Utah's Kyle Whittingham Confident In Playing QB Brandon Rose If Needed

Coach Whittingham has reinforced his confidence in Brandon Rose amid Vegas Bowl QB uncertainty.

The Utes are set to face Northwestern in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 23rd and a new face could be behind center for the matchup.

Highly touted QB Brandon Rose was in serious contention to be the starter in 2023 before he injured himself before the season began which led to the now-transferred Nate Johnson and Bryson Barnes half-season-long QB battle. 

However, on December 12, Coach Whittingham gave fans a vote of confidence in Rose when he said, "That time lost has still hindered him somewhat, but he ramped back up to where he's got a good feel for everything and is getting a good exposure to the game plan.”

Kyle Whittingham said he feels more comfortable playing Brandon Rose if they need to.

“That time lost has still hindered him somewhat, but he ramped back up to where he's got a good feel for everything and is getting a good exposure to the game plan.”

— Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) December 13, 2023

Some fans alluded to the interesting possibility that the statement might be foreshadowing a potential Brandon Rose appearance during the bowl game at some point. If there is some merit to the claims, it would be a good thing for Rose to get his in-game confidence up before entering a QB battle come next season. 

Rose hasn't seen college action yet but with the bowl game experience potentially under his belt, it could grant him the upper hand when battling Isaac Wilson for the backup spot behind Cam Rising come 2024.