Travis Wilson

[Utah]

What are you guys looking for in this kid this year?

I am hoping that he will be quicker. Quicker on his first read, quicker to his second read, quicker to pull the ball down and run (and possibly finding a third read once in a while).

I like him a lot, and think he will be a very, very good QB. He has good accuracy, sticks in the pocket well, and good instincts.

I really think that if he works his butt off he could end up being our second be QB ever at Utah. I see him as a better overall QB than Mitchell, and could win a ton of games here.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I want to see his accuracy improve. His completion percentage was excellent, but many throws required the receiver to slow down a half step, or even stop in stride. This cost us a ton of YAC. I rewatched the Arizona game a few weeks ago, and there were 6 plays where if he had hit the receiver in stride, he would have had about 60 more yards, and 3 more successful 3rd down conversions.

I do think that having all spring and summer as "the man" to work and build chemistry with the receiving corp will help with this immensely.

[Utah]

I want to see his accuracy improve. His completion percentage was excellent, but many throws required the receiver to slow down a half step, or even stop in stride. This cost us a ton of YAC. I rewatched the Arizona game a few weeks ago, and there were 6 plays where if he had hit the receiver in stride, he would have had about 60 more yards, and 3 more successful 3rd down conversions.

I do think that having all spring and summer as "the man" to work and build chemistry with the receiving corp will help with this immensely.

Good point. How many deep balls did he throw that were a little short and cost us HUGE gains, if not TD's? A ton.

I think that is a quickness/confidence issue. Hopefully if he gets that ball out quicker, he will hit those passes in stride.

[big z]

Could also be an arm strength issue, i'm hoping this Spring we'll see him with some added size

[kccougar]

I'm just glad to see he's spending so much time in the off-season improving that timing with his best receivers like Kenneth Scott.

[Utah]

I am too. Hopefully that's a good sign that he is working hard and taking over this team.

[old_gregg]

What are you guys looking for in this kid this year?

I am hoping that he will be quicker. Quicker on his first read, quicker to his second read, quicker to pull the ball down and run (and possibly finding a third read once in a while).

I like him a lot, and think he will be a very, very good QB. He has good accuracy, sticks in the pocket well, and good instincts.

I really think that if he works his butt off he could end up being our second be QB ever at Utah. I see him as a better overall QB than Mitchell, and could win a ton of games here.

So you basically want him to not be a freshman.

[Utah]

So you basically want him to not be a freshman.

LOL. Yup. I was thinking that when I wrote it. I want improvement. He has potential, a ton of it. He needs to work to realize it.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Of all the impressive deep throws last season, the ones that really stick out are the toss-back TD pass in the USU game by WIlson, several by Hays (including the 64 yarder against USC), and the laser shot by Shulz in the Cal (WSU?) game.

I love me some TW and know he has the basic skill set and potential to be very good (a la Osweiller, sans the misspelled tattoo), but I still want to withhold judgement until I see some solid improvement. I hope the coaches will fully open up the QB competition in Spring Camp. I will be thrilled if TW rises to the top, but I also see the competition as a way to drive him harder to improve.

[Hot Lunch]

I want to see his accuracy improve. His completion percentage was excellent, but many throws required the receiver to slow down a half step, or even stop in stride. This cost us a ton of YAC. I rewatched the Arizona game a few weeks ago, and there were 6 plays where if he had hit the receiver in stride, he would have had about 60 more yards, and 3 more successful 3rd down conversions.

I do think that having all spring and summer as "the man" to work and build chemistry with the receiving corp will help with this immensely.

This and I want to see him change some plays at the line of scrimmage. I hope that even with Dennis coming on board yesterday he can spend time in the film room this spring and summer to be able to recognize when he needs to get out of a play and get into one that is better designed to go against the defense he sees in front of him.

I have a lot of hope for Travis. It was up and down throughout the end of the year but I liked the improvement that I saw from him.

I also like that Brandon Cox will push him. Cox is a talent. Travis will be forced to make major improvements if he wants to stay on the field.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Good point. How many deep balls did he throw that were a little short and cost us HUGE gains, if not TD's? A ton.

I think that is a quickness/confidence issue. Hopefully if he gets that ball out quicker, he will hit those passes in stride.

I saw it more on the shorter throws, where Dres had his guy beat on a drag route, but the throw made him slow down a half step. The defender was able to close the gap and tackle him for a 4 yard gain, instead of the 12-15 yard gain he had if the throw led him.

[Crimsonute]

What are you guys looking for in this kid this year?

