Utah Football 2023 preview: Early season prediction, key matchups, players to watch, roster, and more

The Utah Utes are the gatekeepers of the PAC-12. That will be for as long as the conference continues to remain. They are as old and historic as Stanford, playing their first games in 1892 against a local YMCA team. They have grown since their days as the “BCS Buster” and one of those well-respected Programs in Power Five football.

This is our way-too-early prediction for the Utah Utes' 2023 season:

Utah Utes' 2023 season prediction

Regardless of the realignment storylines going into the Pac-12, its turmoil among coaches, or the Colorado transfer portal saga, the Utes are the team to beat.

Cameron Rising Accepts Pac 12 championship game MVP

They fielded one of the most physical teams in the Power Five conferences (more on that later). It will be a tough out for any team that has to face them this fall.

We predict the Utah Utes' college football playoff and Pac-12 three-peat chances come to a head on November 11 in Seattle against the Washington Huskies. If they win that game, they could see themselves, at the very least, in another Rose Bowl appearance.

Key matchups

Washington State v Utes

The Utes have one of the most unique nonconference schedules. On August 31, they open with a rematch against last season’s heartbreaking Week 1 loss. It’s hard to argue that Florida is any more organized than they were a year ago, but the Gators caught them on that day as well. It should be a great test.

From there, on September 9, they go to the Mecca of football, Texas. The Baylor Bears will await them in an anticipated Big 12-Pac 12 mashup.

The remainder of their schedule will be in-conference. Road trips to both USC (Oct. 21) and Washington (Nov. 11) will be their toughest tests. One team (USC) the Utes has had the numbers of, while the latter (Washington) has had theirs, posting a 12-2 all-time record versus the Utes.

A face-off in late October versus the Oregon Ducks is another match-up Utah should have circled.

Players to watch

Cameron Rising Tears ACL in Rose Bowl game,

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising is a darling of college football. His game resembles that of former Washington State and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew. Many are watching closely him after he tore his ACL in the Rose Bowl. If he can return to form, he has a chance to leave the Utes as the program's all-time passer.

They return both of their bell-cow backs, Ja’Quinden Jackson and Micah Bernard.

On the defensive side, they have an interior lineman that will be drafted next season in Junior Tafuna. Next to Karen’s Reid, the duo will terrorize Pac-12 offenses as they did in 2022.

Roster analysis

The biggest loss comes in the form of the security blanket tight end Dalton Kincaid. The offense is full of explosive weapons that need to contribute more on a consistent basis. Regardless of that, the Utah offense will be built behind an experienced, dominant, offensive line. Multiple of their blockers will get a shot in the big leagues.

On top of that, defensively the Utes return all but its top three players. They have multiple seasons of experience at all three levels of the defense and filled their voids with transfer portal players.

As the nation's leader in tackles for loss and sacks, they are the model of consistency and disruption.

Coaching Staff and Strategies

Kyle Wittingham Coaching his Ute Football team

Coach Kyle Whittingham is one of the most respected football coaches in America. he slid in from defensive coordinator to head coach after Urban Meyer left in 2004 and is still there almost 20 years later. Year in and year out, he gets the most and if his roster.

Offensively the Utes were one of the most efficient teams with offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig calling plays. He perfectly synchronizes the looks he gives defenses, causing confusion and explosive plays for his weapons.

The defensive coaching staff is just as revered. Morgan Scalley has been at Utah for 16 years, with the last eight as a defensive coordinator. Yearly, he is rated as the number-one DC in the Pac 12, the last two seasons Utah’s defense has forced more TFLs in sacks than any other program.

2023 expectations and goals

Since 2012, Utah has been a program on the rise. They dominated the mountain west conference, got into the bigger power-five Pac-12, and quickly went on to compete for their conference championship annually.

Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One Venture X - Ohio State v Utes

The expectation and goals are to continue that rise:

• finish the season with the Rose Bowl win
• get into the college football playoff
• three-peat as conference champions

Despite being one of the least talked about programs by casual fans, pundits and coaches alike have the utmost respect for Utes football. It is hard to doubt Kyle Whittingham's staff when every time they're the underdog, they seem to win.

The Utah formula is proof that the traditional way to do things and win Championships is still feasible in the modern-day college football landscape.