Utah adds QB Sam Huard: Former 5-star shores up key position group entering potential CFP campaign

After three months of college football, Huard’s 5-star genealogy has mostly faded, but his improvement has the potential to change Utah’s sport. After Cam Rising’s unexpected wound kept him out the entire time, the Utes struggled with quarterback depth in 2023. Former walk- on Bryson Barnes ( Utah State ) and backup Nate Johnson ( Vanderbilt ) both transferred, leaving only relatively unproven options.

At Utah, Huard will backwards off Rising, who is returning to Salt Lake City after a torn ACL. Huard has two years remaining to perform two, which leaves him a possible time to start in 2025 after Rising’s completion.

Being in the area and receiving instruction from one of the best quarterbacks in college football, as well as having two years in a top system, were great parts, Huard told Brandon Huffman of 247Sports.

The Bellevue, Washington, local comes in as a brilliant quarterback with starting experience at the Division I level. If Rising is slow to return, Huard can compete with Luke Bottari, Brandon Rose and Isaac Wilson for back snaps. Offensive representative Andy Ludwig, it goes without saying, does not want to be without trustworthy player again.

Huard was the No. 3 player and No. 23 overall player in the School of 2021 Top247 positions, ranking among the best people to actually commit to the Huskies. With new manager Karen DeBoer in charge, Husdard started one game as a rookie in 2021, which did not go well because he threw four interceptions in a 40-13 loss to Washington State. He also assisted Michael Penix. Huard left in search of playing time after Penix Jr. made the decision to play in Seattle another time.

Huard made a shocking decision, but he and his high school manager Sheldon Cross, who also served as the offensive coordinator, reconnected. In his lone season with the Mustangs, Huard started nine games and finished second in the Big Sky with 249. 7 feet pass per game and 18 touchdowns.

Huard is a well-known sport home from the Pacific Northwest. His parents, Damon Huard, was a starting quarterback at Washington and played in the NFL from 1996- 2009. His brother, Brock Huard, even lasted five years in the NFL after Washington. Another brother, Luke Huard, played at North Carolina.

Utah could be the preseason popular in its new club, the Big 12, as it enters the 2024 season. Perhaps even more important, the expanded 12- group College Football Playoff means that the team’s champion will lock up a place in the field. The importance of developing crucial directional detail in the expanded CFP is demonstrated by adding Huard. Suddenly, the distinction between 9 and 10 wins may be regional contention.

In the last year of the Pac-12, Utah managed to record 8-4 despite dealing with a significant wave of injuries during the 2023 season. Three wide receivers and two small stops have been added by the Utes in an intense unpleasant move. Mentor Kyle Whittingham is confident that the Utes will have enough backups to play with if a backup is added.