Utah Football: Top 5 spring 2019 breakout candidates

Could Utah football be in contention for a Pac-12 title yet again in 2019? It all starts with a strong spring, but who’ll break out for the Utes?

How can you not respect what Kyle Whittingham has done for Utah football? The veteran head coach has turned a seemingly average Pac-12 program into one of the best the league has to offer.

The Utes finished the 2018 season with nine wins and even made the conference title game but couldn’t seem to close out the year on a high note, going 3-3 in their final six games, including Pac-12 Championship and Holiday Bowl losses.

Utah still has high expectations for 2019 with Tyler Huntley returning to full health and Zack Moss, too, which means that guys who were forced into starting roles last season now have experience and add depth to the Utes’ roster. This spring could tell us a lot about this budding team.

Who could break out for the Utes this spring?

Heading into his final season with Utah, Francis Bernard showed flashes of brilliance last year and has set up a senior campaign with major expectations.

Chase Hansen has graduated which means that Bernard will get an opportunity to start on the Utes’ improving defense. It’s not going to be easy to replace a guy who finished with 114 tackles, which was second on the team, but Bernard can be just that.

The soon-to-be senior had 38 tackles, five tackles for loss and an interception in 2018 and he is the most experienced linebacker returning.

The Utes have to feel lucky to have a guy like Bernard to replace Hansen — a luxury that not many teams would have. Usually breakout candidates are underclassmen, but Bernard is a special case.