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Utah's Devin Brumfield And Jordan Wilmore Enter Transfer Portal

Utah's running back depth took a big hit on Monday when Jordan Wilmore and Devin Brumfield announced they were transferring — leaving freshmen Ty Jordan and Micah Bernard as the mainstays

Ryan Kostecka

Entering the 2020 college football season, there was a lot of excitement coming from Utah's backfield. 

Despite losing arguably the program's best running back in Zack Moss to the NFL, the Utes were prepared to enter the season with four players fighting it out for the No. 1 spot.

Now with one game left in the season — possibly two if the Utes play in a bowl game — true freshman Ty Jordan has emerged from the group as the No. 1 back. He's averaging 110.3 rushing yards per game, the tops among freshman in the FBS, and has rushed for 314 yards the past two games, both Utah victories. 

Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

"He's starting to separate himself even more. He's been our top guy and now he's getting more and more separation. ... But, Jordan by what you have evidenced tonight, is our number one back," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said after Utah's 30-24 win over Oregon State. "He's getting used to speed of the Power 5 game. Things move fast in all lanes at the Power 5 level. He has gotten used to that. Now he has some confidence as well. One thing we need to do more is throw him the ball."

Jordan has been so dominant that he's been named the Pac-12 freshman of the week for the second consecutive week.

With Jordan emerging as the No. 1 guy and averaging 22 carries the past two games, the role of backups were looking to be sorted out between freshman Micah Bernard, junior Devin Brumfield and sophomore Jordan Wilmore.

That decision for Whittingham just got easier when Brumfield and Wilmore took to Twitter about two hours apart from one another to announce that they were transferring out of the program.

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It's a huge loss for the Utes as Brumfield and Wilmore were Utah's most experienced running backs on the team entering the season. It was actually believed that the starting and primary backup role was going to come down to Brumfield and Wilmore, until the emergence of Jordan.

Brumfield ends his Utah career with 94 carries for 390 yards and three scores, including 85 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown this season. Wilmore will finish up with 67 carries for 248 yards and a score, including 18 carries for 54 yards this year.

Utah running back Devin Brumfield carries the ball in a recent fall camp practice. Brumfield is locked in a battle to be the starter with Jordan Wilmore.
Devin Brumfield — Courtesy of Utah Athletics

The decision by either player doesn't come as a total shock to Whittingham, who alluded to as much during his Monday morning press conference.

"When you have a freshman that rises up and does well, upperclassmen sometimes get the notion that they're not in the plans, so we'll see what happens with that position," he said. "But we like the position. We have four guys that we're confident in right now, and we'll just see what direction things go."

He also added that Jordan will receive more carries while Bernard is now expected to be featured more prominently in the offense on a wee-to-week basis.

Right now, Utah is expected to add to the depth when three-star running back Ricky Parks signs his letter of intent on Wednesday during the NCAA's early signing period

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Ryan Kostecka
RYAN KOSTECKA

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