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Fall camp begins next Monday, and it will mark the final step toward kickoff after a lengthy offseason.

For the University of Utah, this season is as heavily anticipated as any, as the Utes, led by quarterback Cam Rising, were picked to win the Big 12 Conference in the preseason media poll.

The expansion of the College Football Playoff — and the automatic bid, and bye, given to the Big 12 champion — has Utah excited heading into 2024.

“Our players were excited about the opportunity. We control our own destiny. If we’re able to win the championship of the Big 12, we are going to the playoffs. We don’t have to hope somebody votes us in,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.

Here are five storylines to watch for as the Utes open up fall camp on Monday ahead of their first season in the Big 12.

The backup quarterback battle

The race for QB2 was the No. 1 storyline throughout spring camp, and it’ll dominate the headlines in the fall.

Sophomore Brandon Rose and true freshman Isaac Wilson will come into fall camp pretty much even after neither separated themselves enough to be given the edge coming out of spring ball.

Utah added Sam Huard after spring practices concluded, adding a third name into the mix. Huard is the only one of the three with college game experience, having played limited snaps in three games at Washington — save for an Apple Cup start where he threw for 190 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions as the Huskies lost 40-13 to the Cougars to cap off a 4-8 season.

With the emergence of Michael Penix Jr., Huard transferred to FCS Cal Poly, where he threw for 2,205 yards on a 60.9% completion rate and tossed 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Huard is a valuable addition who could end up winning the backup job with his previous experience.

“I can say for certain that Isaac Wilson and Brandon Rose had very good springs, and they’re coming into fall camp essentially neck and neck and now you add Sam to that mix,” Whittingham said. “We’ve got to find out what he can do. So the only thing we know for certain at quarterback is Cam is our guy, but the pecking order beyond that is to be determined.”

Which running back will emerge, or will it be by committee?

Asked which position group he had the most questions about as the Utes prepared for fall camp, Whittingham singled out the running back group.

“Who’s going to emerge as the bell cow running back, if anyone does? Maybe it’ll be by committee, which if that’s the case, that’s not a problem as long as we’re getting the production we need,” Whittingham said.

Running backs coach Quinton Ganther echoed those statements during spring ball, saying that the Utes “don’t have an every-down guy, so to speak, but we have a lot of guys that do a lot of things well.”

Utah has talent in the room, starting with senior Micah Bernard, who is back after missing the majority of last year due to injury.

In 2022, Bernard rushed for 533 yards and four touchdowns while adding 314 receiving yards and a score through the air. He’s Utah’s most versatile back, and its best pass-catching option at the position.

Will he handle the vast majority of the carries, or will it be by committee this season for the Utes?

Jaylon Glover — the No. 2 back behind Ja’Quinden Jackson last season — had a strong finish to the 2023 season, capped by his first 100-plus-yard game in the regular-season finale. If he continues on that trajectory, he’ll be a viable option for the Utes this season.

The wild cards here are Mike Mitchell and Dijon Stanley, who have seen very limited — or in Mitchell’s case, zero — time at running back.

At 6-foot, 211 pounds, Mitchell is the bruising archetype this room is in need of, and the ideal back in situations where Utah needs to pick up a few yards. Is he ready for an increased role, and could he develop into that lead running back for the Utes this year?

Stanley — who has great speed — has shown flashes in spring practices but needs to gain more weight and improve on his pass protection, according to Ganther. Will he make those strides and work his way into the rotation?

Who will be the other starting safety?

Utah replaces two starters — Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki, who were drafted to the NFL this April — at safety, which is the position group that will see the most change from last season.

Nothing is official until the first depth chart is released, but after spring camp, it seems all but certain that Tao Johnson has locked down the starting free safety role.

Johnson was the starting nickel during last season, but played a number of snaps at safety. Whittingham said last season that free safety was Johnson’s natural position, and now that there’s an opening, he’s making the move.

Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley said that Johnson may be the first true over-the-top free safety the Utes have had since Julian Blackmon.

“Speed. He’s got really good speed over the top. He’s got great ball skills. … Cole and Sione were very good, very good safeties, could play on the back end, but Tao just with his ability to cover ground is really pleasant to see back there,” Scalley said.

The battle between Nate Ritchie, Johnathan Hall and Alaka’i Gilman will continue throughout fall camp to fill the strong safety position, with Ritchie the favorite right now.

After returning from his church mission last season, Ritchie played 154 snaps at safety over 11 games, making three starts with 22 tackles and a sack.

“Nate Ritchie had a terrific spring. He was more of the Nate Ritchie when he started as a freshman. Has shaken all the rust off and he was moving around really well,” Whittingham said.

“(Johnathan) Hall had a terrific spring as well, our safety out of Texas, Alaka’i Gilman, the Stanford transfer, showed up well in spring also. … We got four or five candidates to fill those two spots, and it’s probably headlined right now by Nate Richie.”

Will the offensive line take a step forward?

