Utah was seriously shorthanded in the skill position department last weekend in its win over Arizona, so the Utes turned to a freshman quarterback with some speed to burn. Nate Johnson, a 4-star recruit from the 2022 class, made his collegiate debut and ran for two touchdowns.

“Just looking for a way to provide some more creative ways to provide a spark, and he sure did that,” coach Kyle Whittingham said after the game. “You saw how fast he is. He is the fastest kid on the team. You saw what he did on the track when he was in high school. He’s got blazing speed, and I think you saw that manifest tonight.”

Whittingham called the Johnson package a brainchild of offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig. The Utes could keep it implemented in the gameplan for each of the final three games of the regular season and still preserve a redshirt year for the young thrower. Ludwig said they’ll be smart with how they deploy Johnson.

“You always wonder when you put a freshman in there for the first time in Game 9,” Ludwig said this week. “He responded well. The lights weren’t too bright for him. He’s a dynamic player and we look for that package to continue to grow.

“It’ll be a balancing act through the remainder of the season, there’s no doubt — picking and choosing the games or the spots in which we use him. I know one thing, we’ve got to make them count. We’ve got to make those reps count.”

Whittingham revealed Monday the red zone package for Johnson was put in earlier this season for a game but it wasn’t used.

He said they believe Johnson has a high ceiling and a bright future in the program, but when it comes to future usage, it’s still “really early to make that determination.” Utah could have as many as five games remaining on the schedule. Johnson can play in three of them.

“You try to put the young man in a position for success, knowing his limited experience right now in college and drawing on some things he’s done in high school and has some confidence in,” Ludwig said. “He responded very well to that. I look for that to grow, with the P.S. knowing that we’ve got several games remaining and he’s got three games left before he can’t play anymore (or) burn a redshirt.”

For his part, Johnson feels like he’ll be ready when called upon, as he was last Saturday.

“I feel like (my confidence) can grow a lot,” he said. “Especially with the guys we have on this team, they pump me up every day. They’re always telling me to stay ready. So I’ve always stayed ready. They give me a big confidence boost.”

Johnson was a top-250 recruit in the 2022 cycle. He was highly regarded as a prospect, and the excitement over what he can develop into at Utah is obviously high. He has the benefit of being able to sit and learn from starter Cameron Rising, who he says has been a huge help.

“Right now,” Whittingham said, “we like his trajectory.”

We’ll see if there’s more opportunity for Johnson to be involved on Saturday against Stanford. The Utes had each of their top four running backs available for the Arizona game and ran for 313 yards (adjusted for sacks) as a team. Dalton Kincaid missed the game, but sounds determined to take the field for what will be Senior Night at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT on ESPN.