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2021 Football Camp: Coordinator Corner, Andy Ludwig

by Utah Athletics
Aug 17, 2021

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah Football program has officially entered the final week of fall camp as they hit the practices fields at the Spence and Cleone Eccles Football Center with 16 days until the season opener.

The Utes, who were recently picked 24th in the Preseason AP Poll, kick off the 2021 season on Thursday, Sept. 2 against Weber State in Rice-Eccles Stadium. The game will start at 5:30 p.m. MT and will air on Pac-12 Networks.
 

With camp coming to an end and starting positions being picked, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Andy Ludwig spoke to the media this week.  

On evaluating the quarterbacks throughout camp…
"It has been great. It has been a very competitive situation. All of the quarterbacks are doing an outstanding job. I know that the race for the No. 1 quarterback gets a lot of attention, but we also have a good competition going on for the No. 3 quarterback between three outstanding young players in Ja'Quinden Jackson, Peter Costelli and Bryson Barnes. I am very pleased with the progress of the entire position group."

On splitting the reps or finding a starting running back…
"It is a real luxury to be able to split up those reps, but again you would like to identify one individual to be the lead ball carrier, but there are four young men that are competing every day with exceptional skill sets. Each one does something a little bit different so it allows us to be creative in the way that we use all of their various tools."

On what his assessment was on Charlie Brewer and Cameron Rising after the first scrimmage…
"They both did a good job. Statistically about even. Charlie had a little more pass attempts, but the completion percentage was about the same. They were both efficient  running the offense, whether they were working with the first team offense or the second team, they were productive. I was fired up about that, but it didn't make the decision any easier with them being that efficient on Saturday."
 

On if in his time as a coach the quarterback battle usually makes the decision itself…
"This one we are going to have to make, but that's a good thing. It is a great situation to be in because we've got two highly motivated guys, two football junkies with high football intellect that are playing at a very high level."

On getting the receivers more play this year…
"It is a player driven game and I have complete confidence in the two quarterbacks that are competing for the starting job. I have great confidence in the three guys competing for the No. 3 job, so if you feel great about the guy pulling the trigger it is a lot easier to call passing plays."

On what the quarterback competition says about Cameron Rising's toughness after coming back from surgery…
"Unbelievable to come back from shoulder surgery on his throwing arm and spinning it with the velocity and the accuracy that he has speaks volumes to his relentless commitment to rehab."

On how many players he feels are game-ready on the offensive line…
"We feel good with about 10 offensive linemen and we are even getting a couple back that weren't with us for the scrimmage, so that group is the definition of depth. We feel very confident in the depth and experience in that group."

On Tyler Huntley's debut for the Ravens…
"Tyler Huntley is an awesome person, an awesome player and is another football junkie. He deserves every shred of success he has had, so I am fired up for him."
 

 

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