As 2023 prepares to duck out down a back alley, making room for 2024, as Utah football punctuates its season with the Shamrock Meats Las Vegas Bowl, or whatever its real sponsored name is now, it fits to make a prediction about what’s going to happen with the Utes in the new year.
After all, it’s the most wonderful time of year. A time of guessing.
Forget about Saturday’s game against Northwestern at Allegiant Stadium, other than checking out a few fresh replacements. The 2023 season, its narrative, has already been written and told. Vegas is more an epilogue, a mopping of the floor, a dusting of the shelves, a bowl game featuring Porky Pig(skin) breaking through a bass drum to wave and say, “Eeb-ba-deeba … That’s all folks.”
We know how it is, how it was. There will be a few alterations in this game, depending on who plays, who doesn’t play, the aforementioned fresh faces, a few chances for guys to get some time and for old ones to either sit out or bow out, according to their postseason druthers.
As was the case throughout, Cam Rising will look more like a kingly coach in a schmaltzy Hollywood sports flick than an actual quarterback, perusing over his kingdom from the sideline, waiting for his rehabbed chance and his million-plus-dollar NIL paycheck to arrive before padding up and heading out to play. Bryson Barnes will cap his Ute career as Rising’s fill-in before dancing off through the transfer portal to a more substantial opportunity — an intended one, anyway — elsewhere. And with that, to continue the Porky theme here, the NCAA’s most famous pig farmer will look for a different football farm.
The 2023 season supplied its share of memories, considering the eight wins in spite of the fact that half the team, or so it seemed, was injured at one juncture or another. Rising was just the part of the iceberg you could see, with so much else floating — healing — under the surface. That being the case, Utah’s four losses to ranked teams won’t be remembered as much of a failure. Yes, before season’s start Kyle Whittingham did say he thought the 2023 Utes could be the most talented team he’s ever put on the field, but because so many key contributors couldn’t be put on the field, the resultant record was more a trophy than a smudge mark.
But enough of that. What’s to come in 2024?
Here’s what … a successful run through the Big 12 and a good shot at a spot in the newly-expanded College Football Playoff.
That’s not some snarky remark meant to portray or promulgate Utah arrogance and tweak the noses of the proud teams already in that conference. It won’t be easy and there will be some difficulties en route. Despite the Utes’ famous unbeaten seasons in 2004 and 2008, in more recent times, even those when Utah went to the Pac-12 title game four out of five years, winning it consecutively in 2021 and 2022, there were face-plants along the way. But there also was the wherewithal to stand back up, brush aside said adversity and power forward.
It’s not just attitude and resiliency, though, it’s a couple layers of capability, capacity, the already-recognized talent and the coaching to get the most out of it that is most promising for Utah. There are some reasons for concern, if not doubt, however.
Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki motoring off to the NFL draft is, or might be, a problem. Those safeties were beyond important for the Utes this past season, with Vaki doing his double-duty on offense. There are subs already in the program, but that position will require settling.
Also, holes were created in the offensive front with Keaton Bills and Sataoa Laumea exiting for the NFL. And receiver Devaughn Vele, too. The receiving group has questions what with Money Parks and Munir McClain returning, but Mikey Matthews hitting the portal.
If Brant Kuithe returns, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him used more as a wideout than a tight end, especially with UCLA transfer Carsen Ryan coming in.
The running backs are set, particularly if Ja’Quinden Jackson stays put.
Utah’s defense, even with the stellar safeties departing, has a way of absorbing the loss of skilled players and building upward.
The one aspect that can’t be controlled, not completely, nor factored for, is the injury thing. Foremost among the examples is Rising himself. He’s demonstrated the ability to lead his team to great heights, including Rose Bowls, but he’s also been human enough to be hurt in both of those Granddaddies. Will he be healthy? Can he stay healthy?
Those are the same questions everyone fruitlessly wondered about this past season.
If he is, if he does, look out.
2024, then, at least for Utah football and anyone who cares about it, is something to eagerly and happily anticipate, beyond Rising, if recruits and transfers mix in nicely, which they usually do, regardless of what happens in the Passmore Gas and Propane Las Vegas Bowl … err, whatever it’s called.
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