Utah Football Releases Initial Depth Chart For 2018 Season

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The University of Utah football squad will roll out a deep, seasoned roster to begin the 2018 season. Anchored by returning starters like quarterback Tyler Hundley, running back Zach Moss, linebacker Chase Hansen and cornerback Julian Blackmon, Utah will start the year with all but two positions having some varsity-level experience in the starting lineup. Left guard Nick Ford and defensive end Mika Tafua were the lone freshman to crack the starting group for the Utes, who are expected to compete for the Pac-12 South division title.

According to head coach Kyle Whittingham, Tafua “really started to come on in the last half of camp.”

“Things really started to click for him and he started to feel comfortable at that spot,” continued Whittingham.

Returning to the starting group from a two-year mission is wide receiver Britain Covey, who will also handle kickoff and punt return duties.

Also of note, highly-touted freshman quarterback Jack Tuttle was not listed in the two-deep squad. The backup quarterback will belong to redshirt freshman Jason Shelley. According to Whittingham, the advantage that Shelley had with a redshirt season under his belt, gave him the edge, for now. The coaching staff plans to redshirt Tuttle this season, but Whittingham added “we will see how it unfolds”.

Whitt: It was a heated battle between 2 and 3. Shelley “edged out” Tuttle mostly because Tuttle has a redshirt year. Said they’re still competing, though.

— Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) August 27, 2018

Head coach Kyle Whittingham addressed a few questions on the roster on his Twitter account.

Tre has worked hard ever since he joined our program. He has made a lot of progress in all areas of his game and is a guy that we have a lot of confidence in. In addition, he is a valuable special teams player for us. https://t.co/pQf58HoHvs

— Kyle Whittingham (@UtahCoachWhitt) August 27, 2018

Solomon has continued to improve all throughout the preseason. You will see him on Thursday night and we expect him to be a productive player for us this season. He has a tremendous upside and we are excited about his future. https://t.co/bs52L5AR5J

— Kyle Whittingham (@UtahCoachWhitt) August 27, 2018

Utah will begin the 2018 campaign against Weber State Thursday night at Rice Eccles Stadium.