10 Utes who improved their stock during spring camp: No. 3 Jaylon Glover
While Tavion Thomas will be returning as the Utes lead back for the 2022 season, new freshman Jaylon Glover took spring camp by storm and orchestrated one of the most impressive performances we may have seen from a freshman in years. In addition to a college ready skill-set, Glover also demonstrated a high-level of maturity for his age. Despite being so young, he wow'd coaches and teammates with his performances and demeanor all throughout camp.
“Without a doubt. He is very mature and doesn't act like a kid that should still be in high school. He has a tremendous work ethic and he is organized in all facets of his life. He has things laid out the way he wants them with his goals and he is a guy that we think will be very important for us,” Head Coach Kyle Whittingham said.
A rarity among freshman, Glover is not only ready to start taking reps for Utah's offense, but he's incredibly mature for his age. Demonstrated on multiple occasions throughout spring, Glover acts well above his age and knows exactly what he needs to do in order to be successful. Rather than messing around and struggling to acclimate to the college level, he has all his goals laid out which has him destined for greatness.
“I'm the type of guy that I want to contribute so, I feel like being here in the spring has given me a great opportunity to do that. I feel like it's big. I would encourage a lot of guys to come here if they have plans to be able to travel in the fall. You’ve got to come into spring to show what you have,” Glover said.
“I want to win the Heisman,” Glover continued. “I want to achieve all the far away goals and grab those. All the big milestones, winning the Heisman and also winning the National Championship.”
While those may seem like lofty goals for such a young man, Glover obviously possesses the drive to achieve them, and very well may have the skill-set as well.
What makes Glover truly special are his impressive bursts and sheer power which allow him to explode for big plays whenever a seam is opened. Glover also possesses a high level of instinct, elite ability to change direction and solid awareness which allows him to effectively navigate the trenches and burn defenses for their mistakes. This was on display throughout spring camp as he ripped off a 50-yard run during one particular practice and shined in several scrimmages.
During the spring game, Glover looked completely in his element, finishing with 36 yards on five carries (7.2 average). While those aren't numbers that jump off the page, his performance spoke for itself and gave fans just a taste of what he's capable of.
Having watched Glover closely during multiple practices and scrimmages, this kid is the real deal. He looks 100% confident and comfortable in his position and shows zero signs of hesitation or uncertainty. If he can continue to build on what he did during spring, it would be a surprise to not see him as the No. 2 back this season and eventually, Thomas' successor.
“The biggest thing is to say I got better,” Glover said. “My biggest thing is knowing that the coaches can trust me to make plays. I want to be able to be trusted…and do those things to make plays.”
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