I am hoping that he will be quicker. Quicker on his first read, quicker to his second read, quicker to pull the ball down and run (and possibly finding a third read once in a while).

I like him a lot, and think he will be a very, very good QB. He has good accuracy, sticks in the pocket well, and good instincts.

I really think that if he works his butt off he could end up being our second be QB ever at Utah. I see him as a better overall QB than Mitchell, and could win a ton of games here.I want him to grab the position and prove himself the starter and not look back. If not Cox and Manning will push for time.

[Utah]

Of all the impressive deep throws last season, the ones that really stick out are the toss-back TD pass in the USU game by WIlson, several by Hays (including the 64 yarder against USC), and the laser shot by Shulz in the Cal (WSU?) game.

I love me some TW and know he has the basic skill set and potential to be very good (a la Osweiller, sans the misspelled tattoo), but I still want to withhold judgement until I see some solid improvement. I hope the coaches will fully open up the QB competition in Spring Camp. I will be thrilled if TW rises to the top, but I also see the competition as a way to drive him harder to improve.

This is what I am excited about. I wonder how my Wilson was really pushed last fall. You can't tell me that he didn't feel like he would be starting by default eventually last year. He had a QB that couldn't throw and a DII QB in front of him. He had to know, work hard or not, he would be starting by the year's end. It will be good for him to have Cox there, a true QB talent like Wilson, pushing him for the starting job. Hopefully this will make both better.

[SavaUte]

I don't you are suggesting that Wilson slacked because he didn't feel the push of a guy behind him, but if that was the case, and i'm not saying it was, Wilson is not the guy

[Hadrian]

I think he played fairly well for a true freshman. People like to compare his performance to Johnny Manziel, Marcus Mariota, and Brett Hundley, but that is rather unfair because those three guys were all redshirt freshmen. Matt Barkley started at USC as a true freshman and wasn't spectacular in his first season either (15 TDs, 14 INTs). I think we can expect a lot of improvement out of Travis this season.

[hardcoreUTE]

I'd like to see him slide and not take so many hits. Sacks will happen and that's ok. But the needless hits when scrambling down field scared me last year. I don't know if it's a side effect from Wynn's injuries but every time I saw Wilson take a hit I cringed. It's noble to fight for that extra yard, and that's great on a 3rd down in the 4th quarter with the game on the line, teammates respect and get behind a guy willing to gut it out to get just one more yard, that's cool. But dammit I hope he's being taught to slide and that it's ok to slide. You're worth a hell of a lot more to the team under center than on the x-ray table.

[Utah]

I don't you are suggesting that Wilson slacked because he didn't feel the push of a guy behind him, but if that was the case, and i'm not saying it was, Wilson is not the guy

I am not suggesting that at all. BUT, there are very few people, when they know they are the best, that put out 100% effort. Maybe he was putting out 85%, maybe 90%. BUT, I do not think anyone (except maybe Michael Jordan or Peyton Manning) put forth 100% when there isn't the competition to do so. I am just saying that if Wilson has Cox pushing him, he will work harder, longer. It's human nature.

[UtahDan]

I'd like to see him slide and not take so many hits. Sacks will happen and that's ok. But the needless hits when scrambling down field scared me last year. I don't know if it's a side effect from Wynn's injuries but every time I saw Wilson take a hit I cringed. It's noble to fight for that extra yard, and that's great on a 3rd down in the 4th quarter with the game on the line, teammates respect and get behind a guy willing to gut it out to get just one more yard, that's cool. But dammit I hope he's being taught to slide and that it's ok to slide. You're worth a hell of a lot more to the team under center than on the x-ray table.

Is there a specialist for this? If so, can the Redskins and I borrow him once he's done with Travis?

[Red Blooded T]

I think some people have cooled quite a bit on their enthusiasm regarding Travis because of how we played as a team last year. I'm not gonna be ridiculous and say he's going to save our program but I think he still has a great chance to improve and make a serious impact. He has a great frame and is only getting bigger. Every time I see him on campus I just notice how big that dude is! I want to see him improve his reads this year and mature into a leader.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Aside from the stinker at Washington, Travis improved significantly over the course of the season. He was still a freshman in many ways (lack of audibles, etc) but those are all things that can be improved with a full spring, summer, and fall camp. There are almost zero examples of true freshman quarterbacks in a BCS conference excelling at the level necessary to be a contender in the conference.

[Jarid in Cedar]

I think some people have cooled quite a bit on their enthusiasm regarding Travis because of how we played as a team last year. I'm not gonna be ridiculous and say he's going to save our program but I think he still has a great chance to improve and make a serious impact. He has a great frame and is only getting bigger. Every time I see him on campus I just notice how big that dude is! I want to see him improve his reads this year and mature into a leader.

