The Utes, as they’re known to do each year, lost a load of talent on the back end of their defense. So Whittingham stuck by his answers each time he was asked to assess the outlook of the group that needed to replace several names that landed on NFL game-day rosters.
At times, it turned heads. He said last year’s young group could be even better. Whittingham echoed that throughout the season, and his assessment looked on point as true freshman corners rose to the occasion, unseated veterans and helped Utah’s defense get to another bowl game, where it ended the year on a happy note.