It’s impossible to divorce Utah’s offensive line play last year from the down year at quarterback the Utes had in Rising’s absence. When you don’t have good quarterback play, it affects the offensive line — especially in the run game.

Last year, Utah rushed for 2,373 yards, and while that ranked No. 33 in the nation, it was the Utes’ worst rushing output in a full season since 2017. Knowing that Utah wasn’t going to gash them through the year, teams stacked the box, which made things difficult for the line. Ja’Quinden Jackson also wasn’t 100% the entire year, further complicating matters.

Those caveats aside, it wasn’t a banner year for the offensive line.

The Utes ranked No. 129 in the FBS in pass blocking and No. 46 in run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus, and while my eye test didn’t peg them as the fifth-worst pass-blocking team in the nation, the Utes know their offensive line performance needs to be better this season.

The presence of Rising — and better quarterback play — under center again is a positive for the offensive line.

“After practice, I went to (OC Andy Ludwig’s) office and just made the comment that it just felt different with Cam (Rising) back there,” offensive line coach Jim Harding said this spring. “And if I feel that way, I’m assuming the players do as well.”

The Utes have to replace three starters — center Kolinu’u Faaiu, who transferred to Texas A&M, left guard Keaton Bills, who is now with the Buffalo Bills, and right tackle Sataoa Laumea, who was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks.

Sophomore Spencer Fano, who started at left tackle as a freshman but is expected to flip to right tackle this year, and starting right guard Michael Mokofisi are back.

Center should be a battle between Jaren Kump and Johnny Maea, both of whom have starting experience at Utah, while Tanoa Togiai (another Ute with some starting experience) is penciled in at left guard and Caleb Lomu is penciled in at left tackle.

“We’re very confident in those guys,” Whittingham said.

Utah’s modified fall camp

Utah’s injury woes last season were well covered, as a laundry list of players missed significant time in the Utes’ 8-4 campaign.

Players that missed significant time included Rising, tight end Brant Kuithe, tight end Thomas Yassmin, running back Chris Curry, wide receiver Mycah Pittman, linebacker Lander Barton, and defensive end Logan Fano. Defensive end Jonah Elliss missed the last two games, and several other players missed at least a couple of games.

This year, the Utes are moving to an NFL-style model for fall camp, taking some days off during the start of “Camp Kyle.”

Though injuries are sadly a constant in football, the goal is to do everything possible to get to the opener on August 29 fully healthy.

“Instead of just hitting the ground running, we’re going to go two days, take a day off, go three days, take a day off, go four days, take a day off. So there’s a ramping effect there,” Whittingham said.

Whittingham is also implementing modifications in lifting to prevent soft-tissue injuries and is looking at the warmup and stretch routines the Utes are doing.

“We’ve looked at every possible angle we have, and we’ll implement some of those this fall,” Whittingham said.

From the archives

Extra points

• How will Utah basketball fare in the Big 12 this season? (Deseret News)
• Will Utah make the College Football Playoff? Bowl projections for the new Big 12 (Deseret News)

“Curious, caring, creative woman, driven by the desire to be helpful; Global Citizen.”

Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico

Fun Fact About Yourself: I truly love learning new things and challenging myself. One area where I’ve experimented the most is sports, particularly some that were somewhat risky, such as figure skating, snowboarding, and rock climbing. This journey has led me to break over 6 bones, guiding me towards sports with a smaller likelihood for accidents. Currently, my favorite one is paddleboarding.

Undergraduate School and Major: Tecnologico de Monterrey, B.S. Clinical and Health Psychology; Monterrey Institute of Psychoanalysis, M.A. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:  Business Owner and Psychotherapist at Elsa Morales Psicoterapia; School Psychologist and Program Coordinator at Tecnológico de Monterrey.

What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA? Seattle is the home of many incredible companies, which have been attracting truly bright, creative, and driven people for many years. Being in a community where everyone you meet has an incredible professional trajectory, very smart, and stays grounded and authentic, is so inspiring and freeing. Additionally, being surrounded by nature gives a sense of peace and purpose.

Aside from your location and classmates, what was the key part of Washington Foster’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The Applied Strategy Projects. Coming from a non-traditional background, one of my strongest concerns was the steep learning curve I’d face becoming a businesswoman. Having the opportunity to work with leading companies to solve complex problems or to find new paths for them has allowed me to start putting everything I am learning into practice and to get a taste of what my future work will be like. This has certainly helped me feel more prepared to hit the ground running when I start working in a business role.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Washington Foster? Without a doubt, every facet of my journey at Foster has been immensely fulfilling. Each day presents new challenges and learning opportunities that feed my passion for growth. A standout highlight from this past quarter was undoubtedly my Business Statistics class, under the guidance of the extraordinary Professor Jennifer Graves. Profoundly knowledgeable, kind, and funny, she not only imparts invaluable wisdom within the classroom, but also extends her mentorship to equip us with practical insights for the professional world. Being her student was an absolute privilege, and I look forward to continuing learning from her! She is the perfect example of the woman I aspire to become.

