Utah Utes
Big 12
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #8
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- 22.2 (#8)
- SP+ Offense
- 39.7
- SP+ Defense
- 17.5
- SRS
- 21.3
- FPI
- 20.1
- Elo
- 1976
- Talent
- 708
- Recruiting
- 227 (#27)
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
9.6p10 8.0 — p90 11.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 28.0% | |
| Make CFP | 70.8% | |
| Quarterfinal | 53.3% | |
| Semifinal | 23.9% | |
| Natl. final | 10.0% | |
| Natl. champ | 3.5% |
Schedule
proj record 9.7–2.3
Schedule
50th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
30th
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
64th
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsIdaho | FCS | 50-3* | +47.1 | 100% | — |
| 2 | vsArkansas | +5.1 | 37-22 | +14.6 | 81% | — |
| 3 | vsUtah State | -3.1 | 40-18 | +22.3 | 91% | — |
| 4 | @Iowa State | +9.9 | 35-22 | +13.1 | 79% | — |
| 6 | vsKansas | +4.1 | 35-23 | +12.0 | 77% | — |
| 7 | @Colorado | -8.3 | 40-17 | +22.4 | 91% | — |
| 8 | vsHouston | +7.4 | 32-21 | +10.2 | 73% | — |
| 9 | @Cincinnati | +4.5 | 35-21 | +14.4 | 81% | — |
| 10 | vsBYU | +15.9 | 32-23 | +9.2 | 71% | — |
| 11 | @Arizona | +12 | 30-25 | +5.0 | 62% | — |
| 12 | @TCU | +8.3 | 31-21 | +10.1 | 73% | — |
| 13 | vsWest Virginia | -6.8 | 39-14 | +25.1 | 94% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 3
2026 · 62
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Devon Dampier | JR | 5'11" | 204 | ★★★ |
| QB | 2nd | Byrd Ficklin | FR | 6'1" | 181 | — |
| QB | 3rd | Brandon Rose← Massachusetts | JR | 6'2" | 212 | ★★★ |
Running Backs · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Wayshawn Parker | SO | 5'10" | 206 | ★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Steve Chavez-Soto← San José State | FR | 6'0" | 205 | ★★★ |
| RB | 3rd | Daniel Bray | FR | 5'10" | 171 | — |
| RB | 4th | NaQuari Rogers | SR | 5'10" | 205 | ★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Bryce Duke | SR | 6'0" | 210 | — |
| RB | 6th | Omar Shah | SO | 5'9" | 203 | — |
Wide Receivers · 11
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Braden Pegan← Utah State | JR | 6'3" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | Kyri Shoels← San José State | JR | 6'0" | 182 | ★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Ryan Davis | SR | 5'11" | 181 | — |
| WR | 4th | Larry Simmons | JR | 6'1" | 190 | — |
| WR | 5th | Nate Johnson | JR | 6'1" | 202 | ★★★ |
| WR | 6th | Mana Carvalho | FR | 5'9" | 153 | ★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Rayshawn Glover | JR | 5'8" | 163 | — |
| WR | 8th | Tobias Merriweather | JR | 6'5" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 9th | Creed Whittemore | SO | 5'11" | 175 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 10th | Luca Caldarella | SR | 6'4" | 199 | — |
| WR | 11th | Ricky Johnson← Mississippi State | FR | 6'2" | 185 | ★★★ |
Tight Ends · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Hunter Andrews | FR | 6'3" | 235 | ★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Will Monney← Oklahoma State | JR | 6'4" | 230 | ★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Otto Tia | SR | 6'4" | 220 | ★★★ |
| TE | — | Noah Bennee← Weber State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 1
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OT | — | Cedric Jefferson← Montana State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | 1st | Logan Fano | JR | 6'5" | 249 | ★★★★ |
| DE | 2nd | Kash Dillon | FR | 6'5" | 241 | — |
| DE | 3rd | Lance Holtzclaw | JR | 6'3" | 227 | — |
| DE | 4th | Paul Fitzgerald | JR | 6'4" | 251 | ★★★ |
| DL | 1st | Ethan Day← North Texas | SO | 6'4" | 250 | ★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | Jireh Moe← San José State | FR | 6'0" | 280 | ★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Lucas Samsula← Wyoming | SO | 6'4" | 305 | ★★★ |
| DL | 4th | Jamal Wallace← Tennessee | JR | 6'3" | 313 | ★★★ |
| DT | 1st | Jonah Lea'ea | SO | 6'5" | 271 | — |
| DT | 2nd | Aliki Vimahi | SR | 6'4" | 296 | — |
| DT | 3rd | Pupu Sepulona | FR | 6'2" | 274 | ★★★ |
| DT | 4th | Karson Kaufusi | FR | 6'6" | 286 | ★★★ |
| DT | 5th | Mike Tauteoli | SO | 6'4" | 297 | — |
| DT | 6th | Semi Taulanga | FR | 5'11" | 336 | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 9
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Johnathan Hall | JR | 6'1" | 230 | ★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Lander Barton | SR | 6'5" | 236 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Levani Damuni | SR | 6'3" | 246 | — |
| LB | 4th | Trey Reynolds | JR | 6'1" | 226 | — |
| LB | 5th | Elijah Elliss | FR | 6'2" | 220 | ★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Cyrus Polu | FR | 6'1" | 218 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 7th | Moroni Anae | SR | 6'2" | 224 | — |
