- Head coach: Kyle Whittingham (21st season)
- 2023 record: 8-5 (Lost Las Vegas Bowl)
- PFF power ranking: 41st
- Chance to win the Big 12: 7%
- Strength of schedule: 64th
- Projected win total: 6.4
- FanDuel win total: 9.5
- 2024 recruiting rank (On3): No. 47 nationally, No. 6 in the Big 12
Kyle Whittingham and the Utah coaching staff were forced to flex their muscles last season once star quarterback Cameron Rising and stud tight end Brant Kuithe were announced to be missing the entire 2023 season with torn ACLs suffered the year before.
Despite the Utes missing their two best players, they finished with a winning record for the 10th straight year. Utah now has hopes of winning the Big 12 in its inaugural season with Rising and Kuithe both back for their seventh seasons. The Utes will need significant improvement from their offensive line to do so.
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Biggest Strength: The return of Cameron Rising and Brant Kuithe
The importance of Rising and Kuithe’s respective comebacks cannot be overstated. They’re Utah’s two best players and will be key to the program's College Football Playoff hopes.
Biggest Weakness: Pass protection
For Rising and Kuithe to thrive, they’ll need the offensive line to make significant leaps in pass protection. The Utes earned the fifth-worst pass-blocking grade in the nation last year (46.0) and must replace three starters from that unit.
2023 Team Overview
Offense |
||||
| EPA per play | Yards per play | Successful play rate | Explosive run play rate | Explosive pass play rate |
| -0.057 | 5.2 | 32.9% | 14.7% | 12.0% |
| 90th | 99th | 94th | 80th | 109th |
Defense |
||||
| EPA allowed per play | Yards allowed per play | Successful play rate allowed | Explosive run rate allowed | Explosive pass rate allowed |
| -0.106 | 5.3 | 29.1% | 14.1% | 15.8% |
| 25th | 43rd | 11th | 46th | 107th |
Three Notable Transfer Portal Additions
- WR Dorian Singer (USC): 62.9 PFF grade
- TE Carsen Ryan (UCLA): 72.1 PFF grade
- CB Kenan Johnson (Georgia Tech): 73.9 PFF grade
Three Notable Transfer Portal Losses
- RB Ja’Quinden Jackson (Arkansas): 81.5 PFF grade
- WR Mikey Matthews (California): 65.4 PFF grade
- QB Bryson Barnes (Utah State): 68.7 PFF grade
Quarterback Spotlight: Cameron Rising
2022 Grade: 79.1
Key Stat: 2.4% turnover-worthy play rate across 2021-2022
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