Steve Bartle: Is Isaac Wilson is the best choice at backup quarterback for the Utes?

joining us now in uh in studio the guy who follows High School football quite closely and covers the UTS for KSL sports.com he's our buddy Steve bar what's up Steve what's up guys I heard my name and then I heard ice cream sandwiches and I uh I came running well ice cream sandwiches are pretty amazing hard to beat oh man they are hard to beat they are pretty pretty amazing uh there is the thing full out there no we used to have a fridge full of fat boys right outside the studio oh man oh was the reason my kids would beg to come to the office I like the chocolate chip cookie sandwich yeah all right well you know anything with ice ice cream I guess and I'm not even really a dessert person uh but uh but how's it going for you st you know Camp uh is notoriously long for the players and uh for the media that need to you know come up with stories and that sort of thing Camp can drone on how how are you doing it's been good man it's uh it's been nice it's been a long offseason I guess in terms of just you know the talk is kind of worn out with the move to the Big 12 and now we actually get to football which has been nice to get into camp and to hear updates and get updates and to you know inch closer to the season which now kicks off uh 13 days 13 days crazy crazy man so we're uh we're almost here so it's been nice to be up there and I'll be heading up there uh in about an hour to and we'll uh we'll get to talk with assistant coaches today so that'll be good to hear from them uh before we get to the Isaac Wilson news which was the biggest piece of news over the last seven days since we last talked to you yeah 13 days out where are they like what percentage do you think they are in Camp and I don't mean Rob I mean Readiness I mean answers etc etc does it feel like there's a lot of work to do still in the next 13 days or do you think they feel pretty good about themselves I think they feel pretty good about where they're at there's certainly some some things uh some minor things some position group designations that they still need to figure out but I think they've accomplished the bulk of what they needed to in Fall Camp I think they have they obviously have Isaac Wilson who we'll talk about a lot uh I think they have a much better idea of the running back situation and how that's going to shake out they know who the guys are that they can rely on in the passing game you know with that wide receiver and tight end rooms uh they knew they had a good idea of who the starting offensive line who was going to make up that unit and now they have a a good idea of who's going to travel who are going to be the guys behind them behind that starting unit even on defense you I think we knew who most of these guys would be the defense of front you know you have your starting forward your linebackers karny Reed lender Bart you know what those guys are zamaya Von Smith Snowden even though you know we still need to see that a little bit from him this season but you had a good idea of what that defense was going to look like it was about finding depth and I think they've accomplished that as well at most spots uh linebacker safety getting that spot organized so I do think they have have uh most of this roster and and and all of that figured out as we uh as we get into uh season prep I think they have a good idea of what this team is going to look like um coach speak is funny right because they uh they say a lot but then they drop in relevant stuff and then say a lot of nothing you know it's like uh I was joke with Ben if you've ever seen the movie American Graffiti where the the underage high school kid is trying to buy liquor at the store and so he goes in and orders like 10 just benign irrelevant things and in the middle of it you know like number six he's like it's mold Harper whiskey you know just like kind of you know the the the real thing slips in there but you're kind of distracting and my whole point in saying this is I thought the explanation as to why Isaac Wilson got the the second was a little light I didn't think we got a lot of stuff like a lot of words and then he slipped in the and Isaac Wilson's number two yeah that's uh number two and then moving on and uh he explained a little bit more but I'm curious because you talked to people so what was the decision making uh that that you've heard that went into why he is is number two well I think it was exactly that decisionmaking um you know I asked coach Whittingham just because we knew this was obviously this was going to be a big story right I asked him first day was how are they going to evaluate this quarterback situation and you know he said it comes down to decision- making and then it comes down down to putting points on the board can you get this team March this team down the field this offense down the field and put points on the board and I think you know those there's obviously more detail things that they look at but the the the overarching the macro of of their evaluation is decisionmaking and is you know just leading the offense down the field so I