Managing Redshirts

[Applejack]

Do the coaches have a policy on when to redshirt players or do they just feel it out? I ask because two guys I thought should have redshirted in their first year (Palamo & Pedroza) are just now beginning to challenge for real playing time. It's a shame that Pedroza is a junior and not a sophmore, likewise that Palamo only has a single year left.

It seems to me that the Utes generally redshirt the big bodies (OL/DL/LB), but the skill position players often end up participating on special teams. Is there any rhyme or reason to the whole process?

[Diehard Ute]

There is rhyme and reason. There are only so many spots, reality is you have to pick and choose who you redshirt so you don't screw up scholarship counts and position counts.

They plan everything out, it's not just random

[UTEopia]

Like Diehard said, they generally know what they are going to do with everyone before fall camp starts. There are always a few guys who surprise and then there are injuries that necessitate changes, but that is about it. I tend to agree about Pedroza, but the coaches place a much higher importance on special teams participation then we do as fans. If a kid can play on 3 or 4 special teams units, that kid is very valuable. I am not sure that Palamo had a redshirt available. He came in as a sophomore. The kid I think had a wasted freshman year was Joe Kruger. I think that was more on Joe then the coaches. He played much more at the start of the year and his reps decreased as the year went on. I think the same can be said of Nate Orchard. I think in both cases the coaches envisioned the players having a greater impact their freshmen years and the reality is they both could have benefitted from a year of growing and getting stronger.

[Applejack]

There is rhyme and reason. There are only so many spots, reality is you have to pick and choose who you redshirt so you don't screw up scholarship counts and position counts.

They plan everything out, it's not just random

I'm sure that's the case - the coaches obviously are privy to much more information than we are. I just wondered if there was a policy that if the kid can contribute on special teams, he won't redshirt.

[crazyute]

I couldn't agree more with orchard and joe kruger. just think that orchard could be a sophmore this up coming year. and maybe joe is still here. either way neither hardly played their freshman years. and not on special teams either.


Like Diehard said, they generally know what they are going to do with everyone before fall camp starts. There are always a few guys who surprise and then there are injuries that necessitate changes, but that is about it. I tend to agree about Pedroza, but the coaches place a much higher importance on special teams participation then we do as fans. If a kid can play on 3 or 4 special teams units, that kid is very valuable. I am not sure that Palamo had a redshirt available. He came in as a sophomore. The kid I think had a wasted freshman year was Joe Kruger. I think that was more on Joe then the coaches. He played much more at the start of the year and his reps decreased as the year went on. I think the same can be said of Nate Orchard. I think in both cases the coaches envisioned the players having a greater impact their freshmen years and the reality is they both could have benefitted from a year of growing and getting stronger.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Pedroza was on track to redshirt until DVC was hurt in the ASU game in 2011. He then traveled to Pitt and played a few plays a game from that point forward. I thought that they may hold him out last year like they did to Freeman in 2011(after playing some special teams as freshman)

[Jarid in Cedar]

Also, a redshirt was not an option for Palamo because he was enrolled at Utah for 2 years prior to playing football (remember his rugby days). His clock started in 2008-09.

[Scratch]

They obviously got Joe Kruger right, because if he hadn't played as a freshman then that would have just been one less year of play we would have gotten out of him.