'I shot myself in the foot': As Isaac Wilson progresses, Utes see hope at QB with its depth

SALT LAKE CITY — Isaac Wilson doesn't shy away from the offensive troubles Utah had last season.

The freshman quarterback was thrust into a starting role due to injury before he was ready, and it didn't go as planned for the promising star out of Corner Canyon High.

Too much was placed on his young shoulders as he tried to lead an offense that was complicated and overwhelming. The budding quarterback had shown flashes of brilliance at times, but the season was marred by turnovers and inconsistent play as the team's starter.

"I mean, I shot myself in the foot last year," Wilson said Tuesday. "I definitely had an opportunity. I needed to capitalize on that. I mean, I was young, but everyone uses that excuse; that's not a good excuse. I had to be ready at the time."

Utah finished the season ranked 98th (out of 134 FBS teams) in passing offense amid an overall offense that had few answers to correct its ineptness. As such, longtime offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig stepped away and Utah went through a full reset in the offseason — with players and coaching personnel.

Even Wilson entered his name into the transfer portal before eventually withdrawing and returning to Utah when Jason Beck was named the team's new offensive coordinator.

For Wilson, he'd made a commitment to Utah and wanted to come back stronger after his freshman season.

"I just love coach Whitt. I mean, I can't leave like that," Wilson said. "I love being home, loving being in Utah, but coach Whitt has a plan for me. I mean, I think he still believes in me — I'm sure he does — so I didn't think I could leave on that note."

Wilson is back for his second year and remains a key member of the team's quarterback room that is led by New Mexico transfer quarterback Devon Dampier. And while Wilson hopes to have a chance at redemption at some point, he's also ready and willing to learn first.

If afforded another chance, he recognizes he needs to be better prepared for the situation.

"I'm sure all you guys watched last year. Turnovers were a big part of my game last year — not a good thing," Wilson admitted. "I've been working on that, taking it and making it simple, really; not really thinking about the defense too much, zoning in on one aspect of the play and getting it done."

But he's still a work in progress, and head coach Kyle Whittingham hasn't turned his back on him.

Wilson has "gotten better," Whittingham said, but admits he is "still not where he needs to be." But as Wilson learns a new offense — an offense that Wilson believes suits him well — he continues to make improvements.

On Tuesday, Wilson had his best showing of the media viewing periods when he led the offense down the field for a touchdown on a diverse set of play calls that showcased his passing strengths, while occasionally highlighting his running ability.

"A lot of the things that we didn't do so well last fall, he's making progress with — particularly getting rid of the ball, going through his read progression, making better decisions," Whittingham said.

It was a brief stint of success, but it's been a sign of progress even within spring camp. And that steady progress has allowed him to remain a key contributor to a room that has three main benefactors in Dampier, Wilson and true freshman Byrd Ficklin.

The trio will be Utah's depth for the "foreseeable future," Whittingham said, but added the positioning within that room is not "set in stone," but "as far as the guys getting the reps, you'll continue to see that."

Dampier is the bonafide starter — with no QB controversy extending through to fall — while Wilson and Ficklin jockey for backup minutes. Others in the room aren't a factor.

Similar to Dampier, Ficklin is a true dual-threat quarterback who has come on strong during spring camp, pushing Wilson for playing time. But considering how last season turned out with a freshman backup, there may be some hesitation to turn the ball over to Ficklin should Dampier miss any time.

Whittingham, though, has always maintained that the best player will get the opportunity, regardless of experience. To that point, Whittingham has been impressed with his freshman quarterback.

"He's getting a really good command of the offense," Whittingham said. "He's got a big time arm; his arm is live and he's accurate. He's put on some weight — he was a little thin when he got here — but he's put on like 15 pounds since he's got here, and he was really starting to feel comfortable in the offense and doing things that we saw him do on his high school tape."

And Ficklin believes Beck's offense is the "perfect offense for a dual-threat quarterback," which has allowed him to excel a bit this early in the process.

But to that point, Wilson, too, feels like Beck's offense is better suited for him and could help him unlock the potential Utah hoped to see from him.

"It suits me a lot better," Wilson said. "I liked coach Lud's offense — pro style — but, I mean, they're just completely different. I love what coach Beck's doing — a little bit of run game with the quarterback. It kind of changes up, making it hard on the defense, always putting one guy in conflict no matter what."

The two backups will continue to jockey for position throughout the offseason, but there's hope all around that each can learn from Dampier and Utah's offense will be able to see significant improvement from the last two seasons.

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