| LB | 8th | Mateaki Helu | FR | 6'1" | 208 | — |
| LB | 9th | Kana'i Lopes | FR | 6'3" | 220 | — |
Defensive Backs · 12
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Elijah Reed← Akron | JR | 6'3" | 190 | ★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | James Chenault← South Florida | SO | 6'0" | 180 | ★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Elijah Davis | JR | 6'0" | 182 | — |
| CB | 4th | Blake Cotton | SR | 6'2" | 190 | — |
| CB | 5th | Rock Caldwell | JR | 6'3" | 172 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 6th | JC Hart | SO | 6'2" | 199 | ★★★ |
| CB | — | Nick Brown← Lamar | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| S | 1st | Jackson Bennee | SO | 6'2" | 189 | — |
| S | 2nd | Nate Ritchie | JR | 6'2" | 206 | ★★★★ |
| S | 3rd | Nate Tilmon | FR | 6'1" | 186 | ★★★ |
| S | 4th | Brock Fonoimoana | FR | 6'1" | 191 | — |
| S | — | Marcus Wimberly← Oklahoma | FR | 6'1" | 193 | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 2
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 1st | Orion Phillips | SO | 6'3" | 168 | — |
| PK | 1st | Dillon Curtis | FR | 6'2" | 187 | ★★★ |
Projected Season
2026 · win prob / game
Exp. Wins
9.7
Exp. Losses
2.3
Toss-ups
0
bars: model win probabilityfav / toss-up / dog
2025 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
39.796
Off PPA
+0.3599
Pass PPA
+0.3782
Rush PPA
+0.35100
Success
50%96
Explosive
1.2557
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Advanced
2025 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.35 | +0.07 |
| Passing | +0.37 | -0.03 |
| Rushing | +0.35 | +0.20 |
| 1st Down | +0.11 | -0.03 |
| 2nd Down | +0.32 | +0.00 |
| 3rd Down | +0.89 | +0.36 |
Scoring Trend
2025 · pts/game
PPG For
41.1
PPG Against
18.7
Differential
+22.4
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / L2025
- Overall
- 10-2
- Home
- 5-1
- Away
- 5-1
- Conference
- 7-2
- Non-Conference
- 3-0
- One-Score (≤8)
- 1-1
- Avg Margin
- +22.4
Situational Splits
2025 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 5-1 | 44.0 | 20.2 |
| Away | 5-1 | 38.2 | 17.2 |
| Neutral | 1-0 | 44.0 | 22.0 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 0-2 | 15.5 | 29.0 |
| Conference | 7-2 | 39.6 | 22.1 |
| Non-conference | 4-0 | 45.3 | 11.8 |
Season History · last 12
4 AP top-10 · 10 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10-2 | 7-2 | #8 | #13 | 1-0 |
| 2024 | 5-7 | 2-7 | #40 | #10 | — |
| 2023 | 8-4 | 5-4 | #32 | #10 | 0-1 |
| 2022 | 10-3 | 8-2 | #10 | #7 | 0-1 |
| 2021 | 10-3 | 9-1 | #16 | #10 | 0-1 |
| 2020 | 3-2 | 3-2 | #23 | — | — |
| 2019 | 11-2 | 8-2 | #12 | — | 0-1 |
| 2018 | 9-4 | 6-4 | #17 | — | 0-1 |
| 2017 | 6-6 | 3-6 | #25 | — | 1-0 |
| 2016 | 8-4 | 5-4 | #35 | — | 1-0 |
| 2015 | 9-3 | 6-3 | #35 | — | 1-0 |
| 2014 | 8-4 | 5-4 | #38 | — | 1-0 |
Recent Form · last 5
5-0 SU · 2-1 ATS · O3/U1
Betting Profile
2025 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 11-2 |
| ATS | 8-3-173% |
| Over / Under | 8-4 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 8-3 |
| As underdog | 0-0 |
| Home | 4-2 |
| Away | 4-1 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
Recruiting Classes
avg #36 · 30 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★131 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #27 | 227 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| 2025 | #40 | 208 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 2024 | #59 | 185 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 2023 | #20 | 236 | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| 2022 | #34 | 210 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2021 | #33 | 203 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 2020 | #29 | 212 | 0 | 4 | 13 |
| 2019 | #42 | 197 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| 2018 | #33 | 210 | 0 | 2 | 19 |
| 2017 | #33 | 206 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 17net -3Out 20
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.1 / 3.2
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Braden Pegan | WR | 4★ | ← Utah State |
| ▲ | Steve Chavez-Soto | RB | 3★ | ← San José State |
| ▲ | Ethan Day | DL | 3★ | ← North Texas |
| ▲ | James Chenault | CB | 3★ | ← South Florida |
| ▼ | JJ Buchanan | WR | 4★ | → Michigan |
| ▼ | John Henry Daley | EDGE | 4★ | → Michigan |
| ▼ | Smith Snowden | CB | 4★ | → Michigan |
| ▼ | Salesi Moa | CB | 4★ | → Michigan |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- 10 Utah football players named to East-West Shrine Bowl top 1000Pro scouts are eyeing Salt Lake City as Devon Dampier and a loaded Utes roster headline the prestigious watch list, signaling a powerhouse era under Morgan Scalley.
