The Utah Utes 22 Forever Spring Game, April 22, 2023
The Utah Utes football team has everything going for them in 2023. They have elite coaching. They have an enormous amount of star power returning from last season. They have added key pieces from the transfer portal to shore up their depth. Everything seems to be lining up for the Utes to have a special season.
Utah will kick off the season tomorrow night against the Florida Gators, marking the first time an SEC team has entered Rice-Eccles Stadium. Beyond that game, the #14 Utes will likely face its toughest schedule in school history, with games against four ranked teams at the start of the season, including Oregon State, USC, Oregon, and Washington. UCLA, Florida, and Baylor also received votes for the AP Poll.
In other words, for Utah to have a special season, they’re going to need to have its best team in school history, and this just might be that season.
What Makes This Utes Team So Special?
The Offense
This team has all the makings of a championship squad. It has playmakers on offense, with QB Cam Rising (who will play most of the season, perhaps even tomorrow night) leading the way, this offense should eclipse last year’s average of 38.6 points per game.
The running game will be explosive. RB Ja’Quinden Jackson has had a full offseason to prepare himself to lead the backfield after switching over from quarterback last season, and the early reports and impressive spring game performance indicate that Jackson will be a major problem for opposing defenses. Look out, he’s not just an elite runner, it turns out he’s a pretty solid receiver, too.
However, what makes this Utah team so special is the insane depth throughout the depth chart. Jackson will be outstanding, but the Utes will also have Micah Bernard, Jaylon Glover, and Chris Curry returning, as well as several capable freshmen.
At receiver, Utah will have an impressive group of weapons available to Rising. DeVaughn Vele, Money Parks, and Makai Cope are all returning, and the Utes have also added Indiana’s Emery Simmons and Florida State’s Mycah Pittman to the mix. Beyond that, incoming freshman and early enrollee Mickey Matthews is already proving to be a threat.
Utah just saw a tight end get drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean the cupboard is empty. Quite the opposite. Brant Kuithe is close to a return, and the Australian Rumbler Thomas Yassmin will return as well. If that’s not enough to put fear into opposing defenses, the Utes also added Auburn’s Landen King from the transfer portal, and brought over Miki Suguturaga from DE to fill the “pain inflictor” role left behind by Logan Kendall.
At quarterback, Rising will be returning for his second full season as Utes starting signal caller, but will now have more depth behind him than ever before. Prior to his injury in fall camp, Brandon Rose looked fantastic throughout spring practices and the spring game. With the added reps following the injury to Rose, Nate Johnson has turned the corner and is expected to be a part of the game plan tomorrow night. They’ll also have the always-reliable Bryson Barnes back for another season.
Finally, the offensive line might be the best of all the groups on the offense, and that’s saying something. Head coach Kyle Whittingham reported during spring practices that they already have 10 reliable guys they can count on in the trenches this season. RG Sataoa Laumea might be the best of the bunch, and in the Pac-12 for that matter, and a future NFL first-round pick.
Three of the four other likely starters all have starting experience, including Keaton Bills, Johnny Maea, and Micheal Mokofisi. The other expected starter, true freshman Spencer Fano, wowed the coaching staff in fall practices and beat out other solid rotation players with previous starts. Beyond that group, Falcon Kaumatule, Alex Harrison, Jaren Kump, Tanoa Togiai, and Kolinu’u Faaiu should all get plenty of time on the field as well.
The Defense
If the offense sounded good, wait until you hear about this defense. This defense, which led the PAC-12 in 2022 in points allowed (20.4) rushing yards allowed (107 ypg), and was second in passing yards allowed (218.3 ypg) is going to be even better.
Kyle Whittingham has been vocal about how good the defense is looking coming into the season.
“At every level, we’re talented, we’re deep,” he said. “The front is physical, athletic. The linebackers are active and tough, and the secondary, we’ve got a bunch of ball hawks back there, and some really good tacklers at the safety spot, so I think the defense really has a chance to stand out for us this year.”
The defensive line is stacked. Any of defensive end’s Jonah Elliss, Van Fillinger, Connor O’Toole, Chase Kennedy, and BYU transfer Logan Fano could start throughout the year, and the ability to rotate that kind of talent will be a luxury.
The Utes will have all of the defensive front return from last season, with defensive tackles Simote Pepa, Junior Tafuna, Keanu Tanuvasa, and Aliki Vimahi plugging the gaps in the trenches.
The linebackers will have both Karene Reid and Lander Barton return as starters, and they’ll be joined by Stanford’s leading tackler a year ago, Levani Damuni. Behind them, Justin Medlock, Sione Fotu, Josh Calvert, and Owen Chambliss should also make an impact.
The secondary lost a major piece in CB Clark Phillips III, but will have four corners with starting experience ready to fill the void, with Zemaiah Vaughn, JaTravis Broughton, Faybian Marks, and Ole Miss transfer Miles Battle ready to take the field. Keep an eye on Elijah Davis as well, who was making big strides in the spring and fall practices.
Playing alongside them will be returning safety starters Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki, as well as Nate Ritchie, who started in 2020 before leaving on a church mission. Freshman Jono Hall also made a big impression since joining the team, and should see some time in the secondary this season. They’ve also added FS Briton Allen from USC via the transfer portal. He’s had to battle through injuries throughout his career, but he could be a big surprise this fall.
There’s several other impact pieces in the defensive backfield, like converted nickel back Tao Johnson, and true freshmen Smith Snowden and CJ Blocker, who should have some opportunities to get into games.
The Special Teams
It appears that the Utes finally found a solid kicker in Colorado transfer Cole Becker. He hit 85% of his field goals last season, hitting every try within 39 yards, and he was 5/6 within 49 yards. Whittingham also said that punter Jack Bouwmeester was looking improved in the spring.
Utah will have all three starters returning to bring back punts and kicks as well. Pittman has returned 34 punts in his career, averaging nearly 10 yards per return on those plays, and he’ll likely get the nod to return punts this season. Vele was used as the primary punt returner last season, returning 26 kicks for 246 yards, so he is another solid option.
The Utes didn’t return many kickoffs (only 8) last season, but Parks had 4 returns for 81 yards, and Bernard returned 3 for 71 yards. Vaki is also listed on the depth chart to return kicks.
The Consistency of the Coaching Staff
Whittingham will be returning for his 19th straight season as head coach of the Utes, making him the longest-tenured coach in the Pac-12 and the second longest-tenured coach at the same school in all of the FBS.
Beyond Whittingham, there’s a ton of long-term coaching experience returning. Morgan Scalley is back for his 8th season as defensive coordinator, and 16th as an assistant. OC Andy Ludwig is back for his 9th season (5th year this time around). Jim Harding has now been the offensive line coach for 10 straight seasons. Sharrieff Shaw is back for his 12th season coaching cornerbacks. Freddie Whittingham is returning for his 8th year as tight ends coach, and Lewis Powell has now coached the defensive line for 8 seasons as well.
Wrapping Up
On paper, everything appears to be falling into place at the right time for the Utes. They’ve won back-to-back PAC-12 titles, and nearly every position in 2023 will be filled by a player with starting experience. They’ve got loads of talent backing up those veteran starters when injuries hit. They’ve got a room full of coaches who have successfully churned out successful teams and NFL talent for a decade.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see 10+ players from this team get selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Guys like Laumea, Bishop, Kuithe, Rising, Jackson, Fillinger, Vaughn, Barton, Reid, Damuni, and Battle may all be locks, unless some of them decide to come back.
Sure, the competition is fierce, and some analysts are putting USC, Oregon, and Washington ahead of the Utes, but I’m not sure how aware they are of how complete Utah is as a team. It’s going to be hard to find a weakness on this team, and wherever it reveals itself, this coaching staff has talent in abundance to find ways to fix it quickly.
Colorado may be the team spouting out “We comin'”, and USC and Oregon have all of their typical preseason hype, but it’s the Utes that the rest of the PAC-12 should be worried about.
If you attended the 22 Forever Spring Game, or watched it on TV, then it’s likely you walked away feeling pretty enthusiastic about the future of the program.
What Ute Fans Did See
On the offensive side of the ball, both familiar and new faces made their presence known, including QB Brandon Rose, RB Ja’Quinden Jackson, WR Money Parks, and WR Mikey Matthews.
Rose showed that his efforts as last season’s scout team quarterback paid off, as he commanded the White team offense throughout the first half with consistency and efficiency. He ended the day going 19-24 for 233 yards and a touchdown.
Parks and Matthews were hauling in passes all over the field. Parks led all receivers with 71 yards on five catches, and true freshman and early enrollee Matthews pulled in seven receptions for 59 yards in his first public appearance as a Ute.
Jackson showed that last year’s transition to running back from quarterback was not a fluke. In fact, he looked the part on Saturday, rushing for 17 yards on three carries, and making two receptions for 52 yards.
Defensively, Ole Miss transfer Miles Battle took an interception to the house, and another true freshman and early enrollee Jono Hall picked off a pass as well. Linebackers Justin Medlock and Josh Calvert also turned some heads, leading their teams with 11 and six tackles, respectively.
However, there were many exciting things we didn’t see in this game.
What Ute Fans Didn’t See
While it was intriguing to see the growth of several younger players on Saturday, what Utah fans didn’t see was most of the veterans that will play the bulk of the snaps this fall.
In fact, this team arguably has more depth than ever before. In a way, we could see some of that at the 22 Forever game, but there was so much more not being shown.
How Will the QB Situation Play Out?
The most notable absence was that of QB Cam Rising, but in his situation, it wasn’t due to precautionary reasons as it was for many others. It is because Rising is still healing from the knee injury he suffered in the Rose Bowl.
This offense is completely different without Rising under center, and his health and availability will be crucial to the team’s success this fall. Rose has taken impressive steps forward, and Nate Johnson has shown signs of progress despite being slowed by an injury in spring practices, but they are both far from being the polished passer and decision maker that Rising is.
If for some terrible reason Rising can’t go on August 31st against Florida, will the Utes once again turn to Bryson Barnes? It’s difficult to say at this point.
Will the Utes Add More Pass Catchers?
The Utes leading returning receiver, DeVaughn Vele, was absent from the spring game, and despite impressive performances from Parks and Matthews, it’s clear more help will be needed at WR and TE.
With the departures of Dalton Kincaid, Jaylen Dixon, and Solomon Enis, at least 1,335 yards of receiving production need to be replaced for this upcoming season. It appears that Parks and Matthews will be a part of that solution, as well as Thomas Yassmin, Brant Kuithe, and Indiana transfer WR Emery Simmons, but more depth is critical.
WR Makai Cope, TE Munir McClain, and TE Noah Bennee may also provide some answers, but with the recent transfer portal departures of receivers Ti’Quan Gilmore and Chris Reed, Utah needs to bring in more help.
One enormous addition would be that of the former five-star recruit and Oklahoma receiver Trejan Bridges, who attended the 22 Forever game as an official visitor.
There have also been several other quality options at both tight end and receiver that have entered their names into the portal from other schools, and it will be worth watching to see who, if any, the Utes bring in.
The Trenches are Covered
So much of a team’s success relies on the offensive and defensive lines, and for Utah, they are stacked with talent in both crucial position groups. Many of the projected starters sat out Saturday, so it wasn’t as clear then, but it will be this fall.
The offensive line will have several returners with starts under the belts, including Sataoa Laumea, Michael Mokofisi, Keaton Bills, Jaren Kump, and Johnny Maea. Falcon Kaumatule, Alex Harrison, Keith Olson, Zereoue Williams, Tanoa Togiai, and Spencer Fano should also fill in the gaps as needed.
The defensive line looks just as deep. The entire front four of Jonah Ellis, Simote Pepa, Junior Tafuna, and Van Fillinger should be back. Behind them, Logan Fano, Connor O’Toole, Aliki Vimahi, and Keanu Tanuvasa should all be a part of the rotation as well.
The Rest of the Defense is Solid
Don’t let the 38-28 final score of the spring game fool you. The Ute defense will be hard to put points on this season.
The losses of CB Clark Philips III and LB Mo Diabate are significant, but Utah did a great job replacing them with Battle and Stanford transfer LB Levani Damuni.
With both starting linebackers Lander Barton and Karene Reid returning, as well as several starters in the secondary (S Cole Bishop, S Sione Vaki, CB Zemiah Vaughn, CB JaTravis Broughton, CB Faybian Marks) the Utes shouldn’t have trouble slowing down opposing offenses passing attacks.
The defensive backfield will also get several key additions (Hall, S Tao Johnson, and 2020 safety starter Nate Ritchie has returned from his 2-year church mission) to add even more depth.
This Team Will Be Very Good, However…
They face a brutal schedule. According to ESPN’s initial FPI Top 25 rankings, the Utes will play six top 25 teams, opening with #18 Florida, followed by #23 Baylor, and then matchups against #24 Oregon State, #7 USC, #13 Oregon, and #21 Washington throughout the season. The rest of the games aren’t a cakewalk either with #41 UCLA, #51 California, #59 Arizona, #64 Arizona State, and #95 Colorado. Only FCS Weber State is outside the top 100.
For sake of comparison, the reigning national champions, Georgia, will play three top 25 teams, including #18 Florida, #16 Ole Miss, and #12 Tennessee, but start out with FCS UT Martin, #111 Ball State, #42 South Carolina, and #79 UAB. They also have #40 Missouri, #39 Auburn, #28 Kentucky, #73 Vanderbilt, and #65 Georgia Tech on their schedule.
Final Thoughts
The 22 Forever game was fun, but it really didn’t show much of what fans can expect to see this fall. It was nice to see the progress of the backup QB’s, the steadiness of the RB room with Jackson, Jaylon Glover, and Micah Bernard doing their things, and the overall quality of the depth of players on the team.
Nevertheless, to get a true feel of what’s to come, I’m afraid fans will just have to wait until August 31st.
If you haven’t heard, the Utes are only 156 days away from taking the field in an August 31st revenge match against the Florida Gators on a Thursday night season opener at Rice-Eccles Stadium. But who’s counting?
156 days feel like a long time to wait, but at least there are spring practices and even a spring scrimmage to help ease the itch to watch Utah begin its pursuit of a third straight Pac-12 title, and hopefully more.
Even as snow continues to accumulate along the Wasatch Front, the Utes are now a week into winter…er…spring practices, preparing for the season ahead of them.
While the first week is typically more about working off the offseason rust and helping new players get a chance to get their feet wet, there have already been a few surprises that Ute fans will want to know about before seeing the crimson and white take the field in August.
Here are five things that have transpired early on in spring practices that might come as a surprise to die-hard fans:
#1 Position Changes
The Ute coaching staff has had great historical success finding players that are already in the fold to fill positions of need. Just last year, they turned a wide receiver into a key defensive end (Connor O’ Toole), a quarterback into a top running back (Ja’Quinden Jackson), and a former Big Sky unanimous first-team fullback into a tight end (Logan Kendall).
In spring practices, we’re already starting to get a glimpse of some players that might be the next set to successfully make position changes.
One to keep a close eye on is Tao Johnson. The speedy redshirt freshman from Idaho spent his first season as a wide receiver, but ever since the weeks leading up to the Rose Bowl, Johnson has been working out in the secondary. The word is he’s already making an impact, and may even have a chance for significant playing time when the season starts.
With the addition of Logan Fano (more on him later), along with the quick development of O’Toole, Jonah Ellis, and Van Fillinger at defensive end, Utah had sufficient depth to move Miki Suguturaga from the defensive line and plug him into a position of need left behind by Kendall – fullback/tight end. He should be a perfect fit to continue bulldozing defenders while clearing paths for the running game and getting a few catches along the way.
#2 Quick Impact From Newcomers
The Utes have the good fortune of returning the bulk of its starters to this year’s squad, but there are a few new players that are already turning heads in spring practices.
One of those players is Logan Fano. The BYU transfer saw his first season cut short last spring due to a heartbreaking knee injury, causing him to never play a down for the Cougars. Now fully healthy, Fano is reminding people why he was a former four-star recruit and had over 20 sacks in his final season of high school. He’s already vying for playing time in a crowded defensive end room.
His brother, Spencer Fano, is following suit, but on the offensive side of the ball. The Utes #1 recruit in the 2023 class was able to enroll early, making him eligible for spring practices, and his impact is already being felt. Utah returns four starters on the offensive line, and has several other players with multiple starts backing them up, yet Fano is already in the mix to get time on the field this fall.
Here’s a name you may have never heard before – Noah Bennee. However, this is likely a name you will hear a lot more of in the fall. Bennee has been taking reps at tight end during spring practices while other tight ends continue to heal, and he has been making a big impression.
#3 There Is a Quarterback Competition
While Utah fans got tremendous news earlier in the year that Cam Rising would be returning for his fourth season in a Ute uniform, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a competition at quarterback during spring ball.
That contest, however, does not include Rising. He’s locked in as the starter as soon as he heals from the leg injury he suffered in the Rose Bowl. No, this contest is between Nate Johnson and Brandon Rose, and while you’ve probably heard about and witnessed Johnson’s speed, Rose might just end up being the next man up if Rising is unable to start the regular season as predicted.
Of course, Bryson Barnes is still in the fold, but with plenty of game and practice under his belt, the coaches are focused on determining what they have with Johnson and Rose during these spring practices.
Johnson saw time on the field last fall, throwing for a touchdown against Stanford and running for two scores against Arizona, but Rose had the opportunity of running the scout offense all of last season. It will be interesting to see if either young quarterback can separate from the other.
#4 The Receiver Room Is Better Than You Think
While Utah didn’t lose too many players from last year’s squad, they did have two seasoned receivers (Solomon Enis and Jaylen Dixon) and a future NFL first-round tight end (Dalton Kincaid) move on from the team.
This made receiver a position of need early in the offseason, but the Utes are already finding answers. One of those answers is DeVaughn Vele, who, like Rising, decided to return for another season. That was huge news for the Utes.
But the Utes are also seeing the emergence of another early enrollee, Mikey Matthews. Shortly after officially committing to Utah, Matthews started to make a name for himself at the next level during Under Armour AA practices, where he was praised for his “elite route running”, speed, and ability to “get open against just about anyone”. Those traits are continuing in spring ball, and he has a good chance of being the opening-day starter at slot receiver.
And don’t forget, the Utes have also added Emery Simmons from the transfer portal, who had 408 yards receiving and a touchdown last season for Indiana.
#5 The Spring Game Will Be a Little Different
As Utah has continued to improve over the past five seasons, the spring game has as well. This year, the game will have a new, official title: the 22 Forever Game.
Fittingly, the game will be played on April 22nd, and proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe scholarship.
While this scrimmage used to be free in the past, the $5.50 ticket price (or 4 for $22) is quite low to get lower bowl tickets to see both veterans and new players showcase what they’ve worked on for the month.
You’ll want to buy your tickets soon, however, as seats are going fast. You can use this link to buy tickets.
As a bonus, here’s something that won’t surprise you: it’s great to have football to talk about again, even if it’s only for a few weeks.
The PAC-12 2023 college football schedule is set. Most of the recruiting and transfers are complete.
There is still plenty that can change, but we took a close look at each team’s key additions, losses, and returning players, along with the schedules they’ll be facing, and have placed our early predictions for what should be an exciting PAC-12 race this fall.
A lot can and will change following spring ball, summer camps, and the weeks leading up to the regular season, but as of right now, this is how we see things shaking out:
Utah Utes (11-1)
Key Additions: LB Levani Damuni, DE Logan Fano, CB Miles Battle, OT Spencer Fano, RB Michael Mitchell, ATH Dijon Stanley, K Cole Becker, WR Mikey Matthews
Key Losses: TE Dalton Kincaid, CB Clark Phillips III, LB Mohamoud Diabate, OT Braeden Daniels, RB Micah Bernard, RB Tavion Thomas, DE Gabe Reid
Key Returning Players: QB Cam Rising, RB Ja’Quinden Jackson, WR DeVaughn Vele, TE Brant Kuithe, OL Sataoa Laumea, DL Junior Tafuna, LB Karene Reid, LB Lander Barton, S Cole Bishop, DL Jonah Elliss, DL Van Fillinger
Summary: The Utes have now been to four of the last five Pac-12 Championship games, and have won the last two. They are currently the kings of the conference, and with many key players returning in 2023, Utah should once again finish at the top of the Pac-12.
Last season, Utah averaged 38.6 points per game, and with Rising, Jackson, Vele, Kuithe, and Yassmin all set to return, along with several new playmaking freshmen, the Utes should once again finish in the top 15 nationally on offense.
Where Utah should be even more potent is on the defensive side of the ball. They lost Phillips, an All-American at cornerback, but replaced him with Ole Miss cornerback Miles Battle, who was one of the best in the country at stopping the deep ball. On top of that, the Utes also brought in Stanford’s 2022 top tackler linebacker Damuni to fill the hole left behind by Diabate. Outside of those players’ departures, Utah is bringing just about everyone else back from last year’s team that was #19 in the nation in points allowed (20.4).
The Utes will have a tough schedule, taking on Florida and Baylor in the first two games, and will have to face Oregon State, USC, and Washington on the road. However, with another reload of a season, Utah will be the team to beat in the Pac-12.
USC Trojans (9-3)
Key Additions: DL Jack Sullivan, RB Marshawn Lloyd, OL Michael Tarquin , LB Mason Cobb, WR Dorian Singer, CB Christian Roland-Wallace, DL Kyon Barrs , WR Zachariah Branch, WR Makai Lemon, OL Jarrett Kingston
Key Losses: DL Brandon Pili, WR Jordan Addison, CB Mekhi Blackmon, RB Travis Dye, DL Tuli Tuipulotu, OL Andrew Vorhees, RB Travis Dye, OL Brett Neilon, OL Bobby Haskins, S Xavion Alford, LB Ralen Goforth, WR Gary Bryant Jr., WR CJ Williams, DE Nick Figueroa, WR Kyle Ford
Key Returning Players: QB Caleb Williams, WR Mario Williams, RB Austin Jones, LB Shane Lee, WR Brenden Rice, WR Tahj Washington, FS Max Williams, SS Calen Bullock, DL Tyrone Taleni, LB Eric Gentry
Summary: In Lincoln Riley’s inaugural season with the Trojans in 2022, he took a team that finished 4-8 the year before and went on to go 11-3, only losing one regular season game. He did it by bringing in a slew of talent through the transfer portal, and the plan almost worked well enough to get USC into the College Football Playoff.
Despite having the nation’s #3 scoring offense, led by 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, it was the Trojans defense that led to their fall. In the two losses to Utah, USC surrendered 90 total points, or 45 points per game, and also gave up 46 points in its Cotton Bowl loss to Tulane.
Once again in 2023, the Trojans have been working the transfer portal hard. They’ve brought in three of Arizona’s top players (Singer, Roland-Wallace, and Barrs) as well as a pair of much-needed offensive linemen.
Despite these additions, it’s hard to believe that the 2023 version of USC will be better than 2022. While they’ll bring back most of their offensive skill players, the loss of three offensive linemen, Vorhees, Neilon, and Haskins, will make life harder for Caleb Williams.
Defensively, the Trojans will also struggle to replace three solid defensive linemen, especially Tuipulotu, who was an All-American and a bright spot on a weak defense. Sullivan and Barrs will help, but they won’t be as good as the players they’ll replace.
With games on the road against Notre Dame and Oregon, as well as tough home matchups against Utah and Washington, expect to see a few more regular season losses for USC in 2023.
Oregon Ducks (9-3)
Key Additions: WR Traeshon Holden, WR Tez Johnson, LB Jestin Jacobs, OL Junior Angilau, OT Ajani Cornelius, CB Khyree Jackson, DE Matayo Uiagalelei, CB Daylen Austin, S Evan Williams, LB Jordan Burch
Key Losses: OT T.J. Bass, G Ryan Walk, C Alex Forsyth, OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, LB Noah Sewell, CB Christian Gonzalez, DE DJ Johnson, WR Chase Cota, CB Bennett Williams, RB Byron Cardwell, WR Dont’e Thornton, OL Dawson Jaramillo
Summary: How can the Ducks lose three games in 2023, especially with the return of Nix, Irving, and Franklin? Much like USC, while the Ducks are bringing back several talented skill players on offense, they will be replacing nearly the entire offensive line, and several key defensive players.
In 2022, Oregon kept Nix clean, only allowing 5 sacks throughout the season. However, with Bass, Walk, Forsyth, and Jaramillo moving on, it’s not likely to go as smoothly in 2023 for Nix. Head coach Dan Lanning did bring in a solid pair of transfer portal replacements, but the lack of continuity could lead to a disruptive start to the season.
The Ducks also lost two of its leaders on defense in Gonzalez and Sewell, which were major pieces in a defense that gave up more points last season than what Oregon has been known to allow.
While the Ducks only have five road games in 2023, three of those games are at Texas Tech, Utah, and Washington. Coming into the new season with a revamped offensive line and a weaker secondary, expect a repeat of three regular season losses, despite having a more favorable overall schedule.
Washington Huskies (8-4)
Key Additions: WR Germie Bernard, DE Zach Durfee, LB Ralen Goforth, TE Josh Cuevas, DE Joe Moore, RB Daniyel Ngata, CB Jabar Muhammad, CB Caleb Presley, ATH Rashid Williams
Key Losses: G Jaxson Kirkland, C Corey Luciano, G Henry Bainivalu, RB Wayne Taulapapa, DE Jeremiah Martin, LB Cam Bright, S Alex Cook, K Peyton Henry, LB Kristopher Moll
Key Returning Players: QB Michael Penix Jr, WR Rome Odunze, WR Jalen McMillan, OL Troy Fautanu, DE Bralen Trice, DL Zion Tupuola-Fetui, LB Alphonzo Tuputala
Summary: Are you starting to notice a trend? Great quarterbacks are returning to several Pac-12 offenses, but those quarterbacks are losing several of their most important pieces – the offensive line. It’s no different for Penix Jr. While he’ll have his top receiving weapons again in 2023, he’ll be without three starters on the offensive line, and unlike USC and Oregon, the Huskies have not brought in immediate help for those crucial gaps through the transfer portal.
No offense threw it for more yards per game than Washington, but that will be hard to repeat in 2023 with a restructured offensive line. As it was with Nix, Penix Jr was only sacked 5 times in 2022. With increased pressure in 2023, it will be interesting to see how that impacts the Husky QB.
Washington will play at Michigan State, at Oregon State, and at USC in 2023. They’ll also add Utah this season, which they did not have to play the last two years.
Washington State Cougars (7-5)
Key Additions: OL Christy Nkanu, WR Kyle Williams, WR Josh Kelly, WR Isaiah Hamilton
Key Losses: LB Daiyan Henley, OL Jarrett Kingston, LB Francisco Mauigoa, WR De’Zhaun Stribling, WR Donovan Ollie, LB Travion Brown, WR Robert Ferrel, NB Armani Marsh, CB Derrick Langford, DL Antonio Pule, SS Jordan Lee, OL Grant Stephens
Key Returning Players: QB Cameron Ward, RB Nakia Watson, DE Brennan Jackson, DE Ron Stone Jr., DE Quinn Roff, S Jaden Hicks, CB Chau Smith-Wade, S Sam Lockett III
Summary: While it’s big news that Washington State will get to run it back with Ward and Watson on offense and Jackson, Stone, Roff, Hicks, and Lockett III on defense, the bigger news is that the Cougars have the most favorable schedule in the Pac-12, with 2023 being the year they get to skip both USC and Utah.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the outlook is completely rainbows and unicorns for Washington State in 2023. The losses of Stribling, Ollie, and Ferrel will make Ward’s job a lot more difficult this upcoming season, and the defense will likely take a step back after losing Henley and Mauigoa.
While they get to skip the Utes and Trojans, the Cougars will still have tough matchups against Wisconsin, at Oregon and Washington, and at home against Oregon State and Arizona.
Oregon State Beavers (6-6)
Key Additions: QB DJ Uiagalelei, OL Grant Starck, DE Oluwaseyi Omotosho, DE Kelze Howard, QB Aidan Chiles, WR Montrel Hatten, DE Nikko Taylor
Key Losses: G Brandon Kipper, WR Tre’Shaun Harrison, WR Tyjon Lindsey, LB Kyrei Fisher-Morris, S Jaydon Grant, CB Alex Austin, CB Rejzohn Wright, LB/FB Jack Colletto, LB Omar Speights
Key Returning Players: RB Damien Martinez, OL Taliese Fuaga, OL Joshua Gray, CB Alton Julian, WR/KR Anthony Gould, S Kitan Oladapo
Summary: Recently, things have been looking bright for Oregon State. They finished the 2022 season with a 10-3 record, including a bowl win over Florida, a rivalry comeback win against Oregon, and impressive non-conference victories over Boise State and Fresno State.
That success has been built on two things, a nasty defense and a tough rushing offense. The buzz around Corvalis only got louder once the season ended and Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei made the surprising announcement that he would be transferring to play for the Beavers.
With all of that momentum, why would they finish 6-6 in 2023?
For several reasons, but the most important cause for a slip after such a successful season will likely be due to one of those foundational pieces crumbling in 2023 – the defense.
Nearly the entire starting secondary will be gone next season, as well as two solid linebackers. Uiagalelei was significantly better last season than he was in 2021, but he was still replaced at the end of the season. However, he should be a major upgrade from the quarterbacks available to Oregon State last season. Martinez should also build on an impressive rookie campaign.
However, beyond Uiagalelei, the Beavers haven’t done much through the transfer portal. With a weaker pass defense, and a tough schedule against some of the best quarterbacks in the nation, it’s looking like Oregon State fans may be disappointed in 2023 after such a solid 2022 season.
Colorado Buffaloes (5-7)
Key Additions: QB Shedeur Sanders, CB Travis Hunter, TE Seydou Traore, LB LaVonta Bentley, S Myles Slusher, CB Tayvion Beasley, DT Leonard Payne Jr., OL Tyler Brown, OL Landon Bebee, LB Jeremiah Brown, S Cam’Ron Silmon, DL Taijh Alston, DL Marshawn Kneeland, OL Savion Washington, OL Isaiah Jatta, OL Jack Wilty, DL Shane Cokes, RB Dylan Edwards, WR Jimmy Horn Jr.
Key Losses: RB Alex Fontenot, DE Josh Chandler-Semedo, S Isaiah Lewis, OL Tommy Brown, OL Frank Fillup, OL Austin Johnson, CB Kaylin Moore, OL Noah Fenske, LB Guy Thomas, WR RJ Sneed II, TE Brady Russell, LB Quinn Perry, DE Chance Main, DE Terrance Lang, LB Robert Barnes, WR Daniel Arias
Key Returning Players: QB JT Shrout, RB Deion Smith, CB Tyrin Taylor, S Trevor Woods, CB Nikko Reed
Summary: Much like Lincoln Riley did with USC, first-year Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is “comin'” with a flood of transfers in an attempt to turn around one of the worst college football teams in just a season.
The difference is that he will be working with a team that went 1-11 last season, with the worst defense in the nation and the 5th poorest offense in the nation. The Buffaloes had a -29.1 scoring margin in 2022.
Also, unlike Riley, rather than having most of his transfers come from a top FBS conference contender, Sanders will bring the majority of his players from FCS SWAC Conference champion Jackson State.
How will that transition go? It’s hard to say. It’s also difficult to know how well the new players and coaches will mesh with the few original players that elected not to transfer from the program.
However, the team won’t have much time to figure things out. Colorado’s first game will come on the road against the College Football Playoff’s runner-up, TCU. Following that game, they’ll face another tough opponent, Nebraska. They will then face in-state rival Colorado State before opening conference play on the road at Oregon and then a home matchup with USC. Brutal.
Add in road games with Utah and Washington State, and it’s hard to see six wins in the first season of a massive rebuild for Coach Prime.
Arizona Wildcats (5-7)
Key Additions: LB Justin Flowe, LB Orin Patu, QB Brayden Dorman, OL Raymond Pulido
Key Losses: WR Dorian Singer, CB Christian Roland-Wallace, DL Kyon Barrs, LB Jerry Roberts, S Jaxen Turner, DL Paris Shand, LB Kolbe Cage, DE Jalen Harris, DE Hunter Echols, S Christian Young
Key Returning Players: QB Jayden de Laura, WR Jacob Cowing, WR Tetairoa McMillan, RB Michael Wiley, RB DJ Williams, TE Tanner McLachlan, CB Treydan Stukes, LB Jacob Manu
Summary: The good – Arizona finally started winning games last season. Jayden de Laura was a big part of that. He’ll be back, along with do-it-all back Wiley, which means they should win a few more.
The bad? Only five teams in the nation gave up more points to opposing offenses than Arizona did last season (36.5 points per game), and that defense lost several key pieces. It might actually get worse.
The Wildcats should have a nice start to the season, with expected wins over Northern Arizona, UTEP, and Stanford, but it will be tough sledding after that.
UCLA Bruins (5-7)
Key Additions: QB Collin Schlee, QB Dante Moore, RB Carson Steele, OL Spencer Holstege, LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, DE Jake Heimlicher, TE Moliki Matavao, S Jordan Anderson,
Key Losses:QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson,RB Zach Charbonnet, OL Jon Gaines II, OL Raiqwon O’Neal, OL Atonio Mafi, WR Kazmeir Allen, WR Jake Bobo, S Stephan Blaylock, CB Azizi Hearn, S Mo Osling III, DL Jacob Sykes, TE Michael Ezeike
Key Returning Players: DE Laiatu Latu, LB Darius Muasau, LB JonJon Vaughns, WR Kam Brown, DL Grayson Murphy, DL Gabriel Murphy
Summary: UCLA had an impressive start to the 2022 season, starting 6-0 with surprising wins over Washington and Utah. However, the second half of the 2022 season might be more of a foreshadowing of how the 2023 season should go.
Following that great start, the Bruins went on to go 3-4 in its final seven games, including a loss to Arizona. Now, for the first time in five seasons, UCLA will not have Thompson-Robinson behind center. They’ll also be without the Pac-12’s top rusher, Charbonnet.
To add to the potential problems in 2023, the Bruins will also be down three offensive linemen, and three key players in the secondary. Despite bringing in one of the best QB prospects in the nation, and a couple solid transfer portal additions, 2023 will be a major rebuilding year for UCLA.
California Golden Bears (3-9)
Key Additions: RB Byron Cardwell, QB Sam Jackson, WR Brian Hightower, CB Kaylin Moore, CB Nohl Williams
Key Losses: QB Jack Plummer, WR J. Michael Sturdivant, TE Keleki Latu, LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, S Daniel Scott, OL Ben Coleman, OL Spencer Lovell, LB Orin Patu
Key Returning Players: LB Jackson Sirmon, RB Jaydn Ott, WR Jeremiah Hunter, WR Mavin Anderson, DE Xavier Carlton, S Craig Woodson, LB Myles Jernigan
Summary: The Golden Bears began the 2022 season with so much promise. A 3-1 start, including a close loss on the road to Notre Dame, signaled that perhaps their team was turning the corner.
Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed over the final eight games of the season, as Cal would only win one more game over that span. To add to the terrible finish to the season, Plummer, the promising quarterback from Purdue with one more season of eligibility, decided to transfer.
That leaves the Golden Bears in a tough situation facing a brutal 2023 schedule. Cal will have road games against some of the toughest conference opponents, with games at Utah, Washington, and Oregon. They will also have to begin the season with a surprisingly tough non-conference road game at North Texas.
Although they will get two solid playmakers on offense back with Ott and Hunter, 2023 will likely look a lot more like the final eight games of the 2022 campaign than the first four.
Arizona State Sun Devils (2-10)
Key Additions: QB Drew Pyne, , RB Cameron Skattebo, WR Xavier Guillory, WR Troy Omeire, WR Jake Smith, S Shamari Simmons, OL Ben Coleman, LB Travion Brown, OL Aaron Frost, S Xavion Alford, OL Leif Fautanu
Key Losses: QB Emory Jones, RB Xazavian Valladay, RB Daniel Ngata, CB Isaiah Johnson, OL Ben Scott, DE Stanley Lambert, DL Omarr Norman-Lott, P Eddie Czaplicki, DL TJ Pesefea, DL Nesta Jade Silvera, DL Joe Moore, OL LaDarius Henderson, LB Kyle Soelle, S Khoury Bethley, LB Merlin Robertson
Key Returning Players: QB Trenton Bourguet, WR Elijah Badger, TE Jalin Conyers, DL BJ Green II, DL Anthonie Cooper, CB Chris Edmonds, NB Jordan Clark, OL Isaia Glass
Summary: There’s no way to sugarcoat it, this will be another tough year for the Sun Devils. The brightest spot on the team last season, Valladay, has graduated. Nearly every member of the starting defensive line has moved on. Same with the linebackers. This was from a team that went 3-9 last year and gave up 31.4 points per game.
If you lose your top offensive playmaker, as well as the core of your defense, how do you keep up with opposing offenses?
Bringing in Pyne and Skattebo should help. Guillory, Omeire, and Smith all have potential. Skattebo and Guillory both come from FCS programs, so there is some risk there.
Defensively, Alford was a huge pickup. Simmons could be good, but once again, FCS transfers are always a toss-up.
A brutal schedule from start to finish, with non-conference games against Oklahoma State and Fresno State, as well as road games at Utah and Washington later in the season, makes for a tough year throughout.
Key Losses: QB Tanner McKee, CB Kyu Blu Kelly, LB Lavani Damuni, WR Elijah Higgins, WR Brycen Tremayne, WR Michael Wilson, S Jonathan McGill, S Kendall Williamson, LB Ricky Miezan, DE Stephen Herron, S Patrick Fields, OL Walter Rouse, LB Aeneas DiCosmo, LB Jacob Mangum-Farrar, OL Drake Nugent, OL Myles Hinton, OL Jake Hornibrook
Key Returning Players: TE Benjamin Yurosek, K Joshua Karty, DE David Bailey, RB EJ Smith
Summary: It’s safe to say things have completely come apart for the Cardinal. Only five years ago, Stanford was one of the top teams in the conference. Now, they’ve had no more than four wins for four consecutive seasons.
This led to David Shaw stepping down as head coach, and a slew of players departing the program. A team that had already struggled mightily is now without nearly its entire offensive line, linebackers, and safeties. They also lost a talented quarterback, and most receiving threats, apart from Yurosek.
In other words, new head coach Troy Taylor will be rebuilding this team from the bottom up, and the only win they might get this season will come against his former team, Sacramento State, and even that isn’t guaranteed.
They did bring in Bernadel, FIU’s leading tackler from 2022, to work alongside promising DE David Bailey, but beyond that, the Cardinal will have to rely on building from within, and that’s going to take some time.
With the Rose Bowl and the 2022-23 season in the rearview mirror, the Utes are officially in Transfer Portal season. So far, four players have transferred in to play for Utah next season (Stanford LB Levani Damuni, Ole Miss CB Miles Battle, BYU DE Logan Fano, and Colorado K Cole Becker) and eight Utah players have entered the transfer portal (DB Malone Mataele, LB Ethan Calvert, LB Mason Tufaga, TE Landon Morris, DE Tyler Wegis, RB Micah Bernard, RB Ricky Parks, OL Paul Maile). For more in depth details on these players, just check out this article.