Good first post, welcome to the board

[Utah]

I was listening to a guy on the radio about a month back. He used to be a coach at USC and Washington. He then left to start his own website (something about sports and thinking and being a champion. I don't remember the website).

Anyhow, he had recruited/worked with Sanchez at USC and had recruited Wilson as well.

He talked about BJ and Wilson and thought the world of both.

First on BJ:

He talked about how BJ had all spring, summer and fall to develop his pro-style offense. He said Johnson had the luxury of a QB that knew the offense inside and out. He could walk up to the line, within 1-2 seconds know where the key defenders were, where the blitz was coming from, could make a quick audible or know that his #1 option would be covered but his #3 would be open, so the #3 is now the #1 option, etc.

Then he spoke how when Wynn went down, 99% of the time, Wilson would have been the next guy in. BUT, the year before the Utes had been able to limp to a winning record and a Sun Bowl win with Hayes as the QB. So he could understand why they would go with Hayes, even with all his limitations, thinking they could ride White and Star to a repeat of 2011.

Finally, he got to Wilson. He said that when it became painfully clear and Hayes' limitations were huge and Utah wasn't going to win games with him as the QB, they went to the more talented Wilson.

Side note here, he said the fact that BJ could put together three offenses in the course of a year shows his potential and that he is on track to be an amazing coordinator (prostyle offense with Wynn, whatever that trainwreck was with Hayes, and then the spread/one back with Wilson).

Back to Wilson. He talked about being a true freshman and compared him to where Wynn was mentally. He said whereas Wynn could know pretty much what the defense was going to do within 1-2 seconds, with a freshman QB, your goals are completely different.

He said that if your Freshman QB can come to line, recognize his key on the DL or LB, point that out to the team, within 4-5 seconds, he is doing fantastic pre-snap. After the snap, he said that if your freshman QB can find his 1st option, and then be smart with that decision (pass if he is open, tuck it and run if he is covered), and be accurate with his throws and can every once in a while find his second option then you have a very special kid on your hands.

Wilson was able to do all those things, and didn't look too horrible doing them. Wilson's first two starts were against OSU and UCLA, two of the best teams in the PAC-12 that year. And we were in those games.

As far as progression goes, he said that the goal for a Sophomore QB is to be able to find his key defender, discover where the safeties are shading, and have a vague idea where the blitz is coming from. After the snap, have the QB can go from his first option to his second most of the time. IF they can get that down by the end of their second year, they are special.

When I heard that, and heard him talk about how much he really like Wilson and how impressed he was with how held carried himself and played as a true freshman, my opinion/hopes for Wilson shot up. Now you throw DE into the picture...I'm starting to get a little excited.

A couple of months ago I wasn't sure we'd make a bowl in 2013. Now I am starting to get hopeful.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Nice read, Utah. I am always surprised at the gap of opinion between what outside "experts" think of our program, and some of our fans.

[LA Ute]

Nice read, Utah. I am always surprised at the gap of opinion between what outside "experts" think of our program, and some of our fans.

True, well done, Utah. That was the most informative, insightful piece I've read about the QB issues at Utah last year.

[U-Ute]

I was listening to a guy on the radio about a month back. He used to be a coach at USC and Washington. He then left to start his own website (something about sports and thinking and being a champion. I don't remember the website).

Very interesting read Utah! Thank you! As a fan, we obviously hear all of the praise he gets from guys like Kyle and Dennis, but since don't get to sit in on the meetings and listen to BJ with the quarterbacks, sometimes we tend to chalk it up to guys protecting their own (although Kyle has always struck me as a straight shooter). So hearing an independent, outside voice talk up BJ and Wilson is extremely encouraging.


Nice read, Utah. I am always surprised at the gap of opinion between what outside "experts" think of our program, and some of our fans.

I think Ute fans see guys like Barkley, Handley, and Price, and think "Why not us?". I think they sometimes forget about the other talent around those guys that makes their growth a bit easier.

Barkley had, well, USC talent.
Price had Polk (look how much worse he did this year without him).
Handley had Franklin (I suspect he will struggle a bit more next year).

While I think White was a fantastic college RB, I don't think he'll be confused with Polk or Franklin.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Very interesting read Utah! Thank you!



I think Ute fans see guys like Barkley, Handley, and Price, and think "Why not us?". I think they sometimes forget about the other talent around those guys that makes their growth a bit easier.