Washington Foster operates off a philosophy of We>Me. Give us an example of how you’ve seen that among your classmates so far. We>Me truly encapsulates the philosophy at Foster. I’ve experienced this in various ways, notably during the recruiting process. With the current job market’s challenges in mind and the heightened stress levels due to fewer internship openings, people might expect individuals to prioritize their own interests and withhold support from others out of fear or competition. However, at Foster, I’ve witnessed the opposite! Our community unites to share opportunities and aid each other in interview preparation. Instead of viewing one another as rivals, we genuinely celebrate each other’s success. This spirit of collaboration, community, support, and warmth is one of the many reasons why I love Foster.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Establishing my own psychotherapy private practice stands as one of my most significant achievements to date. Rooted in my fundamental drive to be helpful, this endeavor presented numerous challenges, each of which I proudly overcame. Guiding over 50 patients through their psychotherapeutic journeys was an immense honor, and I am so happy and thankful of having earned their trust, leading to numerous referrals and a consistently full schedule from the second year onward.

Describe your biggest achievement in the MBA program so far: One of my greatest accomplishments to date is seeing all the effort I’ve invested and the knowledge I’ve gained result in the opportunity to join A.T. Kearney, Inc. as a Summer Associate! This achievement fills me with immense gratitude. Throughout the interview process, I was amazed by the remarkable warmth, kindness, and professionalism exhibited by the Kearney team. Their collaborative spirit and genuine interest in fostering meaningful connections have left an indelible impression. I am happily looking forward to the prospect of contributing to Kearney’s culture of excellence and innovation, working alongside bright, hard-working, creative, and kind people!

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? In just 6 months I already have so many, but I think for me it’s in the everyday things. I think my favorite memory is a compilation of the days we’ve stayed late at school studying or preparing for interviews. There’s something quite special about working so hard to reach your goals by the side of such amazing friends who are going through the exact same thing.

DON’T MISS: MEET WASHINGTON FOSTER’S MBA CLASS OF 2025

A federal judge has told the Bureau of Land Management to temporarily halt issuing new oil and gas drilling permits on nearly 120,000 acres of public land in Wyoming until after a review of environmental impacts is completed by mid-January.

The July 16 decision by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., is the result of a need to reassess the environmental impacts associated with a controversial lease sale held by BLM’s Wyoming office in June 2022.

Cooper didn’t toss out the leases entirely, but any permitting on those leases has paused for six months while BLM conducts its own environmental review of the land won for lease in the 2022 auction by several energy companies, according to a copy of Cooper’s ruling.

Ryan McConnaughey, a spokesman for the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, said that the ruling turned out to be a “good one” for the industry because conservation groups that challenged the lease sales in the 2022 auction wanted them tossed out completely.

Cooper ruled that this wasn’t necessary because several of the environmental assessments related to sage grouse, mule deer and groundwater protections were “minor technical issues” that were easy to overcome.

“These leases could provide significant revenues over the lifetime of the wells if they are drilled,” said McConnaughey of royalties and other fees that the state could collect from the drilling.

Cooper’s ruling comes on the heels of his March verdict, which found that the BLM had not adhered to the National Environmental Policy Act when it decided to auction the land for oil and gas development over two years ago.

NEPA is a cornerstone environmental law that requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions.

Siding With Wilderness Society

In siding with the Denver-based conservation group Wilderness Society and other organizations who brought the lawsuit against the BLM, Cooper highlighted that the federal lands management agency had not properly evaluated the potential environmental impacts of future drilling activities.

Cooper found that the agency failed to adequately explain how it considered the potential climate harms resulting from “greenhouse gas emissions produced by drilling operations.”

The conservation groups raised several challenges under NEPA and the Administrative Procedure Act to BLM’s assessment of the “foreseeable environmental impacts of future drilling on the leased parcels and explaining its decision to authorize a lease sale of this magnitude in light of its own estimates of the steep social costs from the projected greenhouse gas emissions,” according to the judge’s ruling.

The conservation groups said that BLM did not perform a “sufficiently granular analysis of impacts to groundwater and ignored the proven possibility that inadequate well casing or hydraulic fracturing near usable water sources may cause contamination,” according to the ruling.

Fracking involves fracturing formations in bedrock with a pressurized liquid to tap natural gas and oil deposits deep below the earth’s surface.

Cooper wrote that the BLM can’t approve new drilling permits on these leased parcels or authorize new “surface disturbing activities” until it completes its environmental review of the land by mid-January 2025.

The 120,000 acres that energy companies bid on in the 2022 auction are located in the obvious BLM territories throughout Wyoming, including the southwestern part of the state near Rock Springs, south of Pinedale in Sublette County and in the Powder River Basin area in Campbell and Converse counties.

Pat Maio can be reached at pat@cowboystatedaily.com.