What Kyle Whittingham said about day one of fall camp in Salt Lake City

The Utes are 30 days away from the start of the 2024 season

Utah Athletics

Kyle Whittingham and the Utah football team are diligently preparing for what many anticipate could be a monumental season in their new Big 12 conference. The journey ahead is demanding, but optimism prevails as Whittingham described the first day of fall camp as "solid."

Throughout the summer, social media showcased the players' hard work and dedication, emphasizing their commitment to meet preseason expectations. Whittingham noted that the players' summer efforts were evident from the first practice.

"We had a great summer, first of all," Whittingham said. "The players had the opportunity to do a lot of player-run practices—PRPs, as we call them. That showed up today. It was pretty smooth for the first day out. Execution was pretty good. No pads yet, and that will be the same tomorrow. It's mainly assignment football, but about what we expected for the first day. It was good. Solid day."

A couple minutes from the head man, Kyle Whittingham. pic.twitter.com/lheSuI3EG6

— Steve Bartle (@SBartle247) July 29, 2024

As the camp progresses, significant attention will be directed toward the quarterback group as the Utes determine their number two quarterback behind starter Cam Rising. During spring practices, there was a competitive and close battle between sophomore Brandon Rose and freshman Isaac Wilson. This fall camp introduces a third contender, senior Sam Huard, who transferred from Cal Poly. The QB battle was something Utes offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig talked about after practice. Whittingham was also pleased with what he saw from this signal callers.

"It was a good day for the QBs," Whittingham stated. "The biggest reason for that was the things we put in today were things they've been doing all summer. That's what it's going to be for the first three or four days—stuff we worked on all summer. Getting into practices five, six, seven, you start working on introducing new concepts, and that is where you really start to see separation."

The Utes are returning a substantial number of veteran players, which fuels the confidence surrounding their 2024 prospects. However, the team also has quite a bit of newcomers in the fold for this year.

"We had a team meeting last night," Whittingham mentioned. "We had all of the guys who are new to the program stand up, and there were about 35-40 guys who stood up. It's a big group of new guys who need to learn how we do things here."

Whittingham and his staff face the task of blending seasoned players with newcomers, fostering a cohesive unit capable of competing at the highest level. The enthusiasm and hard work shown by the players bode well for the Utes as they embark on this promising season. With a solid foundation set during the summer and a productive start to fall camp, the Utah football team aims to make a significant impact in the Big 12 conference.