College Football

Utah spring football storylines: Can Pac-12 champs win on big stage?

Updated Mar. 20, 2023 3:12 p.m. ET

Kyle Whittingham has been a part of a lot of football games over the years, and the third-longest tenured head coach in FBS has always been able to provide some thoughtful perspective on the state of things regardless of the end result for his team.

Such was the case about half an hour after the Rose Bowl ended in January, when the Utah coach walked into his news conference and rather matter-of-factly noted why a two-touchdown loss underscored the measuring stick that his program now finds itself using every year.

"As disappointed as we are and as bitter as this is, still a lot to build on, and definitely the season overall was a step in the right direction for our program," Whittingham said. "We've got to continue that. That's where we're at."

That is indeed where the Utes find themselves a dozen years into their journey in the Pac-12, having firmly established that getting to — and, hopefully, winning — a Rose Bowl after yet another conference title is not just an aspiration around Salt Lake City, but an expectation. When you return the bulk of your production on both sides of the ball, as the team looks set to do in 2023, that is especially the case.

As Utah begins spring practice, it does so focused on not just maintaining the status quo but on finding that missing element that can get them into the win column during some of those marquee nonconference games or postseason outings in which they previously came up just short. Searching for incremental gains at the highest levels can often be the toughest part about college football but, as Whittingham surely knows, it can also be the most rewarding.

Utah hoists the Pac-12 trophy

Utah quarterback Cam Rising was awarded the Pac-12 Championship MVP after throwing for 310 yards and three touchdowns against USC.

With that in mind, here are three key storylines to track with the Utes as they kick off spring practice on March 21:

Rising's absence

To put Cam Rising's career in some perspective, he was a Class of 2018 recruit who was originally pledged to Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma before later signing with Tom Herman at Texas. So yeah, he's been around the block.

While the program is thrilled to have him back for his sixth year under center, this spring offers the Utes their first real glimpse at what life after Rising will be like. The Pac-12 title game MVP has had three consecutive seasons ended by injuries, so he'll sit out the physical portion of spring ball as he continues to recover from the ACL injury he suffered in the Rose Bowl.

That means increased reps and an increased opportunity to not only be the critical backup in 2023 but the likely starter going into 2024.

Walk-on Bryson Barnes has served as deputy to Rising for the past two years, including key cameos in the second half of tough losses in Pasadena. He'll likely be viewed as the favorite to keep the gig, but coaches will have fresh eyes on everybody with a nod toward the future and who can keep the program rolling.

Redshirt freshman Nate Johnson has seen some playing time already and brings much more of a dual-threat look to the position with his athleticism, while fellow youngster Brandon Rose physically looks the part and had a prolific high school career in Southern California. Early enrollee Mack Howard will also take snaps after heading to Salt Lake City as a three-star recruit out of Mississippi.

Tailback by committee

For a program that prides itself on running the ball, the primary option in the backfield has been a bit of a revolving door lately.

Last season, Tavion Thomas was supposed to be the guy with the lion's share of carries, but that never came to fruition, and he left the program late in the season. Ja'Quinden Jackson, a quarterback originally, did well in spot duty to record 531 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns. He has a path to an even bigger role moving forward. Micah Bernard has shown flashes and returned to the team after a brief stay in the transfer portal, but needs to show more consistency between the tackles and on third down.

Jaylon Glover started twice as a freshman last season as a nice change of pace but has a chance to show he's worthy of more touches, while junior Chris Curry will hope to prove he's back to full health after a season-ending injury last September. They'll need to try and establish themselves early before a slew of highly rated backs arrive for fall camp and try to eat into the number of carries available going into the opener against Florida.

Ja'Quinden Jackson clinches win over USC

Caleb Williams is intercepted by R.J. Hubert, then Ja'Quinden Jackson runs in a 53-yard touchdown to to clinch the game for the Utah Utes.

New leader on the backend

While tight end Dalton Kincaid will likely be the first Ute taken in the 2023 NFL Draft in April, Whittingham and his staff will be far more focused on figuring out who can replace departed cornerback Clark Phillips III this spring. The playmaker always had a nose for the football and notched four career pick-sixes, most of them turning sure losses into some big wins over the years.

JaTravis Broughton is the first guy ready to step up, and he played very well last year as Phillips' opposite number, but he'll be pushed as CB1 by Zemaiah Vaughn. A former quarterback from Texas who walked onto the team, he's a lengthy junior who has continued to take on a greater role and started all six games in the second half of last season. He finds the ball well but could use this spring to refine his technique just a tad more and get a little stronger. Faybian Marks is a veteran who should be a significant part of the rotation, as is fellow junior Caine Savage.

The real question is if Ole Miss transfer Miles Battle, a former four-star who stands 6-foot-4, can learn the system quickly enough. He has the most potential of the bunch.

No matter who winds up filling Phillips' role on the field, coaches will also be looking at which member of the secondary can also step up and fill the void he leaves behind as a key leader on the backend too.

Communication has been key for Utah's defense in consistently having one of the better units out West and that needs to be built with reps during spring practice if the team hopes to be just as salty in the secondary as they have been.

Bryan Fischer is a college football writer for FOX Sports. He has been covering college athletics for nearly two decades at outlets such as NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and NFL.com among others. Follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.

Top stories from FOX Sports: