Who’s Coming, Who’s Going, and What to Expect for the 2023 Utah Utes

While it was disappointing to see the Utes lose to the Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl, you have to wonder what could have been had Cam Rising not gone down with that game-changing injury in the 3rd quarter.

Thankfully, as of right now, it’s looking like Utah will return most of its talent from this season’s roster. This means that we might get to see what could have been, but perhaps even better, in 2023.

Here is a closer, in-depth look of what next year’s Ute squad is shaping up to look like.

Spoiler alert: this team is gonna be stacked!

Key Losses

CB Clark Phillips III – Phillips finished the season as a consensus All-American. He basically shut down a fourth of the field every game, and if opposing QB’s tested him, he made them pay (6 INT’s, 3rd best in the country). He was the definition of a lockdown CB, and he’ll be difficult to replace.
TE Dalton Kincaid – When Brant Kuithe went down early in the season, Kincaid was leaned on heavily, perhaps even too much, and he was a critical piece to the Utes air attack. He led the team in receptions (70), receiving yards (890), and receiving touchdowns (8). But it wasn’t just receiving that made him valuable. He was also a solid blocker and smart route runner. Those skills were sorely missed in the Rose Bowl.
RB Tavion Thomas – You have to wonder what could have been with Thomas. Incredibly, despite only receiving double-digit carries in seven games, Thomas still finished as the season leader in rushes and rushing yards. Expectations were high following his 1,108 yard, 21 touchdown 2021 campaign, and sometimes, personal issues get in the way of performance.
RB Micah Bernard – The do-it-all back for the Utes finished the year with 533 yards rushing and 314 yards receiving, proving to be a valuable gadget back for Utah. Today, he entered the transfer portal, seeking a fresh start. His versatility and experience will be missed.
WR Solomon Enis – You might look at the career receiving stats of Enis and wonder why he is included in this list. Yes, he only finished with 794 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns in his 5-year career with the Utes, but what his stats don’t show is the innumerable blocks that he made on the outside to create holes for the running game. He’s been a fixture at receiver for Utah for half a decade, and it will be interesting to see who will be as willing as he has been to make those key blocks in the future.
WR Jaylen Dixon – Following the graduation of Britain Covey last season, the Utes needed someone to fill in as a gadget player, particularly in jet sweep packages. Dixon filled in admirably, rushing for 118 yards and 4 touchdowns, while also catching 33 passes for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. Did anyone have a quieter 7 touchdowns in a season?
LB Mohamoud Diabate – There may not have been tougher shoes to fill than those of Devin Lloyd, but the Florida transfer did a solid job, especially with only one year in the program. He finished 4th on the team in tackles, forced a fumble, and had a career-high 5 sacks.
DE Gabe Reid – If you had to guess who led the team in sacks, Gabe Reid probably wasn’t the first name to pop into your mind. A part of that is due to Van Fillinger only playing six games, but it still shows how valuable the Stanford transfer was to Utah this season.
FB/TE Logan Kendall – Having only played in one season for Utah, the Idaho transfer may be forgotten in a few years, but I bet if you talk to Micah Bernard, Jaylon Glover, and Ja’Quinden Jackson, they’ll let you know how much they enjoyed having Kendall blow up defenders while clearing a huge hole for them.
C Paul Maile – Maile had been with Utah since 2018, and began starting games at center in 2021. He started 11 games last season for the Utes, but he has decided to move on for his final season.
WR Coach Chad Bumphis – Bumphis just announced today that he would be leaving the program. He was instrumental in the development of DeVaughn Vele, Money Parks, and Makai Cope, and he was a great recruiter. His presence will be missed.

Waiting For an Official Decision

OL Braeden Daniels – It’s never easy to replace a first-team, All Pac-12 offensive lineman. Daniels is solid in pass protect and was able to play just about anywhere on the line. He’s said he will likely enter the NFL draft, but he hasn’t officially declared yet. Whoever is the Utes 2023 opening day starting quarterback, they’re going to miss his protection if he decides to go.
SS RJ Hubert – While he had a few miscues in the Rose Bowl, Hubert had a great season for the Utes in 2022 after returning from an ACL injury. He finished second on the team in tackles with 78, and also had 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. He committed to Utah all the way back in 2016, served a mission, and then played since 2018. To put it into perspective, Covey started with the Utes in 2015. So, Hubert is this year’s Covey, in that it feels like he’s been on the team forever.

Impact Newcomers to Watch For

S Nate Richie – You haven’t forgotten about Nate Richie, have you? True, we only received a glimpse of him in five games in a strange 2020 season, but his presence should provide a spark in the Utes secondary in 2023. Richie will return from his mission this Spring, and will compete right away to regain a starting position.
LB Levani Damuni – As it was with Diabate for Lloyd, the Utes will once again need a player with solid starting experience to man the middle of the defense, and Damuni should be the perfect fit. Over the course of the 2022 season, Damuni led Stanford in tackles, had a sack, an interception, and two forced fumbles.
CB Miles Battle – It’s nearly impossible to replace a fixture like Phillips, but securing the commitment of the former Ole Miss starting CB was a huge accomplishment for Utah. Battle will bring something to the Utes corners that hasn’t existed for a while, size. He is 6’4″, and he doesn’t allow big plays. My prediction is that Battle will be in a three-man rotation with Broughton and Vaughn to start the year.
DE Logan Fano – Fano was heavily recruited two years ago by some of the nation’s top programs, like Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah, and Washington, but he ultimately decided to join BYU. Unfortunately, after showing massive potential in spring practices, he tore his ACL, ending his season before it began. Following the commitment of his brother Spencer, Logan committed to transfer to Utah. Depending on how he will play following his recovery, Fano should slide right in where Gabe Reid left off.
OT Spencer Fano – Spencer Fano was the jewel of the most recent signing class for the Utes. As a high four-star offensive tackle, Fano passed up other top programs like Clemson, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, and USC to play for Utah. The local product will be enrolling early and should compete immediately for the opening on the offensive line left behind by Daniels if he enters the NFL draft.
LB Sione Fotu – Like Ritchie, Fotu was another outstanding freshman that started games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He will also be returning from his mission, and should be able to jump right back into the outside linebacker rotation.
WR Mikey Matthews – When Matthews committed to the Utes, it was exciting news. However, that excitement has skyrocketed with his recent success at the Under Armour All-America Game week of practices amongst some of the nation’s best high school athletes. Matthews will also be enrolling early, so he’ll be at spring practices, which should give him an opportunity to compete right away for the reps left behind by Enis and Dixon, and Vele if he chooses to go.
CB CJ Blocker – With the departure of Phillips, the Utes will need as much talent as possible to compete to replace him. Blocker is a 4-star recruit out of Texas with a ton of speed that turned down Alabama, USC, and Florida State to come to Salt Lake City to be the next great Ute corner.
CB Smith Snowden – Like Blocker, Snowden is another speedy 4-star addition from this most recent high school signing class. Snowden has the versatility to play nickelback as well as cornerback, and he should have an opportunity to compete for reps in the secondary right away.
RB Dijon Stanley – Guess what? The Utes love stockpiling players with speed. The L.A. Times Prep Player of the Year is not only an unbelievable running back, but also a track champion. As a senior, he rushed for 2,756 yards and 33 touchdowns. He should be an immediate help to the Utes rushing offense, especially with Bernard hitting the portal.
K Cole Becker – Colorado’s starting kicker in 2021, Becker decided to transfer to the Utes with the new coaching regime coming in for the Buffaloes. He will be particularly valuable in kickoffs, where he had about 66% of his kicks go for touchbacks last season. In two seasons with Colorado, Becker was virtually automatic from within 39 yards, hitting 15 of 16 field goals in that range. He also has a cannon for a leg. In fact, his career-long field goal is 56 yards, which he kicked against Utah in 2021.

