Little by little, Isaac Wilson showcasing his potential at quarterback for Utes

SALT LAKE CITY — Needing only 2 yards for a first down in the third quarter, Isaac Wilson took three big steps back and settled his feet in the pocket in an obvious passing play.

To his left was an unchecked Brant Kuithe wide open and at least 10 yards of green grass in front of him. It'd be an easy toss for a first down, and something a freshman quarterback would seemingly love to see in his first start under center.

Wilson looked Kuithe's way and offered a small pump fake as he settled into the pocket, drawing the defense's attention to the open tight end with ample space. But in an instant, his eyes snapped down field as he fired the ball 20 yards to the sideline to Money Parks in double coverage.

The pass lofted perfectly over the first line of defense and into the hands of his receiver for the first down. Simple enough, right?

In fact, it was a complex throw and progression that showcased Wilson's improved level of comfort in his first start, and one that showed his future potential as the Utes starting quarterback.

The easy pass was there, but Wilson opted for the bigger play — the veteran play that helps team's move the ball down field in what Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham likes to define as "chunk" plays, or plays that go for big gains.

Either play worked, but the sideline toss to Parks was special in its own right.

"You can see the passes he threw, those are tough passes," running back Micah Bernard said. "That's when he's comfortable. When he's comfortable, he's gonna make plays like that every single time."

Wilson wasn't perfect by any means in his first start — he airmailed some passes, had too much zip on others, and lofted some through the air to give Utah State defenders time to make a play on the ball — but his development as the game progressed was noticeable.

And once he settled in, Wilson got the offense moving with relative ease. To start the third quarter, Wilson had seven straight completions — all of which but one went for over 10 yards, including a 20- and 33-yard completion — that eventually led to a field goal and touchdown on consecutive drives.

"It's getting over that ridge of being nervous, I feel like," Wilson said. "I'm confident, I feel composed throughout the game and leaning on my offensive line, wide receivers and running backs."

Wilson finished the day throwing for 239 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 20-of-33 passing in a game that Utah trailed 14-3 before the Utes had to rally and score 25 unanswered points.

He also became the first true freshman quarterback at Utah with three passing touchdowns in his first career start.

As a comparison, Cam Rising threw for 137 yards and zero touchdowns on 13-of-23 passing in his first start against Washington State in 2021.

"To come out with a win and put up 38 points and have pretty good numbers — he's just a true freshmen — so he responded," Whittingham said. "I thought as the game went on, he settled in and got more comfortable, more confident. ... It was really good to see Isaac step up and play with some real confidence."

There will continue to be learning moments for the freshman quarterback, but the glimpses of success have been encouraging for a Utah football team that will someday have to part with a skilled starter in Rising.

One game doesn't define a quarterback, and it certainly doesn't project future success, but it was an encouraging day for Utah football. If Wilson can continue to make the little progressions needed to be a consistent starter, Utah can sit comfortably knowing it has the foreseeable future locked up with a proven quarterback.

"It was great to see Isaac Wilson settle in and look like a real Power Four quarterback. ... It's comforting knowing that Isaac is capable of doing what you saw this afternoon," Whittingham said.

The future starts now for the Utes.

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