Is this the year Utah’s wide receivers break through?

It’s always a storyline, year after year, as Utah gears up to start the season.

Is this the year the Utes’ receivers have a breakout season?

While Utah’s passing attack has seen considerable growth in the last two years under quarterback Cam Rising — posting totals of 3,000 total passing yards in 2021 and 3,489 yards in 2022 — the leading pass-catchers in both of those seasons were tight ends, with Brant Kuithe racking up 611 yards in 2021 and Dalton Kincaid totaling 890 yards in 2022.

In fact, Utah hasn’t had a wide receiver go for 1,000 or more yards in a season since Dres Anderson did so in 2013, though Darren Carrington was close with 980 receiving yards in 2017.

With Rising healthy and back under center and — on paper at least — one of the most talented top-to-bottom group of receivers Utah has had in the Kyle Whittingham era, there’s optimism up on the hill that this is the season its receiver group takes a step forward.

As always, though, you’ve got to see it to believe it.

“Time will tell,” Whittingham said when asked if this is the most talented receiver room since he took over in 2005.

“We feel really good about the additions we made this offseason with Dorian Singer and Damien Alford — two really good players — and a couple others as well. We’ll see how they end up performing but just going into it we feel like we definitely helped ourselves this year.”

Singer is the headliner of the group after transferring in from USC this offseason. A former walk-on, he burst onto the scene in 2022 with Arizona, hauling in 66 passes for 1,105 yards, then took his talents to Hollywood the next season. Singer’s production took a huge dip with the Trojans — he was on the field for 405 fewer snaps last year compared to 2022 — with 24 receptions for 289 yards.

When asked about the circumstances that led to his 2023 numbers, Singer replied, “All I can say is just opportunity that the coaching staff gives me.”

Utah’s coaching staff is likely to give him plenty of opportunities, as the 6-foot, 177-pound Singer is penciled in as the Utes’ new WR1 following the departure of last year’s leading pass-catcher Devaughn Vele, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos.

Aside from the fact that he’ll get more balls thrown his way in Salt Lake City, what drew him to Utah was the family environment, something especially important in his last college season.

Rising and Singer have already formed a connection, not only working out with each other during the summer, but doing things together off the field.

“Chemistry’s great. We hang out outside of football, do fun activities, stuff like that,” Singer said.

That chemistry was evident throughout spring practices, cumulating in Singer leading all receivers with 92 yards on five receptions during Rising’s three series in the annual spring game, including a 40-yard deep ball.

“He’s such a hard worker,” Rising said. “He always wants to go out there and throw, always wants to go catch the football pretty much, and because of that, I think we’ve developed a lot of chemistry in such a short time and it’s just going to keep getting better.”

Another transfer into the program, Syracuse’s Alford, has also garnered praise from the coaching staff in the short time he’s been in Salt Lake City. Alford, the Orange’s leading receiver last season with 610 yards, didn’t transfer until after spring practices ended, but has quickly acclimated to Ludwig’s offense.

At 6-foot-6, Alford is not only the tallest receiver, but one of the tallest players on Utah’s roster, and could be not only a great deep threat, but a big target for Rising in the red zone. Receivers coach Alvis Whitted, in his second year at Utah, loves his physicality, catch radius and his speed.

“He’s a pretty sharp young man and very meticulous about the way he goes about his business,” Whitted said. “(He) wants to study and wants to learn. He’s taken upon himself to come in and meet with me extra and he’s a guy that wants to play. And I think that with Cam being available now, the sky’s the limit.”

Money Parks , a Utah mainstay, returns for his fifth year in the program. During Rising’s last year, 2022, Parks caught 26 passes for 414 yards, and along with the rest of the team, took a step backward in his production in 2023 with Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson at quarterback, with 31 catches for 293 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown on the first play of scrimmage against Florida. With Rising back, Parks is expected to improve on his 2022 stats.

“Just a guy that’s been the offense for a long time, that understands what we’re trying to get accomplished,” Whitted said. “Hard worker, he’s been available — haven’t had many injuries with Money, knock on wood — and a guy that I feel like can really take off.”

And after his season was cut short two games into the season, Mycah Pittman returns and could be a key player in the slot. He had 32 catches for 330 yards at Florida State in 2022 before transferring to Utah.

“I really like the way Michael Pittman’s worked this summer. He’s quietly becoming a guy that I feel like can be a true wild card for us,” Whitted said.

There’s plenty of playable depth behind those four players, starting with Daidren Zipperer, the redshirt freshman that generated buzz throughout spring camp and heading into the fall.

“The thing that I really loved about Zip this spring was his toughness. He played through some injuries and really showed that he wants to play football and get better,” Whitted said. “Gaining some weight, getting some strength.”

There’s also Munir McClain (293 yards on 13 receptions in 2023), Luca Caldarella (three catches for 31 yards) and Washington redshirt freshman Taeshaun Lyons, a four-star high school prospect.

“I definitely think we have a top-10 receiver room in the country,” Singer said. “It may not look like that on paper, but if you come out here and watch the guys work, you can definitely see that in the way we work and the way we play ball.”

While a top-10 national ranking may be too high, there’s no denying that Utah does have good potential in the room this season. The tight ends — Kuithe, Landen King, Carsen Ryan — will definitely factor in heavily into Ludwig’s game plan, but there’s a real chance for Utah’s receivers to shine with Rising under center.

Lining up across from the wide receivers in fall camp, cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn is already seeing a difference.

“Yes, definitely. Hands down, I’m not going to lie,” Vaughn said when asked if this year’s receiver room is one of the more talented ones he’s faced.

“Damien Alford, Dorian Singer, Money Parks, all them, they got a bunch of talent in that room. They going to get me ready, I’m going to get them ready, but I love the fact that they’re that nice. Years past, I didn’t have a bunch of shifty guys. ... But with them, they make me work. They really got to make me stay true to my technique and so that’s why I like them.”