- Utah football is spending nearly $1.5 million for three non-conference home gamesThe Utes are securing a month-long home stand to launch the Morgan Scalley era, paying hefty premiums to host Idaho, Utah State, and a disgruntled Arkansas squad.UTAH1d
- Utah is a 'staple for college football success,' says USA TODAY Sports writerAs Morgan Scalley takes the reins from Kyle Whittingham, the Utes look to blend a storied physical identity with a fresh vision for Big 12 dominance.UTAH4d
- ‘I’ve never had an injury like that’: Now healthy, what will Devon Dampier do for an encore?After dealing with a sports hernia and ankle injury last season, Dampier is ready to show the college football world what he can do when healthy.
- Michigan DE John Henry Daley’s path to Michigan, outlook for 2026Could Michigan’s John Henry Daley be the best pass rusher in the Big Ten?
- Utah Utes Head Coach Has Intriguing Idea To Fix Bowl Games And It Makes SenseCollege football bowl games used to be iconic, as teams wanted to play in one of the New Year's Six bowls. When the BCS National Championship was just two teams - and even when the playoffs expanded to four teams - bowl games were everything. Players played in them, regardless of whether they were ...UTAH5d
- Utah football snubbed from top three in Big 12 preseason media pollDespite an 11-2 season, media skeptics rank the Utes fifth as Texas Tech emerges as the conference favorite. Utah now aims to prove pollsters wrong behind a favorable schedule.UTAH5d
- The 2 biggest things Wayshawn Parker has improved ahead of 2026 seasonHere’s what Morgan Scalley and Devon Dampier said about the improvements to Utah RB’s game.
- Utah Football Preview 2026: Can Morgan Scalley Finally Get the Utes to the Playoff?The expectations are massive for Morgan Scalley, as he takes over for Kyle Whittingham and tries to take the Utes to the College Football Playoff.UTAH7d
- Michigan football has nation's top edge rusher in John Henry DaleyMichigan football has the nation's top returning DE in John Henry Daley, a top-rated edge rusher expected to boost the Wolverines defense.
- Utah's Morgan Scalley wants to save bowl games, fix the calendarUtah coach Morgan Scalley wants to see college football's bowl games preserved while moving up the sport's calendar. He's got support from a rival.UTAH7d
- Watch: 6 things Mark Harlan said about Utah athletics and its future that fans should knowUtes athletic director spoke with reporters at Big 12 media days and covered a variety of topics.UTAH9d
- ‘The respect we have for each other and our programs should lead the way’: Morgan Scalley, Kalani Sitake talk turning down Utah-BYU rivalry temperatureWhile there’s always going to be extremes on both sides, Sitake and Scalley aim to lead by example.UTAH11d
- Utah football news: Morgan Scalley vows to end trend that’s persisted since Alex Smith draftMorgan Scalley knows that the quarterback position has hurt Utah in recent years, and he's looking to change that.UTAH12d
- Neither Hogs, Utes Have Much Incentive To Pull Out Stops in Week OneArkansas, Utah won't have much tape to off of ahead of Week 2 contestUTAH12d
- Storylines to follow as Morgan Scalley, Utes take Big 12 media day stageNew Utah head coach Morgan Scalley will be on hand for his first appearance at the annual meeting, along with quarterback Devon Dampier, running back Wayshawn Parker, linebacker Johnathan Hall and defensive end Lance Holtzclaw.UTAH12d
- Watch: 5 things BYU’s Kalani Sitake said at Big 12 media days, from CFP expansion to the Utah rivalryThe Cougars face heightened expectations going into the 2026 season.UTAH13d
- Former Utah safety strengthens UCLA's defensive back roomThe Utah Utes four-year veteran, Tao Johnson joins UCLA's defensive backfield to strength one of UCLA's strongest position groups.
- Utah Football: 2026 Utes Season Preview and PredictionAthlon Sports previews Utah's 2026 season and where coach Morgan Scalley's team projects in the Big 12.UTAH14d
- Can Noah Bennee make his mark among new-look Utah tight end room?With Utah needing tight end help in the transfer portal, the timing made sense for a Bennee return to Salt Lake City.