SALT LAKE CITY — The game of musical chairs that is the college football transfer process — whether as a grad transfer, a sit-out-one-year deal or via the junior college or other lower division route — brings changes every year to programs across the United States.
If the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t halt or shorten the 2020 college football season, there are a variety of storylines this year that include transfers looking to make an immediate impact at schools throughout the state of Utah.
These are just a few of those players who could make significant contributions for the Utes, Cougars, Aggies, Wildcats, T-Birds or Trailblazers.
This list is comprised of players who are expected to play for the first time in 2020 at their respective colleges, including grad transfers this season and those who sat out 2019 due to transfer rules or injury.
Jake Bentley, quarterback, Utah
Bentley came to Utah as a grad transfer this offseason after being a three-year starter at South Carolina. He was 19-14 as a starter for the Gamecocks, including 10-7 in SEC play, before suffering a Lisfranc injury in the 2019 opener and missing the rest of the year.
The two-year captain at South Carolina will now have the chance to replace Tyler Huntley at Utah, after the latter finished his Utes career and signed a rookie free-agent deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Bentley had an impressive stat line at South Carolina, ranking second in program history in career completion percentage (62.5%), third in career pass completions (626) and passing touchdowns (55), fourth in career passing yards (7,527) and fifth in career total offense (7,670).
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Devonta’e Henry-Cole, running back, BYU
Henry-Cole, a grad transfer from Utah, joins a Cougar backfield that includes BYU’s leader in carries the past two seasons, Lopini Katoa, and young backs Jackson McChesney and Tyler Allgeier. During four years with the Utes, which included a redshirt season in 2018 while dealing with an injury, Henry-Cole rushed for 469 yards and four touchdowns with a 5.2 yards-per-carry average while backing up the program’s all-time leading rusher, Zack Moss.
Last year, the Cougars had Ty’Son Williams, a South Carolina grad transfer, lead the team in rushing the first month of the season before tearing his ACL during the fourth game of the year. The hope is Henry-Cole — who had three games of 50-plus rushing yards at Utah, including a 79-yard effort last year against Washington State — can come in and contribute immediately in a similar fashion.
C.J. Pollard, safety, Utah State
The Aggies’ secondary received a boost earlier this month when Pollard announced he would head to Logan as a grad transfer. The former USC safety had 31 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a half-sack over the past three seasons for the Trojans. His best season came in 2019, when Pollard, who mainly played as a reserve and on special teams at USC, had 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops and a tackle for loss.
At safety, Utah State returns Shaq Bond, who earned honorable mention All-Mountain West honors last season, while Troy Lefeged Jr. moved to nickel back. Pollard will also compete for time at safety along with Jared Reed, a Portland State transfer, former cornerback Dominic Tatum and freshmen Keith Harris (redshirt) and Luke Marion.
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Cameron Rising, quarterback, Utah
Rising sat in 2019 as a year in residence after transferring from Texas. He has three years of eligibility remaining starting with the 2020 season, and one advantage he could have over fellow transfer Bentley is the added experience of being in offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s system for a season.
Rising, Bentley and senior Drew Lisk are expected to resume a competitive race for the Utes’ starting quarterback position when the preseason prep period begins. Rising was rated the No. 8 pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals coming out of high school — he was a three-year captain at Newbury Park High in California — and was a four-star recruit by Rivals and 247 Sports.
Randall Johnson, quarterback, Weber State
Like so many other colleges in Utah, Weber State has questions at quarterback after 2019 starter Jake Constantine made the decision to transfer back in January, as reported by the Standard Examiner’s Brett Hein. The Wildcats do return junior Kaden Jenks, who started two games and played in seven last season while throwing for 582 yards and six touchdowns.
Johnson provides another intriguing option at quarterback after announcing his decision to head to Ogden less than two weeks ago. He will have two seasons of eligibility at Weber State after redshirting the 2019 season at Middle Tennessee State, following two years at Reedley College. As a sophomore in 2018, Johnson completed 62.7% of his passes for 2,832 yards and 28 touchdowns to just eight interceptions while also rushing for 797 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was rated the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback among junior college players when he signed with MTSU in its 2019 class.
Zach Hymas, quarterback, Southern Utah
SUU’s starting quarterback last year, Chris Helbig, left as a grad transfer to Eastern Michigan, opening the door for a new starter in Cedar City. Tyler Skidmore returns after completing 17 passes in a backup role last season and Justin Miller, who played at Snow College prior to SUU, is back as well, while Hymas is a mid-June addition to the roster.
He spent two seasons at Weber State before transferring to Utah in 2019 and will have two years of eligibility remaining with the T-Birds. Hymas last took a competitive snap in 2014 at Moapa Valley High in Nevada as a senior, when he threw for 2,172 yards and 26 touchdowns.
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Marcus Moore, defensive end, Utah State
Moore is another former Pac-12 defender expected to play a key role for the Utah State defense, signing to the Aggies’ 2020 class as a grad transfer. He joins the program from UCLA, where he last played in October 2018 — Moore was not on the roster during the 2019 season — and had 23 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack with three starts over two seasons for UCLA.
Justus Te’i returns for the Aggies at one defensive end position, after starting all 13 games last season and finishing with 51 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. USU will be looking to shore up the other edge rusher, with Moore in competition for the spot along with JUCO transfer James Hansen.
Mo Unutoa, offensive line, BYU
Unutoa, who sat out the 2019 season due to NCAA transfer rules, will have two seasons of eligibility for the Cougars after transferring from Utah last year. He redshirted in 2017 and played four snaps in one game for the Utes — where he was a backup left tackle — the following year before transferring to BYU, who offered him a scholarship during his high school recruitment process.
Unutoa will provide depth along an experienced BYU offensive line — every player that started in 2019 returns this season, led by center James Empey and left tackle Brady Christensen. Unutoa will join linemen like Harris LaChance and converted tight end Joe Tukuafu in trying to crack the two-deep.
Isaac Fotu, defensive end, Dixie State
He joins his brother — Jared Fotu, a middle linebacker in the 2020 class — in St. George this season. After two years at Snow College, Isaac Fotu spent 2019 at FCS-level Indiana State, where he had 17 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks before joining the Trailblazers as a mid-year transfer for his final college season.
Fotu will provide depth at defensive end alongside last year’s starters Dylan Hendrickson (38 tackles, 10 sacks in 2019) and Mitch Jacobs (six QB hurries, three sacks) and key reserve Linaudre Schwallie.
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Desmond Williams, safety, Weber State
Williams missed the 2019 season after tearing his ACL in August, but now he returns to the field as a junior looking to earning reps at a position filled with returning talent. Senior Preston Smith started every game at strong safety and earned third-team All-Big Sky honors, while junior Brody Burke started eight games at free safety for the Wildcats.
Williams played strongside linebacker two seasons for Boise State and made five starts for the Broncos in 2017 and 2018, finishing his time in Boise with 58 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and three sacks before transferring to Weber State.
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June 24, 2020 at 03:00AM
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