think just based on that I I think it's truly impressive that Isaac Wilson was able to come in in January and have a a a the sort of grasp on this offense this Andy lwig offense which it's not super complicated in terms of the complexity of plays that they run it's just there's a lot of information a lot of things that they put on the quarterback's shoulders that it's simple right if there are too many Defenders to the left run it to the right if we don't have a good look right or left check into a pass play but it's it's based on certain coverages certain looks so you just have to have a a deep understanding of the offense and of uh you know the defense that you're looking at as well so for Isaac Wilson to come in and in six months show that ability and that grasp of the offense I think speaks really highly of his you know his football intelligence the way he operates as a quarterback I've heard a lot of good things about the way he's performed over the last couple of weeks um you know they had a scrimmage on Wednesday and it sounds like Isaac has had a had a another great performance which he did in week two their first scrimmage so you know he's just come in and I think he's done a just a great job of learning the offense and then going out there and making good decisions and and that's led to him being named the backup you think they'd like to get him on the field against Southern Utah absolutely yeah absolutely I think I think they'd love to get Cam and you know the veteran guys off the field as quickly as possible in that game because what's what's the point right like you don't you don't need cam to beat as you shouldn't need cam to beat Su let me say um but I think yeah I think they would love to get Isaac out on the field uh maybe not as much as possible this season because you know you still have you have four games to utilize with the red shirt and you know red shirt it's lost its value compared to years past right uh just because high school kids are coming into college football a little bit more prepared at least in terms you know the the higher rated guys the guys that are coming in more equipped ready to go and so how much value is there in a red shirt you know that's debatable but I do think they would love to get Isaac on the field you know early and often this season so man decision making is the number one thing I can't help and this is just just me I guess and how I look at things but go that's that wouldn't be the answer I want to hear if I were a youth fan is is wit GNA crush the spirit of another Young quarterback with this turnover garbage where the only way you're gonna play I mean Steve you've seen you've seen his in The Practice Facility or the teams where they have the philosophies of the team that that are up there and like the first one is protect the defense like that is his philosophy like if I'm if if I'm excited about a team and a freshman gets named number two I want to hear that he's Brett Favre and you've just got to rail him in a little bit like he's ready to go he's chomping at the bit he's throwing the ball all over the field we've just got to clean up a couple of these things but he's going to be amazing I don't want here that he's making the he's protecting the defense already I think that's like I he wh not wi personally I guess but the philosophy destroyed Travis Wilson it did it did where he couldn't you remember that Arizona State game where they refused to pass they lost the game because they refused to pass because they were convinced that he was going to turn it over if they passed once and he do you remember they benched him and played him and benched him over and over over again because of turnovers and all of a sudden he was such a a mess he turns it over six times against UCL I mean they damaged that guy I can like the philosophy damaged that guy H maybe I think I think Travis Wilson did a lot of that to himself I haven't heard you know there's Travis was is a legend at Utah for what he did on the field he won a lot of games you know he won a lot of games tremendous art he could have studied the Playbook a little more like we could we can I say that definitely you know he could have studied the Playbook a little more that was funny and I think what's what's interesting you know just in contrast I've heard Isaac has been throwing the ball around quite a bit and you know the touchdowns I th I heard he threw four touchdowns in the scrimmage yesterday so this is the thing be the reason and it like it is he's deciding to throw it to the open receiver in the in the end zone like that's that's the thing is like decision making isn't just about protecting the ball it's it's about finding the right guy it's about finding the open receiver it's about you know putting the ball into the end zone would say I would say the one time not the one time I mean I I shouldn't be so definitive but like his best quarterback move as a as a coach honestly was him fighting that Instinct by starting Tyler Huntley sure as a sophomore and going away from oh I'm Troy Williams right and I I like Troy because he stuck it out and was a really good teammate well and