The long tyranny of the college football offseason is nearly over. In a matter of days, Utah football players will report to fall camp and begin the Utes’ march to what they hope is a Pac-12 title run. This Utah football team has lofty aspirations. But to accomplish them, the Utes need to answer a few questions in fall camp. Today we take a look at the five most pressing questions facing this team heading into camp.

Question One: Can Utah’s Offensive Line Gel Quickly?

If there is a glaring question mark on the offense, it’s offensive line. Darrin Paulo, Orlando Umana and Nick Ford have locked down three of the starting spots - likely at left tackle, center and right tackle, respectively. The question is who will play guard? Grad transfers Alex Locklear and Noah Osur-Myers will be vying for both spots, as will underclassmen Braeden Daniels, Paul Maile and Johnny Maea. Senior Paul Toala has live game experience. And JUCO All American transfer Bamidele Olaseni will work to get up to speed as soon as he joins the team.

It takes time and reps for an offensive line to gel, so Utah will need to figure out its starting lineup in the first week or two of camp. If they can get the line squared away early, the offense will have time to gel and be ready to fire on all cylinders by game one.

Question Two: Can the Utes Find Magic Again at Placekicker?

For more than a decade, Utah has had an uncanny ability to find amazing placekickers - many times they’ve been players that have seemingly come from nowhere, arriving from unusual places. This season, the placekicker battle in fall camp will be as much of an open tryout as we’ve ever seen in the Kyle Whittingham era. Jadon Redding was on campus this spring, and had an up-and-down performance. Andrew Strauch is a transfer from UCLA with limited game experience. Keep an eye on JUCO transfer Nels Haltom as well. Utah needs someone to step up at the position if they want to accomplish their ambitions. Ute fans are hoping that Kyle Whittingham can find magic at the position once more.

Question Three: Are the Senior Cornerbacks Ready to Step Up?

We all know that Jaylon Johnson is arguably the best cornerback in the Pac-12 and among the very best in all of college football. But the other side of the Utah secondary will be patrolled by a pair of senior corners that have been waiting in the wings for their shot to show what they can do. Tareke Lewis is probably the favorite to start. He started two games a season ago and is the most experienced of the corners outside of Johnson. However, Josh Nurse had a strong spring and will be pushing for as many reps as possible. Nurse was a frequent contributor on special teams and broke into the rotation for four games. He’ll be gunning for a much bigger role this fall. The position battle between Nurse and Lewis will be among the most fun to watch when camp opens up.

Question Four: Which Freshmen Will Be Ready to Contribute?

There are a number of intriguing freshmen coming into the program that could play a role in their first year on the hill. Unsurprisingly, most eyes will be focused on four star running back Jordan Wilmore, who is battling for the right to back up star back Zack Moss. However, a number of other offensive players could come in and challenge for the two deep. Fellow back Micah Bernard was one of the most versatile players in Southern California a season ago and will be gunning to make noise early. Receiver Donte Banton was on campus this spring, which could help his cause as he fights for a spot in a deep receiver rotation. Freshmen linemen Marist Talavou and Sataoa Laumea both came to Salt Lake City with big accolades, and it will be interesting to see if either can show they’re ready to be a part of the rotation as true freshmen - a feat that is rare for offensive linemen.

On defense, it’s all about the defensive backs. Can corners Lacarea Pleasant-Johnson and JaTravis McCloud find their way into the rotation and get valuable game reps in year one? Can safeties Aaron Lowe and Drew Rawls do the same? If they can’t break into the defensive rotation, can they make a contribution on special teams? All four will be thrown into the fire and given an opportunity to show just how much they’re ready to take on.

Question Five: Have the Utes Been Reading Their Own Headlines?

There has been an unreal amount of buzz around this Utah football team throughout the summer. A number of national pundits are listing the Utes as among the favorites to win the Pac-12, and even some consider them playoff contenders. To be clear, this is a very good thing for Utah football. The recognition elevates the program on the national scene in a way that can only help. Utah football is big time football and the rest of the nation is catching up.

That said, one of the most common refrains that fans can expect to hear from players and coaches alike is that no team ever hung a banner based on pre-season rankings. Yes, expectations are high. But this team has accomplished nothing yet. If they can stay focused and marry the work ethic and hunger with the talent that is on the roster, this team could be something special. But they haven’t done anything yet.

The journey this season will be fun to watch as it unfolds. And it all begins at the end of the month when the Utes report to camp.

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