This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Julian Blackmon would like everyone to know: No one, and no place, is safe on the field.
Riley Richmond learned that the hard way during last Saturday's spring game, on the end of not one but two of Blackmon's big hits. Blackmon, at 6-foot-1 and 186 pounds, wants people to know that if you run to the outside, you'll have to deal with him.
"If I'm going against you, I'm gonna have to tackle you," the sophomore cornerback said. "It doesn't matter. Every day, I'm trying to get better with my teammates, and I'm gonna play hard against them."
Utah football has been engaged in changing the culture of the team throughout spring. It's been obvious on offense. The Utes want to move the ball faster, farther, and they want to do it more through the air.
But a shift just as important has been taking place as well. And that's gaining toughness, which the Utes felt was lost in yet another November slide last season. Something felt lost in finishing 1-2 in the final month of the regular season.
While three straight seasons of nine wins or more have indicated to the Pac-12 that the Utes need to be taken seriously, coaches, players and fans all want more. Utah is the only South Division team not to win the South in the Pac-12 era. It's something that hangs over the program like a scarlet letter, even as wins have added up.
The finish to last season might've been the most painful of the bunch, falling to Oregon and onetime bottom-feeder Colorado in back-to-back games. Utah was forced to watch the Buffaloes' celebration of the South title that they wanted themselves, and it reinforced an idea for the Utes that they need to add resiliency. They need a will not just to start the season strong, but to finish it the same way.
It's a small example, but one Blackmon feels is important. Utah wasn't phyiscal enough on the edges, and the corners had trouble tackling players such as Washington's Myles Gaskin and Oregon's Royce Freeman. They don't want those slip-ups again.
"We felt like we kind of lost our identity at the end of the year," he said. "That's one of the things we wanted to regain at the start of the spring. We really felt like we got back to that nasty, relentless defense that we usually are."
Utah's spring was plagued with injury, and it undoubtedly had an effect on how much of the schematic changes fans were able to see in public practices. The spring game was missing key players on the offensive line, in the backfield and a lot of areas on defense.
And yet, several players who will be fighting uphill battles on the depth chart in fall camp were able to punch their way to the spotlight: running back Devonta'e Henry-Cole, who didn't see the field much as a freshman; cornerback Casey Hughes, who looks to break out after years of nagging injuries; defensive ends Chris Hart and Caleb Repp, who might force the Utes to expand their defensive line rotation even as the players ahead of them get healthy.
Even the unit that didn't have its best day, the beat-up offensive line, remained optimistic. The Utes hope that some of the struggles will help toughen up the players in those areas.
"We've got a handful of young guys that need to develop," offensive line coach Jim Harding said. "There are going to be some growing pains, and they're going to have to fight through some stuff."
The biggest story of spring — the quarterback battle — is ongoing. The Utes never were going to name a starter after spring. But it's hard to argue among the top three candidates that the winner won't have resilience. There's Troy Williams, who is at his second school and has to re-earn the job he won last fall. Then there's Tyler Huntley, who as a gifted scrambler has had to wait his turn. And then there's Cooper Bateman, also a transfer who was initially a potential receiver before proving to Utah's staff that he had the arm and mettle to compete with the others.
Each quarterback has built confidence in himself this spring.
Williams on learning a new system: "I feel very comfortable in this offense."
Huntley on what he's developed in spring: "Just being able to make a play at any time."
Bateman if he thinks he deserves as many reps as the other two: "Personally I do, but that's not my call."
The competition between the passers is one that coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Troy Taylor will hope forge the most determined performer and help him rise from the pack.
After last season, toughness is a quality that the Utes can't have too much of.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Season opener
North Dakota at Utah, Aug. 31 at Rice-Eccles Stadium