The new season of college football is nearly upon us, and while Arizona State is seeking to repeat as Big 12 champions, the rest of the conference will have something to say about that. In anticipation of the new season, we're breaking down each of the 15 other schools and where they stand heading into the year. You can find previously released breakdowns below.
Oklahoma State
Houston
BYU
Colorado
Cincinnati
Arizona
West Virginia
Kansas
UCF
Today, we look at a former Pac 12 foe that's historically been a thorn in Arizona State's side: the Utah Utes.
What happened last year
Expectations were high for Utah's first season in the Big 12. Kyle Whittingham's program returned several starters on an elite defense, and quarterback Cam Rising was back after an injury plagued 2023 season. Most prognosticators believed Utah was going to run away with the conference.
However, Rising was quickly revealed to still not be 100%, and that threw a wrench in the Utes offense. They still started off 4-0, largely thanks to a defense that gave up 13 points a game over that stretch, but the bottom fell out quickly. Rising missed a game that saw Utah lose to Arizona, then came back and played poorly in a loss to the Sun Devils, and was then shut down for the year.
Utah would ultimately cycle through several quarterbacks the rest of the season, and Whittingham fired longtime offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig midway through the year. The defense remained strong, but poor offensive performances saw the Utes finish 5-7. It marked Whittingham's first losing season since 2013.
What's new this year
The biggest change came on offense. Whittingham was on the hunt for a new offensive coordinator, and Morgan Scalley - the Utes' defensive coordinator and designated head coach in waiting - helped guide the search to land on New Mexico's Jason Beck.
Not long after Beck signed with the Utes, several Lobos players transferred to Utah as well. The biggest name is the quarterback, Devon Dampier. The Arizona native was a lone bright spot for a middling Lobos team last year, racking up nearly 4,000 yards of offense through the air and on foot and scoring 31 total touchdowns.
The tandem of Beck and Dampier has been highly touted in Salt Lake City, as the Utes once again return several key pieces on the defensive side but hope that a more stable connection between quarterback and coordinator will right the ship.
Reasons for optimism
Dampier was one of the more electric Group of 5 quarterbacks last year, and Beck has been a rising star for several seasons now. Last year's Utah team suffered from poor offense, most of which stemmed from Rising's injury and a lack of quality backup options. Bringing these two in should represent an upgrade in that department.
Whittingham is also one of the most consistent coaches in college football. Only Iowa's Kirk Ferentz is more tenured, and Whittingham has 167 wins to his name. He knows how to win, and the Utes certainly have the talent to compete in the Big 12, especially on defense.
Reasons for skepticism
The biggest - and perhaps only - source of skepticism with Utah is whether or not Dampier is the real deal. He put up great numbers for what he was working with at New Mexico last year, but the Lobos still won just five games. The competition is tougher, and the defenders are bigger and faster, in the Big 12.
Just like last year, if the Utes' starting quarterback ends up not being all he's hyped up to be, it could be another down year. That's especially true given their schedule, which features four of the top contenders in the Big 12 this year as well as three of the top four from last year.
Realistic expectations
Utah's preseason outlook reads like a Rorschach test for people's opinions on Dampier. Those who are a bit skeptical will project Utah to have to fight for bowl eligibility.
However, if Dampier can feel at home in Beck's offense, just as he did last year, the Utes could very well be the team to beat in the Big 12 this year. That was the expectation last year, and good quarterback play should get them right back in the conversation.
They won't be the odds-on favorite, just because of the uncerainty surrounding Dampier, but don't be surprised if Utah is making an appearance in the Bigb 12 title game this year.