Barkley had, well, USC talent.
Price had Polk (look how much worse he did this year without him).
Handley had Franklin (I suspect he will struggle a bit more next year).

While I think White was a fantastic college RB, I don't think he'll be confused with Polk or Franklin.

I would also add that Barkley was the only t true freshman in that group and his first year was relatively mediocre.

[Red Blooded T]

Look at these stats.

Player 1: 16.4/28.4 (57.8%) 204.7 yards per game, 126.2 passer rating, 9 TD, 9 TD, 1,0 TD/INT, 1 RTD
Player 2: 17.1/27.7 (61.9%) 173.3 yards per game, 116.1 passer rating, 6 TD, 6 INT, 1.0 TD/INT, 2 RTD

One player is Matt Barkley and the other is Travis Wilson. These are their stats for their first 7 conference starts (which happened to be Travis's first starts ever)! Now in no way am I claiming that Travis is better or will ever be a better quarterback than Matt Barkley. That's just silly and I have no authority to predict something like that. However, it's cool to see that Travis actually did fairly well for a true freshman, especially considering the overall sad state of our offense, lack of an identity, porous (at best) offensive line, and defense that struggled in some of these games. He came in and did at least as well as you can expect a true freshman to do. In fact, if you take out their worst games (Washington for Travis and Arizona State for Matt), their numbers are pretty eerily similar.

MB: 18.0/29.5 (61.1%), 220.2 yards per game, 8 TD, 8 INT, 1.0 TD/INT, 1 RTD
TW: 18.6/28.5 (65.3%), 193.0 yards per game, 6 TD, 5 INT, 1.2 TD/INT, 2 RTD

So basically, Travis was a little more accurate and Matt threw for a few more yards. But with more experience behind him and some legit NFL talent around him, that's to be expected. I know stats can't always tell the whole story, but I think here they support the theory that Travis's freshman campaign was by no means a failure and he still has a great chance to turn into an all-conference QB in his time at Utah.

[Utah]

Wow. Great analysis. I'm so excited for Spring ball. This will the first spring in three years with any semblance of decent QB's.

[Big Kahuna]

Adding a couple of other points

1. Our O line was a work in progress. Ask Wynn, Hayes, and Wilson
2. Losing JWIV mid season combined with #1 made us that more uni-dimensional on Offense
3. Not sure Norm Chow would have done much more with what we had last year

I am of the opinion that we need an experienced QB and Wilson has that experience. If we go with Cox or Manning, even if they win the job, I do not expect to win more than 3-4 games next year. Love him or hate him Wilson will be the key to our team this coming year. I fully expect Erickson to add a lot to the O while helping Wilson out.

Frankly, I'd like nothing better than to red shirt one or all 3 of our incoming QBs. We need to spread the QB classes out a bit.

I have a lot of optimism that the game starts to slow down for Travis and that our O line and WRs do a better job of helping Wilson this year. RB is where I've got a lot more questions than answers right now. Hopefully York steps up or perhaps some our world class freshman with "Texas" speed come in and shake things up. I think RB is an easier position for a true freshman to have some impact versus QB.

[Utegasm]

The more I read the more it's clear that our weaknesses on offense may become strengths. Utah's offense has been painful to watch for awhile and that all hinges on the O line and quarterback. We'll always have athletes that can catch and run the ball. But the absence of a solid, healthy quarterback and an injury riddled O line have made for frustrating viewing as a fan. Hopefully Travis gives us 3 solid years and the O line just keeps getting better with each Pac 12 recruiting class.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Quick decision-making, accuracy.

[San Diego Ute Fan]

I just ran into a HS teammate of Jordan Wynn. He stays in touch with him in HI.

He said there's seldom a conversation without JW heaping praise of his experience at Utah.

He remains thankful and loyal to the program, the U, and the students and fans. He feels deep disappointment that his shoulders were not able to keep up with his heart and his mind.

I told him to thank JW for me the next time they talk. He said it will be soon.

He also said he's doing very well where he is and loves Norm like a grandpa.

[Utah]

I just ran into a HS teammate of Jordan Wynn. He stays in touch with him in HI.

He said there's seldom a conversation without JW heaping praise of his experience at Utah.

He remains thankful and loyal to the program, the U, and the students and fans. He feels deep disappointment that his shoulders were not able to keep up with his heart and his mind.

I told him to thank JW for me the next time they talk. He said it will be soon.

He also said he's doing very well where he is and loves Norm like a grandpa.

Jordan Wynn is a stud.

[utebehindenemylines]

Let's bump this thread and start talking about Wilson again.