Key Returning Players

QB Cam Rising – It’s hard to believe that Rising has only played one full season as the Utes starting quarterback, and it will be nice to have him back in 2023, especially with so many other Pac-12 teams returning experienced quarterbacks. There still hasn’t been any word on how long he’ll be out with his injury, but having him in any capacity is a plus for Utah.
TE Thomas Yassmin – With injuries to both Kuithe and Kincaid, Yassmin finally got his opportunity to play after joining the team as a former rugby star in 2018. He has some trouble with dropping passes, but when he does make the catch, he runs like a rugby player and he is difficult to bring down. He only had 13 catches this season, but he finished with 6 touchdowns and averaged 23.2 yards per catch. He’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
WR Devaughn Vele – Vele was one of the big surprises that was recognized during senior night, however, on the same day that Rising, Yassmin, and Kuithe announced their return, Vele did as well. The former walk-on was the #1 outside threat and was second on the team with 695 yards receiving.
TE Brant Kuithe – The 2022 season was supposed to be the year that Kuithe refined his skills and put up massive numbers that would not only help the Utes have a special season, but also help Kuithe’s NFL draft stock. After a terrific start to the season, in which Kuithe scored a touchdown in the first three games, he went down with a season-ending injury in the fourth game against Arizona State. He can play one more season due to medical hardships, and if he can stay healthy, he could approach 1,000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in the role that Kincaid played last season.
WR Money Parks – Even with Vele returning, Parks will have a much larger role following the departures of Dixon and Enis. Parks was third on the team in receiving with 414 yards, and the Utes will need him to take yet another step forward.
RB Ja’Quinden Jackson – Jackson has had an incredible story. With the Utes down several running backs, Jackson willingly tried out converting from QB to RB and it worked out incredibly well. As the season went on, he showed how electric he can be carrying the football. Although he never had more than 13 carries in a game, he still finished with 531 yards rushing and 9 touchdowns. What will happen when he has a full offseason to prepare as a running back? 2023 could be a huge year for Jackson.
Offensive Line – The Utes will return 3 offensive line starters, including PAC-12 All-Conference RT Sataoa Laumea, LG Keaton Bills, and RG Michael Mokofisi. The Utes also have depth with RT Jaren Kump (11 starts), C Johnny Maea (1 start), and Falcon Kaumatule also returning. It’s likely that Kump will fill in the vacancy that will likely be left by Daniels, and Maea started one game in place of Maile last season, so the full front five will have significant starting experience.
FS Cole Bishop – Bishop led the team with 83 tackles, and he was a consistent force in the secondary. With the potential exit of Hubert, having a two-year starter return is critical.
CB Zemaiah Vaughn – With the departure of Phillips, Vaughn will be needed to take the next step in becoming a lockdown corner. He made strong improvements over the course of the season, and proven to be a reliable force in the defensive backfield.
LB Lander Barton – Barton lived up to the hype in his freshman season, finishing with 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He was named the PAC-12 defensive freshman of the year. It will be exciting to see how much further he can progress.
LB Karene Reid – Reid has been a bit of an unsung hero for the Utes as well. He finished with 5 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. He was also third on the team with 72 tackles. The trio of Damuni, Barton, and Reid should wreak havoc on opposing PAC-12 offenses.
DT Simote Pepa – Once Pepa got in shape, he was an absolute force on the defensive line. The man is huge, but he moves quickly. He is essential to plugging rushing lanes, and he also brought plenty of pressure on the quarterback, finishing the year with 4 sacks.
DT Junior Tafuna – The 2021 PAC-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year may not have made as big of a jump in 2022 as some may have expected, but he still made the 2022 Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team while starting in all 13 games. He and Pepa are only going to get better.
The 4 Defensive Ends – The Utes were fortunate to be able to rotate four high-quality defensive ends this season, and they’re all coming back in 2023. Van Fillinger went down with a season-ending injury early in the year, but he still finished with 5 sacks. Converted WR Connor O’ Toole got better as the season progressed, and Jonah Elliss and Miki Sugutuaga were solid as well.

Final Thoughts

It’s important to recognize that there will be some unexpected transfers that are likely listed above. However, along with that, the Utes will also continue to add talent through the transfer portal.

With that said, if Rising is able to come back healthy by the start of the season, this team will be able to compete for a Rose Bowl once again, and even have a legitimate shot at the playoff.

Even with the brutal upcoming schedule for Utah, they should be competitive in every game because this defense will be tough! Every expected starter on defense will have starting experience. With Vele, Kuithe, Yassmin, and Rising all returning, the offense will also have every player with starting experience.

That’s something VERY exciting to look forward to.

Updated 1/13/23