The Utah Utes were a mainstay atop the Pac-12 under head coach Kyle Whittingham, but with the conference dissolving, they fled for greener pastures in the Big 12.
Is their high placement in the preseason AP Poll an indication of what’s to come, or will the Utes fall short of the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff?
Utah Utes Earn AP Top 25 Ranking: Is the CFB Playoff on the Table?
The Utes enter the year at No. 12 on the AP’s inaugural Top 25, their sixth straight year on the list. They were also voted to win the Big 12 in the conference’s preseason media poll earlier this summer, taking home the most first-place votes.
So clearly, Whittingham’s squad isn’t flying under the radar. The program won a conference championship in its first year in a new conference three times (Big Seven, 1938; Skylein, 1948; Mountain West, 1999), but none of those have come this century. Could 2024 be the first?
Utah landed at No. 10 on College Football Network’s power rankings of all 134 FBS teams after Week 0 — the highest among all Big 12 schools. Owning the third-easiest strength of schedule in the conference certainly helps, as the Utes’ most difficult matchups are late September league bouts at Oklahoma State and vs. Arizona.
With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams this season, making the dance will be easier than ever before. The five highest-ranked conference champions earn an automatic bid, with the top four receiving first-round byes. If the Utes have the year we expect them to, they should be one of those four.
Cam Rising, Brant Kuithe, and Dorian Singer Headline Utah Utes’ Notable Returners
For those who didn’t watch the Utes in 2021 and 2022 and only saw their 8-5 record last season, you may be wondering why they are the betting favorite to hoist the Big 12 crown. Take a seat at your desk and allow me to teach you.
Coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons, Utah entered 2023 as a favorite to hoist the Pac-12 title. However, a knee injury suffered in a Rose Bowl loss sidelined star QB Cameron Rising for the entire season. TE1 Brant Kuthie also suffered a serious knee injury in 2022 and missed the entire 2023 season.
Other players to go down to season-ending injuries included top receiver Mycah Pittman, top linebacker Lander Barton, RB Micah Bernard, and EDGE Logan Fano. At one point in the season, 27 Utes on the two-deep depth chart missed time due to injury.
Despite the onslaught, Utah limped its way to an 8-5 record and a Las Vegas Bowl appearance — that’s its floor in 2024.
In two seasons as a starter, Rising generated 4,741 yards, 39 TDs, and 11 INTs while adding nearly 800 yards and another 11 scores on the ground.
Of course, the question remains: What will Rising look like after a full year off from live football? The answer: Better than what Bryson Barnes provided last year.
With Rising under center in 2022, Utah finished 11th in points per drive scored. Last year, the Utes fell to 88th.
The supporting cast will keep Rising afloat as he knocks the rust off early on, with receiving back Micah Bernard and true junior Jaylon Glover returning to the backfield.
Glover is a breakout candidate in Sal Lake City after posting 585 yards and a pair of scores on 137 carries last season. On the outside, the Utes have arguably the most underrated WR corps in the conference.
Pittman and Money Parks are back, but all eyes are on transfers Dorian Singer (USC) and Damien Alford (Syracuse).
Singer was an all-conference performer for Arizona in 2022, taking 66 passes for 1,105 yards and six scores before falling down the depth chart in Southern California.
Meanwhile, Alford is fresh off an explosive 29-527-3 campaign with the Orange and is expected to maintain his big-play ability downfield.
MORE: Top College Quarterback Rankings 2024
Kuithe and Landen King headline one of the best TE groupings in the nation, and although the offensive line only returns two starters, the Utes are a factory up front.
While the offense draws the attention, the defense is the backbone of the program under Whittingham’s tutelage. Three-time all-conference EDGE Junior Tafuna is the leader of a defensive line returning all four starters, and Barton will vie for first-team All-Big 12 honors in a fully healthy season.
The secondary, often overlooked, is trending upward this season. Cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn, who has tallied 15 PBUs over the last two years, anchors the unit while returning safeties Nate Ritchie and Tao Johnson pair nicely with transfers Alaka’i Gilman and Rabbit Evans.
With defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley named the head coach-in-waiting, the unit has the talent and continuity to hinder high-octane offenses.
Who Are the Utes’ Biggest Threats in the Big 12?
Four other Big 12 teams made the AP Top 25: Oklahoma State (No. 17), Kansas State (No. 18), Arizona (No. 21), and Kansas (No. 22).
The Cowboys return nearly every starter after going 10-4, including reigning Doak Walker winner Ollie Gordon II, but the two Wildcats are the biggest threat in the conference.
Avery Johnson, DJ Giddens, and Dylan Edwards form a lethal trio in the backfield for K-State, and the defense is always formidable with HC Chris Klieman at the helm.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
The other Wildcats, led by QB Noah Fifita and WR Tetairoa McMillan, remain a contender even with HC Jedd Fisch leaving for the vacated Washington job. Still, Whittingham and Co. can’t let their eye off the ball against the likes of Colorado, Iowa State, or UCF in their final three games, and each team has the players to compete.
Although Oklahoma and Texas are not in the conference anymore, parity is at an all-time high.
As the Utes embark on their Big 12 debut, they’re not just aiming for a conference title — they’re eyeing a spot in the CFP.
With a deep roster, coaching continuity, the return of key playmakers, and a relatively light schedule, Utah is ready to prove they belong among the nation’s best.
Utah’s Game-By-Game Win Probabilities
- Utah (-31) vs. Southern Utah (Projection: W)
- Utah (-9.5) vs. Baylor (Projection: W)
- Utah (-16.5) @ Utah State (Projection: W)
- Utah (pick ’em) @ Oklahoma State (Projection: L)
- Utah (-1) vs. Arizona (Projection: W)
- Utah (-14) @ Arizona State (Projection: W)
- Utah (-9.5) vs. TCU (Projection: W)
- Utah (-7) @ Houston (Projection: W)
- Utah (-14) vs. BYU (Projection: W)
- Utah (-3.5) @ Colorado (Projection: W)
- Utah (-5.5) vs. Iowa State (Projection: W)
- Utah (-5) @ UCF (Projection: W)
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