While uncertainty keeps swirling around the Utes’ quarterback, head coach Kyle Whittingham feels good about the rest of his squad.
Coming off back-to-back Pac-12 Championships for the first time in program history, Whittingham said he thinks Utah has its best roster since he joined as an assistant in 1994.
“I think it’s the most talented team we’ve ever had,” Whittingham said on The Preferred Walk-On Show. I really do. From one to eighty-five as far as your scholarship roster.”
The Utes return 16 starters, including standout sixth-year senior quarterback Cam Rising, who will throw to leading receiver Devaughn Vele and tight end Brant Kuithe. Kuithe, a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2022, returns for a sixth season after suffering a season-ending injury early last year.
“We’ve been working hard in recruiting (and) our recruiting class seems to get a little bit better each year — we were a top-20 class last year,” Whittingham continued. “That’s what it’s all about, It’s about assembling talent and developing and managing that talent. “You recruit, you develop, you manage, and our assistant coaches have done a phenomenal job of developing players through the years as well. A lot of the players we have in the NFL, which is quite a bit, are former three-star, you know, not heavily recruited guys out of high school.”
Utah, 20, compiled its highest-ranked class per 247Sports’ Composite rankings in school history for 2023, landing inside the top 30 of team rankings for the only time of the modern recruiting era. The Utes finished with the 34th-best class twice in 2022 and 2021, and No. 30 in 2020.
Four of Utah’s five highest-valued pledges ever have committed since 2017, and nine of the 10 highest have come under Whittingham’s tutelage. The Utes also have 26 active NFL players.
“We’ve got talent and depth at virtually every spot (on the defense),” Whittingham said. “That’s due to a lot of hard work in the recruiting and stacking up the recruiting classes on top of each other.”
Utah comes in at No. 14 in the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll after finishing 10th last season. While Rising is still working his way back from an ACL tear suffered in the Rose Bowl in January, Whittingham thinks the Utes could make some noise barring some unforeseen setbacks.
“If everything falls into place and we get Cam (Rising) back on the field sooner rather than later, we stay healthy — that’s always an issue — have the ball bounce your way a few times, I mean, who knows,” Whittingham said. “It’s possible to have a three-peat, obviously, which has never been done in the Pac-12, nobody’s ever three-peated so that’s something we’re shooting for. “We have not made it to the (College Football Playoff) yet, so that’s always something we’re looking toward as well. Good things can happen, I can tell you that.”
