Utah quarterback Nate Johnson will transfer

Utah quarterback Nate Johnson will transfer, coach Kyle Whittingham confirmed after the Utes’ 23-17 win over Colorado.

Johnson notified Whittingham of his intent to leave the program and enter the transfer portal on Monday.

“Nate Johnson has decided to transfer and so he was not available and we wish him well. We appreciate what he did for our program while he was here and he’s a fine young man and wish him nothing but the best,” Whittingham said.

The four-star quarterback from Clovis, California, committed to Utah in 2022. Cam Rising was the established starter, and Johnson couldn’t beat out Bryson Barnes for the backup position in his first season.

Johnson, who possesses breathtaking speed, still saw the field in special packages four times in 2022, throwing a touchdown pass, catching a pass and rushing the ball five times for 51 yards and two touchdowns.

With Rising out for the 2023 season, Johnson lost the initial starting job to Barnes, though offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig brought him in for 19 snaps in the season-opening win against Florida. Johnson was 3 for 4 for 6 yards passing and added 45 yards and a score vs. the Gators.

Though Barnes got the start in Utah’s next game at Baylor, it was Johnson who finished the game, engineering two touchdown drives and scoring a rushing touchdown as the Utes beat Baylor 20-13. Johnson finished the game 6 of 7 passing for 82 yards and added 32 yards and the rushing touchdown on the ground.

That performance convinced Utah’s coaches to hand Johnson the reins for the next three games.

Utah beat Weber State 31-7 and UCLA 14-7, but the offense was less than stellar.

Johnson was 13 of 21 for 193 yards and a touchdown through the air in the win over Weber State, adding 71 yards and a score on the ground.

Utah’s offense was only able to score once against UCLA, when Johnson found King for a 3-yard score to help win the game for Utah. Johnson’s completion percentage dropped to 52.9% for 117 yards and only two rushing yards on 14 attempts against the Bruins.

After failing to get the offense going in Utah’s 21-7 loss to Oregon State, Johnson was benched.

Johnson was pulled early in the third quarter with a stat line of 3 of 11 for 35 yards and no points for the Utes, but would return to the game after Barnes was hit hard and sent to the hospital with what would later turn out to be bruised ribs. Johnson reentered the game in the fourth quarter, finishing 8 of 23 for 101 yards and a touchdown and 3 rushing yards.

The uninspiring play wasn’t all on the shoulders of Johnson. No one on offense was performing particularly well, from the quarterback to the running backs to the offensive line to the wide receivers.

Utah’s coaches felt change at the position was needed, going with Barnes for the next game against Cal, and Barnes has been the starter (when healthy) since.

After Rising’s announcement that he is returning to Utah for the 2024 season, it’s easy to understand why Johnson would want to move on. 2024 will be Johnson’s third season as a college football player. He’ll be a redshirt sophomore, and will want to be on the field.

With Johnson’s departure, injuries to Rising and Barnes, the intent to preserve Brandon Rose’s impending medical redshirt, and freshman Mack Howard not trusted to quarterback the Utes yet, Utah turned to senior walk-on Luke Bottari on Saturday.

Bottari, who transferred to Cal this May after one season at Utah, transferred back to Whittingham’s program during fall camp. He was 6 for 10 for 61 yards and added two rushing touchdowns in his first collegiate start.

Bottari and redshirt freshman Rose were the only two quarterbacks to dress for Saturday’s game.