shaved it off on Tuesday and is moving into season mode.

"I'm getting ready for Utah State," he said.