But, what about last year’s transfers? Where did they go? How did they do? We’ve got the answers below:
DE Xavier Carlton – Carlton was one of four 4-star recruits in the 2020 class. He had limited playing time in his two seasons with the Utes, playing behind fellow 2020 4-star DE Van Fillinger and Mika Tafua. He transferred to California, and had a solid 2022 season for the Golden Bears, recording 4.5 sacks.
QB Peter Costelli – Costelli, a 4-star recruit, was the #2 recruit in the 2021 class, behind only Ethan Calvert, who is transferring this season as well. In fact, all four 4-star recruits (Costelli, Ethan Calvert, Mason Tufaga, and Ricky Parks) from the 2021 class have already transferred. The development of Cam Rising and his place on the depth chart behind Bryson Barnes and Ja’Quinden Jackson was the major reason for Costelli transferring. He went to Troy, didn’t play last season, and is once again in the transfer portal.
QB Charlie Brewer – The Utes 2021 starter entered the transfer portal immediately after being replaced by Cam Rising in the third game last season against San Diego State. He transferred to Liberty and played in three games in a limited capacity as a QB and also on special teams.
OL Simi Moala – Moala was a regular starter for the Utes in 2019 and 2020, but his playing time diminished in 2021. He transferred to Jackson State last season.
LB Jeremy Mercier – Unfortunately for Mercier, there was just too much talent at linebacker for him to get a chance to play for the Utes. He played in three games in 2020 on special teams, but didn’t see the field in 2021. He transferred to Arizona and appeared in 11 games, mostly on special teams. He recorded 6 tackles.
CB Lacarea Pleasant-Johnson – LPJ was with Utah for three seasons. He redshirted in 2019, he didn’t play in 2020, and in 2021 he played in six games, but mostly on special teams. He transferred to UNLV and recorded 2 tackles in limited playing time.
OT Luke Felix-Fualalo – Felix-Fualalo spent three seasons with the Utes, playing on special teams. He transferred to Hawaii, where he was a backup at right tackle.
WR Dominique Thompson – A 2018 walk-on, Thompson played on special teams in 2020, but did not see the field in 2021. He transferred to Cal Poly, and played in two games, recording 3 catches for 30 yards.
WR Ryan Peppins – Considered to be a potential fill-in for the Britain Covey role, Peppins enrolled early after committing to Utah in 2021, but decided to leave the Utes after Spring practices. He transferred to Grambling State, where he recorded 5 catches for 19 yards.
LB Carson Tabaracci – Tabaracci signed with the Utes in the 2022 class, but like Peppins, decided to leave during spring practices. He transferred to USC and did not play during the 2022 season.
S Kamo’i Latu – After seeing action in all 14 games in 2021, including one start, it was a bit of a surprise when Latu decided to enter the transfer portal. He transferred to Wisconsin and had a very successful season, finishing 4th on the team in tackles with 56, and also had 2 sacks and 2 interceptions.
WR Ben Renfro – Renfro was a special teams player for the Utes in 2021, playing in 10 games. He transferred to McNeese State, but did not see action in 2022.
OL Marist Talavou – Talavou spent 3 seasons with the Utes, but never played in a game. He transferred to San Jose State and had one start for the Spartans in 2022.
WR Kyrese Rowan – Rowan walked on in 2019, received a scholarship in 2021, where he was a standout special teams player. He was making huge strides at receiver during spring practices in 2022, but ultimately elected to enter the transfer portal. He transferred to Utah State and had 1 catch for 2 yards against Wyoming.
CB Drew Rawls – Rawls played on special teams for the Utes in 2019 and 2020, but didn’t play in 2021. He transferred to Arkansas State and played a similar role in 2022, recording 2 tackles on the year.
DE Jonny Fanaika – After returning from a mission in 2021, Fanaika did not see game action. He has just signed with BYU.
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.
The4 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.
At halftime of its first-ever Rose Bowl appearance one year ago, everything seemed to be going right for the Utah Utes. Despite having to use a halfback at cornerback for the short-handed secondary, Utah held a 35-21 lead over a powerful Ohio State opponent.
In the second half, the lack of experience proved costly, as Jaxson Smith-Njigba accounted for a whopping 347 of CJ Stroud’s 573 yards through the air, and the Utes suffered a heart-breaking 48-45 loss to the Buckeyes.
Now, one year later, the Utes will get a shot at redemption, this time against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
However, once again, Utah will be short-handed at the cornerback position. Clark Phillips III, one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play for the Utes, will not be returning for his second Rose Bowl appearance, after declaring for the NFL draft weeks before the big game.
Fortunately, the versatile Micah Bernard will not need to switch to defense this time around, as JaTravis Broughton and Zemaiah Vaughn will both be healthy and prepared to man the two cornerback positions.
Actually, considering how many players around the nation are in the transfer portal or skipping bowl games to prepare for the NFL, both Utah and Penn State will have nearly all of their players suit up for the “Granddaddy of Them All”.
While the Utes will be without their unanimous All-American corner, the playing field has been evened as the Nittany Lions will also have their All-American corner, Joey Porter Jr., out for this matchup. As it was with Phillips III, Porter Jr. has also declared for the NFL draft.
Outside of those two crucial defenders, both squads should have the same key players that they ended the season with.
What to Expect in This Year’s Rose Bowl Matchup
Utah and Penn State and two extremely similar teams. Both teams prefer to lean on their run games and stingy defenses to control the pace of the game. Both squads limit turnovers and penalties while doing everything they can to disrupt the game plan of their opponents and cause them to do the opposite.
As it has for most of the season, the Nittany Lions will likely lean on its pair of young running backs to propel its offense against the Utes. Big Ten Freshman of the year RB Nicholas Singleton ran for 941 yards and 10 touchdowns while sharing the rushing workload with fellow freshman RB Kaytron Allen, who added another 830 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground.
The duo helped Penn State average 182.1 yards rushing per game. However, Utah had one of the best rush defenses in the nation, holding opponents to an average of just 107 yards rushing per game. In fact, in the final four games of the season, the Utes held opponents to an average of just 49.8 yards rushing per game.
If Singleton and Allen can’t get the running game going, the Nittany Lions will need to lean on its career leader in passing yards (10,382) and passing touchdowns (84), quarterback Sean Clifford. With Phillips III on his way to the NFL, the passing attack might be the Achilles heel once again for Utah.
The Nittany Lions lost its top receiver, Parker Washington, to a season-ending injury in early November. Since that injury, Penn State has turned to WR Mitchell Tinsley (528 yards and 4 TD’s) and its tight ends to pick up the void. TE’s Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson combined for 662 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns on the year.
As for the Utes, it’s probable that they will also have to rely heavily on the passing game as well. While former quarterback Ja’Quinden Jackson has been a revelation at running back since changing positions, averaging an impressive 6.9 yards per carry, the Penn State defense has also been tough to run on this season.
Led by Second-Team All-Big Ten LB Abdul Carter and DL PJ Mustipher, as well as Third-Team All-Big Ten CB Kalen King, DL Adisa Isaac, and S Ji’Ayir Brown, the nasty Nittany Lion defense has held opponents to just 105.2 yards rushing per game, which is 14th best in the nation.
Just like Utah, Penn State has also been particularly tough against the run over the final four games of the year, holding opponents to an average of just 45.5 rushing yards per game over that stretch.
This means that QB Cam Rising will likely be needed to find a way to move the ball through the air. The Utes top pass catchers, TE Dalton Kincaid and WR DeVaughn Vele, were banged up for the final stretch of regular season games, and Utah had to depend on new weapons to put the ball in the endzone.
Kincaid has elected to skip the bowl game to get healthy for the NFL Combine, but Vele should be healthy once again. The Utes also saw TE Thomas Yassmin and WR’s Money Parks and Jaylen Dixon step up in Kincaid and Vele’s absence, and they should be players to watch in this upcoming matchup.