like but but that was his best quar back decision he didn't play Tyler Huntley because he was protecting the defense he played Tyler Huntley because he wanted to develop a quarterback and that turned out to be a great decision yeah no I I agree I I agree completely and and just to reiterate Kyle Whittingham said decision making one putting points on the board too right he he didn't say protecting the defense but he's always going to have that protect the defense that's he is weird but it it right he's won a zillion football games Far be it for me to criticize anybody but quarter backs have not been his if anything his success is remarkable because he's done it without quarterbacks and and again I'm not trying to disparage Travis Wilson who won a ton of games or even Tyler Huntley who's still in the NFL but I mean I who who were we I was talking to somebody about this the other day Utah since Scott Mitchell so not County Scott Mitchell but Scott on have had two NFL quarterbacks Tyler Huntley and Alex Smith two in that same period of time BYU who's won probably fewer games on the whole but BYU's had seven I mean including two recently sure I mean it's it's pretty what's that done for him you know no no but that's what I'm saying is most programs you go I mean we're talking about football like it starts and ends with the quarterback you don't have a quarterback you don't have a team that's actually not true true he's had plenty of success right so far be it for me to criticize but if we're talking about handling this particular position it's not his it's not his strength and you know what I hope Isaac Wilson like is is doing the right things but keeps the mentality that like I G to go sling it I'm the I'm the big dog at Corner Canyon that wor the weird t-shirt didn't he didn't he like what it said I love moms or something like that what it was something funny oh it was the I love the Lehi cheerleaders Lone Peak yeah Lone Peak I I hope Wht doesn't doesn't neuter him yeah I hope I hope he doesn't lose that because I think quarterbacks that are Dynamic need that I actually think cam Rising has that in a ton of that a ton of the Swagger but wh tried forever not to play cam Rising he was forced to play cam rising and it's like oh wow this guy is good he brought him in mid game against San Diego State Steve mid game sure but you bring in a guy like Charlie Brewer you you know you talk about him how you're going to play this year like and wit you know how wit is he's just it's hard for him not to be just completely honest and I just think you know it was it was a tough decision uh I think I think there may have been a promise made to Charlie Brewer uh to be quite honest why would I do too but why would you make that promise if you got the All Conference quarterback the All Conference guy is sitting right there you're trying to add a quarterback Mi I okay but anyway cam risings turned out to be good hey by the way LV Edwards made the same mistake with Brandon Doan tried forever not to play Brandon Doan Doan played for the the dur 49ers for four years or whatever Meer ran Joe burrow off it's like yeah yeah guys they got it wrong it's this is just yeah Ur Urban Meyer didn't pick Alex Smith absolutely right Urban Meyer picked Brett Ratliff and his tongue ring and and they were like give this man as a quarterback uh Steve can I I want to ask you a little bit of a well I'm gonna ask you the offense and the defense yeah and we I'm just G to lumps some in defense easy defensive line linebacker secondary offensive side offensive line quarterbacks pass catchers running backs can you rank them in order for me on we'll start with the defense and start with the offense by position group off the top of my head tight okay offense you want me to go defense go offense first that's great okay tight end top this group I think is just going to be really their best position group you know witz talked about it they've got six guys that they feel good about and I was just gonna say let's just do pass catchers so that includes Dorian singer wide receiv ET we could do that so pass catchers I think it's I think it's an impressive group when you combine the wide receiver and tight end room I think offensive I would say oh man that's tough um I mean it's got to be quarterback right cam yeah that's what I mean I I was going to say offensive line but then quarterback you got cam you got Isaac you feel good about that group then I would say offensive line uh I love the fact that they knew who the starting five was going to be you know coming out of Spring ball that's allowed them just to kind of build that chemistry and stuff from the jump and then running back which is crazy to say considering this is has frozen over if you're saying pass catchers W running backs last on it's crazy but but Utah again they've embraced that tight end position and they've got some really good pass catchers in that room so that's been a a good thing for them and with Dorian singer man he's been he's been the buzz all fall Camp so I think he's Prime for a good season defensively o buddy uh let's uh let's say defensive line is is that just lumped