Tweet
2024 RECAP
The trilogy ends with "The Bees Strike Back." A mini tour of reprisal in the playoffs ends without another crack at Columbus or Dakota, but with a hard-fought ring for aforementioned first MP draft pick, Tyrus Hutton. Good days. 
And now, a look back at the season.
And now, a look back at the season.Losses & Additions
The Bees parted ways with 2023 starting guard and '22 first round pick Cedric Rodgers, and effectively redshirted all of its '24 draftees. The most significant addition was linebacker Hardy Eicholz, who provided depth at multiple positions and played some special teams.
Other guys were brought on at various points in the year due to injury -- TE Nolan Moore, CB Martin Ingram, OG Greg Bell, CB Alan Broughton (the latter two for the bowl game only). Not a lot of snaps for these guys, and the only other addition was 3rd-string QB Eddie Branch.
Largely, this was the 2023 squad making another run at it. Came together beautifully.
Stars of the Show
The usual suspects. Randy recovered nicely from a struggle-filled 2023 campaign to lead the league in YPA. He reached a career high count for picks with 15, but this coincided with a dramatic shift in the Utah offense, which opened up the passing game like never before. We went away from the short game that had been our bedrock and started to let Randy really sling it downfield, to great effect.
Foley, a stud as usual, and this time Colin Fletcher stepped up late in the year to provide a truly dangerous complement. TE Mario Bradford had a nice second year of starting and is growing into his role. We were worried about the TE position last offseason, and now we have some peace of mind.
Giang, needless to say, with his 1596 yards, 14TDs, and 5.02 ypc in fifteen starts, is the team MVP for the second year running.
Defensively, for the most part, we took a step back from the dominant 2023 performances many of the players had. However, Stephen Easton had his best season yet as a punt returner, helping Utah lead the league in that category for the third year running.
And also in special teams, 2nd-year punter Eugene Compton put up an outstanding show, with 31 inside-the-20's out of just 73 punts. That was the regular season. He followed it up with 13-for-21 in the playoffs! 3/4 in the divisionals, 5/7 in the CCG, and 4/5 in the bowl.
Breakout players
A number of backup players have emerged to solidify their status in the depth chart. After a year of sitting, Super Mario Evanswhite (FB2) earned an active spot in every game this season, accumulating nearly 300 plays on the field.
At receiver, 2023 2nd round pick Ray Mansker has stepped up and filled the 4th WR slot effectively in Utah for the first time since 2022, when current KR specialist Brock Rosalez had a nice season of production there. Mansker is showing signs in year 2 of some really dangerous potential.
This was a real breakout year for 2nd-year guard Mo Giles, another '23 2nd rounder who replaced Cedric Rodgers and made him a distant memory. Along with Geoff Keisel, Utah's OL unit turned in one of its finest performances in years. Gene Sinclair, in his fourth season in the pros, also emerged as a backup tackle option, earning an active roster spot in every game for the first time in his career.
On defense, Stephen Easton proved his worth as a true third corner. He turned in a solid performance on the season with eight starts and significant playing time - and that was before a 3-INT postseason.
We also saw Dan Harper, that ILB we gave up the bank for, as a fulltime starter for the first time in his three seasons, and a fairly meteoric rise for 2021 3rd round defensive end Junior Bello. Bello looks like the future at the DE position, although veteran Robbie Kerr managed to hold him off enough for this year.
Lastly, we would be remiss if we didn't mention Lance Morris, who spent a lot of time filling in for Brent Driscoll in 2023, but has continued to improve over the past year and is really looking like he's poised to become Utah's next starting free safety. Chester Foster had a very successful season, playoff, and bowl game, but he's entering year 9 and the 4th-year Morris is beginning to mount a strong challenge.
season recap:
Overall
The Bees got a lot older this year, with a small influx of rookies and heavy reliance on veterans. With the nasty second ACL tear to on-his-way-out tackle Tyrus Hutton, it looks like the Bees are headed for a real transition phase, especially on the O-line.
Critical juncture now, to balance the old and the new going forward. We have unrestricted free agents here in Utah, sort of a new sight...
On to 2025!
Comment