Yassmin has scored a touchdown in 4 of the last 5 games, and has proven difficult to bring down. In fact, over the past five games, Yassmin has scored 4 touchdowns in just 6 catches. That means he has scored on 66% of his catches over that stretch. Basically, if he gets his hands on the ball he has a very high chance of reaching the endzone.
Final Thoughts
Due to how both of these teams play, do not expect a high-scoring shootout like it was in last year’s 93-point fireworks display. Utah is currently favored to win this game by just 2.5 points, and the over/under is at 52.5.
This game will likely come down to which team can find a way to run the ball and find some balance in its offensive attack. It’s possible that neither team finds a way to do that, in which case, it will come down to which seasoned quarterback can move the ball through the air, without turning the ball over.
Utah has the advantage in having played in this game last season, so the players will be prepared for the Rose Bowl environment. The Utes should also have a few more offensive weapons to rely on, which ultimately should be the reason why Utah finds a way to avenge last season’s last-minute loss in Pasadena and come away with a victory in this one.
Straight Up Utes Score Prediction: Utah 31 Penn State 28
The Rose Bowl is now less than two weeks away, and it is starting to become clear which players will opt out, and what can be expected from both Utah and Penn State.
It’s been easy to overlook the Nittany Lions this season with so much of the attention in the Big Ten being focused on Michigan and Ohio State, but make no mistake, this Penn State team will be a tough matchup for the Utes.
Actually, if you’ve kept up with the way Utah plays football, then you’ll likely feel pretty familiar with the Nittany Lions style of play on the field.
Penn State is a tough, defensive-minded team that will put a ton of pressure on opposing teams’ quarterbacks, force turnovers, and make it difficult to convert on third downs and in the red zone. They’re one of the best in the nation at stopping the run.
The offense takes care of the football and limits turnovers and penalties. They run a balanced attack, but prefer to move the sticks by pounding the ball down the field with their elite pair of freshman running backs.
Simply put, the Nittany Lions want to punch you in the mouth with the ground game and manage the clock while limiting your ability to do the same against them. Sound familiar?
Penn State National Rankings
#7 in Red Zone Defense (71.8%): Allowed just 17 touchdowns in 39 red zone trips to opponents.
#9 in Defensive Points Allowed: Kept opponents to just 18.0 points per game.
#9 in Team Sacks (37)
#13 in Turnover Margin (+9)
#13 in 3rd Down Conversion Defense (30.6%)
#14 in rushing yards allowed (105.2)
#22 in Red Zone Offense (89.6%): Scored a touchdown on 36 of 48 trips to the red zone.
Penn State Players to Watch
QB Sean Clifford, the face of the offense for the past 4 seasons, passed Trace McSorley this season as the all-time school record holder for career passing yards (10,382) and touchdowns (84). He’s a Penn State legend and this will be his final game leading the blue and white into battle.
The Nittany Lions haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since the glory days of Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders, but it’s starting to feel like the glory days may be back. Big Ten Freshman of the year RB Nicholas Singleton ran for 941 yards and 10 touchdowns while sharing the rushing workload with fellow freshman RB Kaytron Allen, who added another 830 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground.
The Nittany Lions lost its top receiver, Parker Washington, to a season-ending injury in early November. Since that injury, Penn State has turned to WR Mitchell Tinsley (528 yards and 4 TD’s) and its tight ends to pick up the void. TE’s Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson combined for 662 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns on the year.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions will be without First-Team All-Big Ten CB Joey Porter Jr., as he has elected to skip the game to begin preparing for the NFL.
However, they will still have Second-Team All-Big Ten LB Abdul Carter and DL PJ Mustipher, as well as Third-Team All-Big Ten CB Kalen King, DL Adisa Isaac, and S Ji’Ayir Brown.
Carter, just a freshman, was a menace to opposing offenses, compiling 55 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles over the course of the season.
Brown, a senior, anchored the secondary and led the team in tackles, finishing with 66 tackles on the year. The do-it-all defensive back also had 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles.
Overall Outlook
Penn State is taking the Rose Bowl seriously. The players have bought in and will have nearly everyone available for the game. Not many players have entered the transfer portal.
This will be head coach James Franklin’s second Rose Bowl appearance. In his first trip in 2017 against USC, he watched his team blow a 49-35 third quarter lead as the Trojans scored 17 unanswered points and upset Penn State 52-49.
There’s still time to get great Utes gear for Christmas and the Rose Bowl!
Here’s a list of who has already committed to transfer to Utah, what Utes have entered the portal, and 15 names to keep an eye on over the next 43 days:
Committed to Utah
Stanford senior LB Levani Damunideclared his commitment to the Utes today. Damuni was the leading tackler and a team captain for the Cardinal last season. He should be an instant impact player for the Utes in 2023.
BYU DE Logan Fano: Logan’s brother Spencer just committed to the Utes yesterday, which just happened to be the same day Logan entered the transfer portal. Logan suffered an ACL injury last spring, but he should be healthy by the start of next season. The DE room is going to be STACKED. UPDATE: Fano committed to Utah 12/07/2022
Transferring from Utah
DB Malone Mataele: After the emergence of Sione Vaki, playing time began to dwindle for Mataele.
LB Ethan Calvert: An injury delayed Calvert’s career before it could ever really get started. The highly-rated linebacker should get an opportunity wherever he lands.
LB Mason Tufaga: With so much talent ahead of him, Tufaga has gotten buried a bit on the depth chart. This one is unfortunate to see, as his potential was sky-high and he had only been with the program for two seasons. In the same class as Calvert, the 2021 4-star prospect will be coveted by several teams. Both Oregon and USC were recruiting him in 2021.
DE Tyler Wegis: Wegis joined the Utes in the 2020 class as a 210-pound defensive end. He had the speed to get around the edge but needed to add weight at the collegiate level, and it just hasn’t happened. So many new faces have stepped ahead of him on the depth chart (Elliss, G.Reid, O’Toole, etc.), that it’s understandable why he would look for opportunities elsewhere.
TE Landon Morris: Morris joined the Utes last season from the transfer portal via Syracuse. He had the potential to be a good fit in the Utes TE-friendly offense but ultimately has decided to move on. This could be an indication that Kuithe and possibly Yassmin are staying.
15 Names in the Portal to Watch
*IMPORTANT UPDATE: Hearing rumors that DeVaughn Vele, Cam Rising, and Brant Kuithe are all leaning towards STAYING for the 2023 season. If true, disregard any WR or QB transfers. Dalton Kincaid has already declared for the NFL draft, and Yassmin is not likely to return (but this could change) so the Utes could still use a TE from the portal. Also, the Utes may be able to land a commitment from 2023 high 4-star TE Walker Lyons, which may fill this need.
Right now, CB is the most important piece the Utes need from the transfer portal to supplement Broughton, Vaughn, and Marks with Clark Phillips III officially declaring for the NFL draft. However, with the commitments from two 4-star 2023 recruits CJ Blocker and Smith Snowden, the Utes may already have the depth they need there as well.
Arizona State CB Keon Markham: With the anticipated loss of Clark Phillips III, the Utes will need a little more experience at the corner position going into next season. Markham has been on the field every season he’s been with the Sun Devils, and was previously recruited by Utah. The former 4-star recruit would be a solid addition to the secondary.
Snow College WR Marquis Montgomery: Back in November, the Utes brought Montgomery in for a visit. The Utes gave him his first major FBS offer back in August, and since that time, it seems like everyone else has joined the party. Even just in the past few days, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and USC have come calling.
LSU CB Damarius McGhee: Another long shot, McGhee was also offered a scholarship by the Utes two years ago. He’s a little taller than Harris, and has just about as much potential.
UNLV WR Kyle Williams: Williams has recorded over 400 yards receiving and at least 2 touchdowns in each of his three seasons with UNLV. Last season, he finished with 541 yards and 5 TD’s. He had an offer from Utah during the 2020 recruiting cycle.
Washington State WR Donovan Ollie: The Utes offered Ollie a scholarship way back in 2018. It’s possible the two still have mutual interest. Ollie had a career-best 491 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns last season for the Cougars.
