Ron Chenoy – USA TODAY Sports
Travis Wilson was pushed into the starting lineup for the Utah Utes as a freshman in 2012 much earlier than head coach Kyle Whittingham would have liked. The young signal caller had the starting job fall to him following injuries to Jordan Wynn and Jon Hays. He did some good things as the starter, though he also made several rookie mistakes. Those mistakes, along with the general ineffectiveness of the Utes’ offense, led to the coaching staff opening up the quarterback competition this spring. That competition is all but over after a breakthrough performance by Wilson in Utah’s spring game.
Wilson needed to come out and show a command over the offense as he was getting pushed by fellow sophomore Adam Schulz, who has been impressive in his own right. Schulz has shown off a strong arm during spring practice to go along with his minimal experience from 2012 when he appeared in just two games. He enjoyed a strong showing during the spring game as well, throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns himself, but he couldn’t compete with the day that Wilson had.
The Utah offense was machine-like in its efficiency with Wilson at the helm. In the first half, the offense got five drives under Wilson and scored five touchdowns with the second-year quarterback completing 13-of-17 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He made strong throws down the field, made good, quick reads avoiding any sacks and hit his receivers in stride, looking every bit like a starter.
While Kyle Whittingham won’t officially announce his starting quarterback, Wilson has done everything he had to do to put himself on top of the depth chart for next fall. Can he seal the deal in August when fall camp opens?
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