Do Utes have an ‘every down’ running back, or will it be by committee?

With about two weeks to go until the University of Utah kicks off its season against Southern Utah, the Utes don’t have a clear No. 1 running back that will get the lion’s share of the carries.

In the past decade, Utah’s always had a No. 1 back — Devontae Booker, Joe Williams, Zack Moss, Ty Jordan, Tavion Thomas, JaQuinden Jackson — but heading into the 2024 season, an “every down” running back still hasn’t emerged.

That search has been one of the major themes of fall camp, with head coach Kyle Whittingham saying at Big 12 media days in July that the running back group was the position he had the most questions about heading into fall camp.

Though the running backs haven’t answered the question, so far, of who should get the majority of the carries, it’s not a unique situation for a team to start the season with a committee approach. In fact, the Utes did it in 2020, when they listed Devin Brumfield and Jordan Whitmore equally atop the season-opening depth chart. Brumfield, Whitmore and Jordan split carries in Utah’s first two games of the pandemic-shortened season before Jordan emerged as the star, running for 167 yards in a win over Oregon State.

Even if it’s not determined ahead of the season, someone should emerge from the pack when the lights come on, but if that doesn’t happen, Whittingham is OK with a committee approach — as long as there’s production — like the Utes employed in 2008, when Matt Asista and Darrell Mack split reps.

As of Monday, there’s no clear pecking order, with Whittingham slotting the running back position into two tiers. Senior Micah Bernard, junior Jaylon Glover and redshirt freshman Mike Mitchell are in the first tier, with Dijon Stanley, Charlie Vincent, and linebacker-turned-running back Hunter Andrews in the second tier. Those are the six running backs getting carries in practice.

“Pretty much what we saw at the beginning, not a lot of separation, I would say, if there has been separation,” Whittingham said.

The favorite to earn the RB1 role entering fall camp was Micah Bernard, the 6-foot, 206-pound senior who missed all but two games with an off-the-field injury last season. After missing 11 consecutive games, Bernard returned for the Las Vegas Bowl.

“I wanted to play in that game strictly to show everybody I’m back. I’m going to be able to do this,” Bernard said.

It was in the 14-7 loss to Northwestern where he crossed the goal line for the first time in 386 days, scoring Utah’s only touchdown of the game,

“I just felt everything release off my shoulders,” Bernard said.

Not only is Bernard the most veteran of Utah’s running back options — he’s been at Utah since 2019 — he’s also its most versatile option and its best pass-catching option in the backfield. In 2022, Bernard rushed for 533 yards and four touchdowns on 106 carries while adding 314 receiving yards and a score through the air.

However, Bernard hasn’t separated himself enough from Glover and Mitchell to grab the lead role thus far.

“I got so much confidence in Micah Bernard. Again, there’s another sixth-year player in this system. He knows it inside and out,” Ludwig said on the first day of fall camp.

“He’s got to show the durability to be that every down back, but right now I don’t see that. But things can change from day one to day two, so we’ll just keep that posted and see how that shapes up.”

Though he said he’d be happy with 15 or 20 touches per game, he acknowledged that it’s up to the coaches, and that he’s just trying to help the team.

“We have a lot of guys who can do a lot of things. The young guys coming along really well, so we’ll see what happens,” Bernard said.

Jaylon Glover had a somewhat slow start to the 2023 season but came alive in the second half, capping off the regular season against Colorado with his first-ever 100-plus-yard game and finishing the season with 562 yards and two scores on 137 carries. He had to step up as Ja’Quinden Jackson battled through injury.

Glover missed some time in the first week of camp with a hamstring strain, but is healthy and practicing now. The 5-foot-8 running back out of Florida has slimmed down to 200 pounds and says he feels faster than ever, improving his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage during the offseason.

“I feel really good. I’m really confident in this year and I’m just going to let the work show,” Glover said.

Either Bernard or Glover has a good chance to develop into the lead running back for the Utes this season, but the newcomer to watch is Mike Mitchell, who redshirted last season in his first year in the program.

The buzz around Mitchell has been constant since the spring, and he looks the part of a potential “every down” back, with the ability to handle the load of increased carries and physical enough to get that extra yard when Utah needs it.

“Mike is probably going to be one of them guys coming out of here, man. He’s talented, he’s physical, he’s a big dude and he can break some tackles. As he continues to grow, he’s only going to get better and yeah, he’s definitely going to help us this year,” Glover said.

A redshirt season, playing on the scout team, was beneficial for Mitchell, but with the departure of Ja’Quinden Jackson, he knew he had a chance to break into the starting lineup.

“After Ja’Quinden left, I took it as, it’s my chance, it’s my time,” Mitchell said. “So I really approached this camp, I wanted to come in hot, make my presence felt, and that’s really where I came in. I’m like, I want the RB1 spot. I don’t want to be two or three, but I have to, I will. But RB1 one spot is what I want to go for.”

Instead of going back to his home town of Orange Park, Florida in the offseason, Mitchell stayed in Salt Lake City, working out and training to prepare for the season. Those months of focus and preparation helped him improve in all aspects of his game, from the physical side of things to his on-field processing.

Now, he’s looking forward to showing it on the field.

While the top three running backs are established right now, there’s talented depth in Stanley, Vincent, and Andrews. Stanley, who has serious speed, could be used as a kick or punt returner as he was utilized at times last season, Vincent has been a steady presence since walking onto the team, and Andrews is an interesting prospect.

A running back in high school, Andrews rushed for 1,244 yards and 18 touchdowns on 137 carries (averaging 9.1 yards per carry), but was recruited as a linebacker out of high school by Utah.

This season, Whittingham recognized that Utah needed a bigger running back, and at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Andrews not only fits the bill, but has the history at the position to be successful, saying that he’s a downhill runner that can excel in short-yardage situations.

“It was pretty surprising. I got the call two days before, but the move has been pretty fun because it’s kind of a natural position, so I’m more natural at it than linebacker,” Andrews said. “Coach (Quinton Ganther) has been very helpful and clear on what my assignments are and helped me learn the offense.”

Whether someone separates themselves ahead of Utah’s first game against Southern Utah on August 29, or sometime during the season, the Utes have the talent at the position. Now it’s up to the coaches to figure out how to distribute the ball.

“Every year, man, Utah always going to have a loaded room of backs and that’s why you come here and that’s why I enjoy playing here,” Glover said.