This guy is such a wildcard to me. All my instincts think he'll be a good college Qb. His size checks out, seems to have adequate arm strength and his numbers as a true freshman were pretty decent. But the recent failures at QB have led me to be skeptical of any of the QBs on the roster. I'm hoping he can take the next step in being a vocal leader on the field and get better at making his progressions.

[sancho]

Let's bump this thread and start talking about Wilson again.

This guy is such a wildcard to me. All my instincts think he'll be a good college Qb. His size checks out, seems to have adequate arm strength and his numbers as a true freshman were pretty decent. But the recent failures at QB have led me to be skeptical of any of the QBs on the roster. I'm hoping he can take the next step in being a vocal leader on the field and get better at making his progressions.

Two related thoughts:

1) If he's really 245, I hope we can use him a little like OU used the Bell-dozer last year.

2) He was so bad on keepers last season that maybe I am nuts to want to see more of them.

[Jarid in Cedar]

The ability of the offensive line to give Travis just 0.25 second more time will be huge.

I think he has the chance to be on the Mount Rushmore of Utah qb's. His size is elite, his arm strength is excellent. He just needs the confidence to trust his reads and trust that the oline will give him that extra time to deliver the ball.

[SoCalPat]

The ability of the offensive line to give Travis just 0.25 second more time will be huge.

I think he has the chance to be on the Mount Rushmore of Utah qb's. His size is elite, his arm strength is excellent. He just needs the confidence to trust his reads and trust that the oline will give him that extra time to deliver the ball.

In the two-platoon era, my Mt. Rushmore would be Mitchell, Alex, Brian and Mike McCoy.

Save for Mitchell, who only rewrote the NCAA record book while at Utah, all led teams to 10-win (or better) seasons and season-ending Top 10 rankings.

So envisioning him in that company is a very tall order.

We're a funny program when it comes to season-ending rankings. When we finish ranked, it's usually very high. Our only other season-ending ranking came in 2010 (23rd, coaches) with Jordan Wynn. As a result, the gulf between our Mt. Rushmore QBs and everyone else is pretty freakin' wide. I think there's space for Travis there -- he won't be Brian or Alex, but he can be better than Mike Fouts, who I would put at the top of the best-of-the-rest category. To not get a 9-win regular season with Travis at least once the next three years would be disappointing. If he can deliver more, he'll at least force his way into the conversation.

[Jarid in Cedar]

In the two-platoon era, my Mt. Rushmore would be Mitchell, Alex, Brian and Mike McCoy.

This is my current list as well.

[sharpone]

Let's bump this thread and start talking about Wilson again.

This guy is such a wildcard to me. All my instincts think he'll be a good college Qb. His size checks out, seems to have adequate arm strength and his numbers as a true freshman were pretty decent. But the recent failures at QB have led me to be skeptical of any of the QBs on the roster. I'm hoping he can take the next step in being a vocal leader on the field and get better at making his progressions.

I rewatched the spring game the other night - needed a fix. Anyway, the thing I noticed is that Wilson seems to have improved in the decision making area. While Schultz was looking for the home run several times, and always trying to make something when there might not have been anything, Wilson seemed more poised and calculating, taking what is given. We will see if this translates in real games, but I am optimistic. Improved O-Line play will make a night and day difference for TW. IIRC he racked up 200 yards in 1 half of playing. Of course I have to temper that with the fact that the D was playing a base set, but still I remain optimistic over all.

4 weeks, waaa hoo!! GO UTES!

[Scorcho]

None of you are thinking like a zoob.

When T-Dub wins back to back Rose Bowls, I'd simply like to see him stay for his senior season. :)

[sharpone]

None of you are thinking like a zoob.

When T-Dub wins back to back Rose Bowls, I'd simply like to see him stay for his senior season. :)

Yeah then he could also go for a 3-peat Heisman.

[crazyute]

For me it starts with the offensive line and our running game. if wilson gets good time he is a very good QB. last year when he played when given good time he looked real good. He can make every throw needed. hopefully with some success he gets even more confident in situations when pressure is there.

but my guess is that he is going to surprise a lot of people this year and have a very good season.

[DrumNFeather]

The ability of the offensive line to give Travis just 0.25 second more time will be huge.

I think he has the chance to be on the Mount Rushmore of Utah qb's. His size is elite, his arm strength is excellent. He just needs the confidence to trust his reads and trust that the oline will give him that extra time to deliver the ball.

Play calling will be huge too...and I think we all expect that to be much improved.

[Bacana Ute]

Let's bump this thread and start talking about Wilson again.