Vanderbilt QB Mike Wright: The dual-threat QB from Vanderbilt could be a great option to lead the Utes if Johnson still needs time to develop. Last season, Wright threw for 974 yards, 12 TD, and only 4 INT. He also ran for 517 yards. He received an offer from Utah in 2020.
California K Dario Longhetto: Kicker is a position of great need for Utah. Longhetto has plenty of experience and has never missed inside 29 yards. He’s also only missed twice inside 39 yards and has the ability to hit from beyond 50 yards. He has only missed 2 extra points in 73 tries.
Arizona State K Jace Feely: Yes, that name sounds familiar. That’s because he is the son of long-time NFL kicker Jay Feely. Just a freshman, Jace has only kicked one extra point in his collegiate career, but if he can kick anything like his father, he would be a huge upgrade for the Utes.
Fresno State CB Cale Sanders: Update: Sanders has committed to SMU.
USC WR Jake Smith: Update: Smith has committed to Arizona State
Washington State WR De’Zhaun Stribling: Update: Stribling has committed to Oklahoma State
Florida CB Avery Helm: A former 4-star recruit, Helm has not gotten the playing time he expected while playing for the Gators. He has seen action in all three seasons but has not been a full-season starter. He received an offer from the Utes in 2019, and just had Morgan Scalley in his home on December 6th. Update: Helm has committed to TCU
Arizona WR Dorian Singer: He’s getting several offers after adding his name into the portal, but as a former Ute recruit, Utah still has a decent shot at landing him. Singer had a breakout year last season for the Wildcats, netting 1,105 and 6 TD’s. Oregon, Colorado, and many others have made offers. Utah offered him on December 5th. UPDATE: Singer has committed to USC.
Cal Poly TE Josh Cuevas: The Utes made an offer to the Cal Poly standout on 12/5/22. Cuevas had 58 receptions for 678 yards and 6 touchdowns with the Mustangs. He seems like the perfect fit for the Utes, but the competition is fierce. He also has offers from Oklahoma State, Michigan, Washington, and many others. Update: Cuevas has committed to play at Washington.
Oregon TE Moliki Matavao: The former 2020 4-star prospect had an offer from the Utes and has great size at 6’6″, 256 lbs., and has proven to be a downfield threat with 10 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown with the Ducks last season. While primarily used as a blocker, he might get more receiving opportunities with Utah. Matavao entered the portal on 12/12/22. Update: Matavao has committed to play at UCLA.
Mississippi State WR Rara Thomas: Right after entering the transfer portal two weeks ago, the Utes made an offer to Thomas. He caught 44 passes for 626 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. There is a lot of interest out there for his service, especially coming from Georgia. Update: Thomas has committed to Georgia.
Idaho State WR Xavier Guillory: Guillory had a breakout season for the Bengals last season, hauling in 52 passes for 785 yards and 4 touchdowns. Having just brought in FB/TE Logan Kendall from Idaho State last season, the Utes might add another athlete from Pocatello. The Utes made an offer to Guillory November 28th. Update: Guillory has committed to Arizona State.
Texas A&M CB Denver Harris: A 5-star recruit just a year ago, it would be a long shot for the Utes to land Harris. However, the Utes defense is stacked, and Harris would have an immediate opportunity to start and make a meaningful impact for Utah. Jaylon Johnson, Clark Phillips III, Denver Harris…it has a nice ring to it. Harris was given an offer from the Utes a year ago. Update: Harris has committed to LSU
Keep coming back to this page, as I will continue to update the lists of those that have come in, transferred out, and who to keep watching!
Utah and USC gave us quite the show a month and a half ago.
In a game where the two teams combined for 85 points and USC never trailed until Cam Rising’s late-game heroics in the final 48 seconds of the game put the Utes ahead for good, it’ll be hard for the sequel to live up to the hype of the first duel between these top two PAC-12 teams.
However, we might be in for an even better show this Friday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the PAC-12 Championship.
What’s On the Line?
The first game had plenty on the line. The Trojans came into Rice-Eccles Stadium with playoff hopes and an undefeated record to protect.
Utah already had already suffered two frustrating losses and needed a win to keep any hopes of a return to the Rose Bowl alive.
Fittingly, in this matchup, the stakes haven’t changed. Now ranked #4 in the College Football Playoff Rankings, a USC win means the Trojans will make the playoff with a win over the Utes.
Following a Thanksgiving weekend where everything had to go right for Utah to get into the PAC-12 Championship, the Utes can now earn a return trip to Pasadena to represent the conference in the Rose Bowl if they can find a way to beat USC a second time this season.
That won’t be an easy task.
What To Expect From USC
Since losing to Utah, the Trojans have averaged 45.4 points per game while rattling off five-straight wins, including victories over UCLA and Notre Dame.
A significant part of the offensive surge has been due to the play of USC QB and Heisman front-runner Caleb Williams. Over the past five games, Williams has completed 68% of his passes, throwing for 1,741 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Top running back Travis Dye was lost for the season on November 11th, but senior RB Austin Jones has been a revelation in his place, running for 120 yards against UCLA and 154 yards against Notre Dame in his two starts since Dye went down.
As good as the offense has been, the Trojan defense has continued to struggle, allowing 32.2 points per game since giving up 43 points to Utah on October 15th.
What to Expect from Utah
Since beating USC, the Utes haven’t seemed quite right, and it may be due to injuries. Following the bye week, both Rising and TE Dalton Kincaid, the offensive stars in the win over the Trojans, had to sit out against Washington State due to injury.
Rising returned the following week against Arizona but seemed to be a shell of his former self. In his first three games returning from injury, the typically accurate leader of the Utes offense only completed 56% of his passes and missed several critical throws in the loss to Oregon.
His accuracy appeared to return last week against Colorado, where he completed 90% of his passes and threw for 234 yards in just a half of play, but that improvement may have been more about the opponent than the player.
Kincaid, who leads all Utah receivers with 850 yards, and had 234 yards against USC in the last matchup, returned against Stanford and looked great against Oregon and Colorado but left the last game due to another injury. His status for the conference championship is now up in the air, which would be a major hit to the Utes offense.
Thankfully for Utah, the defense has improved over the past five games, only allowing 17 points per game. However, injuries have also recently struck that side of the ball for the Utes, where they’ve lost both starting defensive ends, Van Fillinger and Jonah Elliss, over the past two games. Neither is expected to play Friday.
What to Expect in This Matchup
USC nearly beat Utah in the first matchup, and they did so through the air. Williams threw for 381 yards and 5 touchdowns, and both Mario Williams and Jordan Addison eclipsed over 100 yards receiving.
The Utes were able to put pressure on Williams, sacking him 4 times, but with both Fillinger and Elliss out, it’s difficult to believe that Utah can repeat that in the sequel. Much will depend on the performance of backup tight ends Gabe Reid and Connor O’Toole.
While the Utes have been solid against the rush, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Trojans take advantage of the loss of Fillinger and Elliss and pound the ball with Jones, especially considering how well Jones has performed over the past three games.
Even if Kincaid can return, he won’t be 100%, so the Utes will also have to find new ways to move the ball down the field. RB Ja’Quinden Jackson looked solid since RB Tavion Thomas declared for the NFL draft, but Utah will need several skill players to step up to fill in for Kincaid’s production.
Much of this second matchup seems to be in USC’s favor. The Trojans clinched a conference championship berth one week prior to the Utes, so Trojan fans got a head start on purchasing tickets for the game. While the game site is neutral, there will likely be 2 USC fans for every Ute fan at the game.
Utah also has more questions going into the game. How healthy are Rising and Kincaid? Can the defense succeed without Fillinger and Elliss? Was the offensive outburst last week against Colorado a return to form or just due to the Buffaloes historically awful defense?
On the other hand, USC has given up a lot of points over the past few games, and narrowly escaped upsets against Arizona, California, and UCLA. Can the Utes take advantage?
With so many more questions facing Utah than USC, it’s difficult to select the Utes to win this one.
Straight Up Utes 