Why the Utes need the Crimson Collective
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The day before Utah’s spring game, the Crimson Collective was launched.
And the way coach Kyle Whittingham sees it, the Crimson Collective is a game-changer.
Now that the NCAA allows student-athletes to monetize and leverage their name, image and likeness, the frontier is wide open — and extremely competitive when it comes to recruiting.
Whittingham wholeheartedly supports efforts to help him and his staff vie for the best talent available to compete for championships.
How important was establishing the Crimson Collective?
“It was absolutely critical. If we hadn’t gotten that done, the future would be very bleak. We are behind with it,” he said. “A lot of schools opened their collectives two years ago. We had some catching up to do. I guess the better-late-than-never adage applies here. It’s something that has to happen. If you don’t have NIL resources, you’re going to be a bottom-feeder and good luck trying to put a high-caliber team on the field.”
In case you missed it
Spring practices are over, and Utah enters the offseason eyeing a Pac-12 three-peat this fall.
The Utes have talked a lot about winning an unprecedented three consecutive conference titles. But entering the 2023 campaign, after two straight Rose Bowl losses, their sights are even higher.
“We want to be able to win (a Rose Bowl),” said running back Micah Bernard. “We want to be able to win something bigger than a Pac-12 championship. Those are nice. We want to get another one, but we want something bigger.”
The Deseret News compiled a projected depth chart coming out of spring.
From the archives
Related
No. 16 Utah softball gets good measuring stick in series against No. 2 UCLA
What Utah college football players have entered the transfer portal this spring?
NFL draft: Watch the moments when Utah and BYU players got ‘the call’
Extra points
What Utah ties have signed as free agents after going undrafted? (Deseret News)
What CB Clark Phillips III and OL Braeden Daniels bring to their new NFL teams (Deseret News)
2023 NFL draft: Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III selected by Atlanta Falcons (Deseret News)
Is the Wild West that is the NCAA transfer portal good or bad for college football? (Deseret News)
‘They had a little chip on their shoulder’: How No. 16 Utes ‘stepped over the line’ from average to awesome (Deseret News)
What Utah coach Kyle Whittingham says about Dalton Kincaid being drafted by the Buffalo Bills (Deseret News)
How experts graded Dalton Kincaid being drafted by the Buffalo Bills (Deseret News)
Fanalyst
Josh Allen must have been all smiles going to bed last night. An offense that was really good just went to another level. Kincaid will thrive in the Bills’ offense!!! Now here is something no one has mentioned, a former Wyoming Cowboy throwing to a Utah Ute??? Go figure. Folk in upstate New York are going to love this!
— stathis
As usual, Utah has a strong running back, tight end, and offensive line group. If Rising is healthy, Utah can expect good things from him again. Barnes is a solid but unspectacular backup. But also as usual, the wide receiver group is lacking. There are some nice players there but no one that “wows” you. Hopefully, Utah can get someone from the portal to help. A game-breaking WR could be the difference between Utah winning a third consecutive conference title (and maybe breaking into the playoffs) and losing a couple and ending up in Vegas or something.
— jmac77
Up next
May 5 | 6:35 p.m. | Baseball | vs. Oregon State | @Corvallis, Oregon | Oregon State Live Stream-2
May 5 | 7 p.m. | Softball | vs. Oregon | @Eugene, Oregon | Pac-12 Networks
May 6 | 2:35 p.m. | Baseball | vs. Oregon State | @Corvallis, Oregon | Oregon State Live Stream-2
May 6 | 5 p.m. | Softball | vs. Oregon | @Eugene, Oregon | Pac-12 Networks
May 6 | 8 a.m. | Men’s Tennis | vs. Old Dominion | @NCAA Tournament, Chapel Hill, N.C.
May 7 | 2:05 p.m. | Baseball | vs. Oregon State | @Corvallis, Oregon | Oregon State Live Stream-2
May 7 | 3 p.m. | Softball | vs. Oregon | @Eugene, Oregon | Pac-12 Networks