This guy is such a wildcard to me. All my instincts think he'll be a good college Qb. His size checks out, seems to have adequate arm strength and his numbers as a true freshman were pretty decent. But the recent failures at QB have led me to be skeptical of any of the QBs on the roster. I'm hoping he can take the next step in being a vocal leader on the field and get better at making his progressions.

Recent failures at QB have been due to recruiting. After Jordan Wynn, Utah was unable to recruit a QB for several years. They kept trying to rely on his broken noodle arm and then tried to patch work with a QB that should have been playing in Division II and not even at a high end Division II school. Now we are finally seeing QB recruits of a PAC-12 caliber, not they aren't of a USC, Stanford, or Oregon caliber, but they are shoulders above recent recruits. Wilson has the ability to be great and part of that is due to the fact he is being pushed by the backups, something Utah hasn't seen, since well ever maybe.

[wally]

Seriously how good is he going to be? It seems like the sky is the limit! The best thing that I have seen out of him this season is his willingness to come out in the Oregon State game after thowing those interceptions and get right back into it, confidence seemingly unshaken one bit. If he can pop up after taking a hit from Van Noy et al this coming weekend and still maintain his composure and accuracy, I will be that much more impressed.

Also, his favorite pregame band to listen to is Def Leopard (WTF!). Seriously, he is was born in 1993 for hells sake how does he end up a Def Leopard fan?!? Impressive taste in music notwithstanding, He has got to cut the hair, because I keep confusing him with Lya Wodraska.

More importantly: will the coaching staff be able to capitalize on Wilson abilities by having the talent around him and on defense to make a conference run?

[USS Utah]

What are you guys looking for in this kid this year?

I am hoping that he will be quicker. Quicker on his first read, quicker to his second read, quicker to pull the ball down and run (and possibly finding a third read once in a while).

I like him a lot, and think he will be a very, very good QB. He has good accuracy, sticks in the pocket well, and good instincts.

I really think that if he works his butt off he could end up being our second be QB ever at Utah. I see him as a better overall QB than Mitchell, and could win a ton of games here.

He's already miles ahead of where he was last year. I just want him to stay hot.

[sancho]

He's already miles ahead of where he was last year. I just want him to stay hot.

I agree. This is encouraging. He will face more pressure this week against BYU than he has seen yet this season. Want to see how he handles that. We can't have any turnovers in that game. I also want to see him complete some big downfield passes.

[Utah]

I am still pissed at Dres. He had two drops, and two of the INT's could have been incompletions had Dres fought a little harder. That kid has all the talent in the world, but just doesn't give it. In the same vein, what happened to York, Denham and Lewis? Scott goes down, a great opportunity for Denham and Lewis to step in, show what they have, and catch balls from a very, very good QB. What more can you ask for as a WR? And all you have to do is step up and take the opportunity? Unbelievable. Here, those two have been given a chance to show scouts that they deserve to catch balls for a living...and nothing.

Utah will spread BYU out big time. Dres and Fitzgerald out wide, McClellum and Murphy in the slot. Look for quick passes to the slot receivers, quick outs by Dres/Fitz, short screens, RB flat passes. Basically quick passes to negate the pass rush and put athletes in space.

And Denham and Lewis - STEP UP.

[LA Ute]

I am still pissed at Dres. He had two drops, and two of the INT's could have been incompletions had Dres fought a little harder. That kid has all the talent in the world, but just doesn't give it. In the same vein, what happened to York, Denham and Lewis? Scott goes down, a great opportunity for Denham and Lewis to step in, show what they have, and catch balls from a very, very good QB. What more can you ask for as a WR? And all you have to do is step up and take the opportunity? Unbelievable. Here, those two have been given a chance to show scouts that they deserve to catch balls for a living...and nothing.

Utah will spread BYU out big time. Dres and Fitzgerald out wide, McClellum and Murphy in the slot. Look for quick passes to the slot receivers, quick outs by Dres/Fitz, short screens, RB flat passes. Basically quick passes to negate the pass rush and put athletes in space.

And Denham and Lewis - STEP UP.

It seems like whenever an otherwise fart and talented WR is not playing it's because he isn't blocking well. Maybe that's the problem with Denham and Lewis.

[chrisrenrut]

It seems like whenever an otherwise fart and talented WR is not playing it's because he isn't blocking well. Maybe that's the problem with Denham and Lewis.

Just replying to get the funny typo on record before LA Ute can edit it :)

[LA Ute]

just replying to get the funny typo on record before la ute can edit it :)

lol!

[Tecate_Guapo Ute]

Over the weekend on Pac12 Playbook, they mentioned that Jake Plummer was very impressed with Travis Wilson and said that he is his favorite QB to watch in the pac.