together defensive and defensive tack we'll say that I I you know I've heard great things about the progress keano tanasa has made I think he's I think he's primed for a breakout campaign this year at that defensive tackle spot in terms of his ability to you know be disruptive from the from the interior uh the depth at at defensive end is strong I would say linebacker too with Lander and keny those guys are the quarterbacks of the defense uh they'll be you know imperative to just setting the standard uh there for the defense and then safety love what they have there in that room with Tao with Nate uh alakai Gilman who's been really impressive now that he's been able to kind of settle into this defensive scheme and then cornerback uh vaugh is going to be good kenon Johnson has has you know generated a positive Buzz around him as well and then Smith sowden uh there but it's just kind of the depth behind them there's there's just a lot of inexperience behind those guys so that's how I would rank front to back on defense pretty simple yep uh Ben and I were mentioning the high school season is starting and you you've covered recruiting for a long time and I want to ask you like a a general recruiting question because I'm really curious how this has evolved really over your career because it's it's changed so much uh but your average recruiter if we had to you know pull them all and do a pie chart of their P priorities right of why they're picking where they're going you know be it academics and I Snicker uh you know obviously nil you know what kind of dough are you going to get Destin ation I mean however you want to break up the pie what do you think that looks like yeah for your typical recruit I think you know they uh they're looking for Player Development who's going to help them develop the most right because everybody's want everybody wants to get to that next level right and so you're non Blue Chip guys guys getting you know pursued by the Oregons and USC's who have the nil backing that it's just stuff to top right outside of those guys just your typical run-of-the-mill average three star type kid I think the big thing for them is Player Development they want to go to a program that will help them maximize their potential uh to get to the NFL and then you know nil it's it's a big thing for everybody involved they're looking for opportunities recruits are looking for opportunities because you know it's an opportunity to not only you know help themselves but to help their families and I think that's a thing that uh you know people need to consider when they they talk about nil is it's beneficial Beyond just the recruit it it helps a lot of families so nil is a big one and then you know just success right guys want to go where they can they can feel optimistic confident about their ability and potential to have success while they're in college everybody wants to win and I think that's still a big thing so I would say those are the big factors for just kind of your average run-of-the-mill recruit is obviously who's going to help me be the best everybody loves to you know potentially earn a little little dough and then you know let's win let's have fun let's go go to bowl games and that sort of thing I think that's a big thing and then obviously academics that's the you know that's the big biggest thing for everybody here or if you're Arizona State then it's the C it's the you know it's the NTI yeah right it's the it's the lifestyle mid Avenue man wild time wild time uh I I had multiple friends go to Arizona State and they all seemed to share a certain personality type is it crazy so I I served a I served a a church mission LDS mission and two weeks after I got home me and my buddies we went down to Arizona Arizona Phoenix for a buddy's wedding and we uh ended up at M Avenue for for the night and man two weeks off your mission going to M Avenue that was a that was a shock to the system right there yeah welcome home hey I'm back I'm here we are back hilarious uh Steve you do great work uh KSL sports.com check out all of Steve's Camp Ute coverage and throughout the season oh are are you uh uh is there a destination because all this stuff is new is there a game you're looking forward to uh to going this season with Utah yeah yeah well first that first one at Still Waters that like that's the one I'm I'm interested in most just again just being it the the first Big 12 yeah conference game for Utah biggest game on the schedule could be yeah there's there's some good ones but I think I'm looking forward to that one most not not Thanksgiving in in Orlando I uh like a close it's a one B it's a 1B I'll say that much a good time to be down there I've heard there's a taco shop in a strip mall somebody sent me suggestions and it sounds like I'd need to uh to make it to the stando is strip malls yeah other than other than the Disney World Al honestly when he said Taco Shop I didn't think mall was coming out of all Orlando is St mall that's why I'm okay with Florida sinking into the ocean doesn't we don't need it thank you Steve we appreciate you uh we're going to talk to Mitch Harper 975 the KSL Sports on