SALT LAKE CITY — Hello again, friends.
It's been a minute, I hope you'll bear with me.
As training camp at the University of Utah begins, and the Aug. 30 season-opener at UCLA looms, I am going to be chiming in periodically on Utes-related matters for KSL.com, including re-igniting this Utes mailbag.
Is there a Big 12 championship in the cards for Utah? Much of that will depend on a revamped offense being steered by new offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
We'll start this Utes mailbag right there.
Q: "Whit has historically not gotten along well with OCs outside of Ludwig. What are the odds he gives this new one enough room to succeed?" - @801utes
I don't exactly know how true that first statement is, but the relationship between Kyle Whittingham and Andy Ludwig was very strong. I think we can all agree there.
The question portion of the above can be answered with a question.
Now deep in the winter of his coaching career, what choice does Whittingham have but to loosen his grip on the offense, however tight it may be, and fully trust Beck?
Depending on how you view it, Ludwig stepped down, or was quasi-fired, in the middle of last season. Utah stumbled all the way to a 5-7 season, then hired Beck after he produced the nation's No. 4 total offense at New Mexico.
Furthermore, Beck brought his quarterback, Devon Dampier, with him to run that high-octane attack.
This is it, man.
The 2023 season was a mess, the 2024 season was far messier. This is now Whittingham's last stand, with this OC and this QB, in a conference where Utah probably has enough to at least be playing meaningful football deep in November.
Whittingham has no choice but to give Beck a wide berth.
Q: "Curious to hear your thoughts on what Utah floor and ceiling for this season." - @MrSmokinUte
The Big 12 was so chaotic last season that trying to decide Utah's floor and ceiling might be an exercise in futility, but I'm here to party.
We'll start here: I like the Utes over Nico Iamaleava and UCLA at the Rose Bowl to start the season. That is not at all a layup, but I like the Utes there.
They will beat Wyoming in a game I genuinely cannot believe was A) scheduled, and B) has not been played yet.
The conference schedule is rugged, but Utah gets flushed-with-cash, transfer-heavy Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Arizona State home.
Are you penciling in a win at West Virginia? Probably? Same with BYU? Maybe? Utah will be up against it at Baylor in mid-November, and the regular-season finale at Kansas is wonky, with an 11 a.m. kickoff on Black Friday.
Ceiling: 10-2 overall, 7-2 Big 12, which might not get Utah to the Big 12 championship game.
Floor: 6-6 overall, 3-6 Big 12, which could yield some real soul searching from people as to what should happen next.
Q: "What's the best sandwich condiment and why do some choose Miracle Whip?" - @christianmjudd
I have never had Miracle Whip, and I have no plans to try Miracle Whip. I know people that like Miracle Whip, but I doubt it is good enough to go to the mat in a debate like this.
Miracle Whip can kick rocks.
The answer here is probably mayonnaise. Whatever your sandwich preference, mayonnaise probably plays. Turkey? Yes. Roast beef? Sure. Ham? Delightful.
I say "probably," because, frankly, I don't think the mustard family gets enough respect. I like mustard. I like mustard on all kinds of different sandwiches. If there is a sandwich out there, there is a mustard to pair it with.
Turkey, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle … and yellow mustard.
Ham, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle … and dijon mustard.
Genoa salami, provolone, roasted red peppers, lettuce … and brown mustard.
If you've got Gulden's brown mustard, that would be awesome, but I will not nitpick.
Mayonnaise is good, but please, pass the mustard.
Q: "Better rivalry, Utah vs BYU or Texas vs Texas A&M" - @Anzures801
Texas vs. Texas A&M, and it's not even close.
In fairness, though, my viewpoint of that rivalry is absolutely skewed.
My one and only Texas vs. Texas A&M game last season was the first matchup between the two in 13 seasons.
After years of not being able to figure out a nonconference series once the Aggies left the Big 12 for the SEC, the buildup to the regular-season finale was immense, and that does not count the fact that the winner advanced to the SEC championship game.
I have never experienced a more intimidating pregame atmosphere than what Kyle Field in College Station produced that night, which merely fueled the notion that the hate between the two sides, and what the rivalry means to generations of Texans, is very, very real.
If you ask a Texas fan for their biggest rival, you'll get three different answers: Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas A&M.
Now that Texas-Texas A&M is back, give it a decade. Kids will now be exposed to it, young adults will get re-educated on it.
There will be no doubt after that decade who Texas' biggest rival is.
Kyle Whittingham on some of the biggest progress made since spring: pic.twitter.com/SCpCQR95YT
— Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) July 31, 2025
Q: "How are the Jets' vibes?" - @Foxonabox_
Honestly? A big shoulder shrug.
It's a bridge year. If Justin Fields plays well and the Jets are mildly competitive, great, but even if he exceeds expectations, no one paying attention believes that is the long-term solution at quarterback.
They need a QB, so let's speed ahead to next spring's NFL draft, where the QB class is expected to be much stronger than what the last class produced.
The big intrigue for me this season is Aaron Glenn, a very popular ex-Jet, who has fans of a certain age (hand up!!!) feeling nostalgic. If he can show some mettle as a rookie head coach with a so-so roster, I think you feel good going into 2026 with a rookie QB.
Q: "What is the thing you missed the most last year when not covering the Utes? What did you miss the least?" - @Patton5149
Frankly, I still miss a lot of people, both inside the athletic department and in the media. I'd like to think I left Salt Lake City with good relationships that have remained intact.
Another thought: I miss how easy most travel in the Pac-12 was. Everything was an airplane trip, but it was mostly to major cities with big airports. Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Denver, etc.
Getting to Fayetteville last season for Texas-Arkansas included flying into Tulsa and driving two hours. Also, I spent a stupid amount of time in the Delta terminal at ATL, which no one should have to deal with.
What I missed the least is a tougher question. My initial instinct is Whittingham's lack of injury transparency, which I talked and wrote about for years.
That's not exclusive to Whittingham, as every coach thinks they're hanging onto state secrets when it comes to injuries.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian does not go terribly deep on injuries with the media, but he will address them when asked. Furthermore, the SEC last season began producing NFL-style injury reports four times per week, including 90 minutes before kickoff.
Let me tell you, the SEC injury reports made things quite a bit less cumbersome during the week, especially when we were dealing with something high-profile.