[Applejack]

What's Wilson's ceiling? I thought he played a really nice game against BYU, despite a somewhat stagnant offense. My one criticism with his performance was that he tried to put some pin-point passes into tight coverage; fortunately he did it accurately on Saturday.

As for a runner, it is clear that he has good top speed, but he doesn't get going very quickly. I'm not sure we should be running the read option as much as we do now - I'd like to see a few designed rollouts.

[sancho]

What's Wilson's ceiling? I thought he played a really nice game against BYU, despite a somewhat stagnant offense. My one criticism with his performance was that he tried to put some pin-point passes into tight coverage; fortunately he did it accurately on Saturday.

As for a runner, it is clear that he has good top speed, but he doesn't get going very quickly. I'm not sure we should be running the read option as much as we do now - I'd like to see a few designed rollouts.

I have been very pleasantly surprised. I like the accuracy on anything 20 yards or under. I don't think he throws a great long ball, but I'm being greedy now. There are a million good things an offense can do with quick and accurate short throws.

Can Wilson throw a fade into the endzone? I'm trying to remember if we've seen one.

[Applejack]

I have been very pleasantly surprised. I like the accuracy on anything 20 yards or under. I don't think he throws a great long ball, but I'm being greedy now. There are a million good things an offense can do with quick and accurate short throws.

Can Wilson throw a fade into the endzone? I'm trying to remember if we've seen one.

I'm with you. I didn't expect much improvement this year, but he has been much better than last. I don't think we've seen the fade, but to be honest, I hate that play unless Mike McCoy is throwing it.

[sancho]

but to be honest, I hate that play unless Mike McCoy is throwing it.

Oh, I agree. I was just curious. You have to have the right QB and the right target. I am amazed when people call that on 4th an goal. That's 50/50 at best even with the right players. Give yourself some options!

[SeattleUte]

I can't remember loving a sophomore qb this much. What a frame, what size, and he's durable. I love the killer look inside his helmet. He seems to be a real leader. There was one pass where yes, he threw into triple coverage, but threaded the needle. The long ball will come. The running is a bonus. He came to us as a drop back passer, which is what he really is fundamentally.

He'll be playing on Sundays and I'm afraid we may not have him three years. I'm so glad he's got Dennis Erickson mentoring him.

[Applejack]

I can't remember loving a sophomore qb this much. What a frame, what size, and he's durable. I love the killer look inside his helmet. He seems to be a real leader. There was one pass where yes, he threw into triple coverage, but threaded the needle. The long ball will come. The running is a bonus. He came to us as a drop back passer, which is what he really is fundamentally.

He'll be playing on Sundays and I'm afraid we may not have him three years. I'm so glad he's got Dennis Erickson mentoring him.

Wow! I don't think he'll be (a) playing on Sundays or (b) leaving school early to pursue NFL dreams. But we certainly have established his ceiling and fairly quickly at that.

[SeattleUte]

Wow! I don't think he'll be (a) playing on Sundays or (b) leaving school early to pursue NFL dreams. But we certainly have established his ceiling and fairly quickly at that.

I have a colleague who's very knowledgeable about and long time connected with the NFL who disagrees with you.

[SheriffCreg]

I think the next 5-6 games will show us what kind of player Wilson can be.

I admit, I am on the Wilson train (When I was not at the beginning of the season), and even if we lose the next 5-6 games, I don't think that takes away from what he has done in the past year improvement-wise. His effort in the Oregon St. game, despite his inaccuracies and interceptions tells me a lot about his character and leadership. He reminds me a lot of Brian Johnson in that sense. I felt BJ was not as accurate as I would have liked, but he had his head on right when the game was on the line, and I think/hope that Wilson will be at least as good as BJ over the next year.

He was clutch against a hostile BYU crowd, which tells me he is up for it. I am excited to see his progression over the next few games, even if we lose more than we win. (I'd prefer that we win a few)

[utebehindenemylines]

I'm with you. I didn't expect much improvement this year, but he has been much better than last. I don't think we've seen the fade, but to be honest, I hate that play unless Mike McCoy is throwing it.

I agree, the fade is a throw only the best QB should make. When run/thrown perfectly though, it is a thing of beauty. Chuckie had a good one against us.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Travis was selected PAC-12 player of the week. Congrats to him, and here is to winning this award many more times.

[LA Ute]

Here's the press release, which is kinda fun to read.


WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Utah sophomore quarterback Travis Wilson, who on Sunday was named the Athlon Sports National Player of the Week, was recognized today as the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week. Wilson led Utah to a 20-13 win over BYU on Sept. 21 for Utah’s fourth-straight win over its instate rival.

Wilson completed 24-of-35 passes (69%) for 273 yards and two touchdowns (no interceptions). His numbers included a 74-yard pass to Dres Anderson---Wilson’s fifth pass play of more than 50 yards this season. With Utah holding a tenuous 13-6 lead to start the fourth quarter, Wilson engineered a 12-play, 79-yard drive that concluded with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Karl Williams and put the Utes up 20-6.

Wilson becomes Utah’s first Pac-12 Player of the Week this season and he is the first to earn the offensive weekly award since the Utes joined the conference in 2011.

The Utes have a bye week before hosting UCLA on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 8:00 p.m. MT.

[Mormon Red Death]

I can't remember loving a sophomore qb this much. What a frame, what size, and he's durable. I love the killer look inside his helmet. He seems to be a real leader. There was one pass where yes, he threw into triple coverage, but threaded the needle. The long ball will come. The running is a bonus. He came to us as a drop back passer, which is what he really is fundamentally.

He'll be playing on Sundays and I'm afraid we may not have him three years. I'm so glad he's got Dennis Erickson mentoring him.

I can and he was picked #1 in the draft

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[SoCalPat]

I can and he was picked #1 in the draft

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

And Scott Mitchell was eons ahead of both Alex and Travis as a sophomore.

[LA Ute]

Travis has signed with the L.A. Rams as a tight end. Wow. Good for him.


The Los Angeles Rams officially signed TE Travis Wilson to a contract on Tuesday.

Wilson is a former college quarterback, who is converting to tight end in the hope of making it in the NFL. He wound up going undrafted out of Utah back in May of last year.

According to Adam Caplan (https://twitter.com/caplannfl/status/726553398045204483), Wilson took part in the Bengals minicamp last year on a tryout basis but wasn’t signed to a contract.

During his college career, Wilson threw for 7,401 yards while completing 60.5 percent of his passes to go along with 54 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,226 yards and 21 touchdowns.
http://nfltraderumors.co/rams-sign-te-travis-wilson/

[SeattleUte]

Travis has signed with the L.A. Rams as a tight end. Wow. Good for him.


http://nfltraderumors.co/rams-sign-te-travis-wilson/

I always felt this was his natural position, with his toughness, height, and running ability. I assume he's got decent hands.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Good for Trav. He is faster than he looks, and has great leaping ability and hands. I hope he earns a spot there.

[Applejack]

I can't remember loving a sophomore qb this much. What a frame, what size, and he's durable. I love the killer look inside his helmet. He seems to be a real leader. There was one pass where yes, he threw into triple coverage, but threaded the needle. The long ball will come. The running is a bonus. He came to us as a drop back passer, which is what he really is fundamentally.

He'll be playing on Sundays and I'm afraid we may not have him three years. I'm so glad he's got Dennis Erickson mentoring him.


Wow! I don't think he'll be (a) playing on Sundays or (b) leaving school early to pursue NFL dreams. But we certainly have established his ceiling and fairly quickly at that.


I have a colleague who's very knowledgeable about and long time connected with the NFL who disagrees with you.

Tell your colleague he threw up an airball!

[LA Ute]

Interview with Travis on Hackett & OC show (I haven't listened yet):

https://espn700sports.com/interviews/travis-wilson-la-rams-te-former-utah-qb/

[LA Ute]

Utah QB Travis Wilson will catch 35 passes (http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/34014/why-jordan-palmer-thinks-former-utah-qb-travis-wilson-will-catch-35-passes)


LOS ANGELES -- Jordan Palmer, the younger brother of Arizona Cardinals (http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/ari/arizona-cardinals) quarterback Carson Palmer (http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4459/carson-palmer), has the same bet going with multiple people. Palmer is adamant in his belief that Travis Wilson (http://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/2971668/travis-wilson), undrafted as a quarterback last year, will make at least 35 catches as a rookie tight end for the Los Angeles Rams (http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/lar/los-angeles-rams) this season. And if you want a piece of the action, just let him know.

He thinks it's easy money, even though the odds seem so heavily stacked against him.

You might remember Wilson as a four-year starter at Utah, where he played quarterback from 2012 to '15, and you might be wondering what he has been up to since.

Well, Wilson basically sat out the 2016 calendar year. He spent a significant part of it earning $12 an hour at a surf shop in Laguna Beach and did his best to stay in shape. He was going to move to Australia and play quarterback for a startup league on the other side of the world, but the inaugural season was postponed....