Ron Chenoy – USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Whittingham has built the Utah Utes by recruiting hard-working players who stays out of trouble and apply themselves in the classroom. When a student-athlete can’t live up to those simple ideals, then Utah is no longer the place for that person to be playing football. Such is the case for junior wide receiver Quinton Pedroza who was dismissed from the team for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
Pedroza hadn’t made an impact in the offense in his first two seasons at Utah, having exactly zero catches, but he figured to be in the mix for a starting receiver job next fall along with an expanded role in the return game. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound receiver out of California looked to finally be on the verge of capitalizing on his potential in a more wide open Utah passing offense next fall, but was done in by off-field issues.
The Utes will power on without Pedroza just fine in 2013. Utah has a number of options at receiver that they will sort out in fall camp. The No. 1 receiver will be Dres Anderson who led the team in receiving last year with 36 receptions for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Kenneth Scott, who finished second on the team in receiving in 2012, is also back looking to build on his 32-catch, 360-yard, and 3-touchdown performance a year ago.
Behind them, junior Andre Lewis, seniors Anthony Denham and Sean Fitzgerald and redshirt freshman Brian Allen will jockey for position to find roles in the offense in 2013. While Pedroza could have been in that mix as well next fall, he will have to ply his trade elsewhere for next season.
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