Utah One Of The Teams That ESPN Analysts Expect To Take A 'Big Step' In 2024

So much so that ESPN's Chris Low tabbed them as the team that he is the most interested in seeing if they can take that next big step. A step that for Utah means contending for the College Football Playoff, and a title.

"It's a credit to Kyle Whittingham and his entire Utah program that an 8-5 record is seen as a "down" season. But the Utes lost four conference games for the first time since 2017 and lost four of their last six games to end the season. That's after winning back-to-back Pac-12 championships, wrote Low. "As they transition to the Big 12 in 2024, don't be surprised if the Utes are right there at the top challenging for the title. That's significant, too, because the Big 12 champion gets an automatic berth into the new 12-team playoff, and potentially a top-four seed and a first-round bye. Some of the best news for Utah is that star quarterback Cam Rising will be back after missing all of last season with a knee injury, and the Utes have also filled some key holes in the transfer portal."

All the pieces are in place for Utah to take this next step. They are viewed as having one of the easier schedules in the country, they were able to bolster their roster by adding elite transfers like wide receiver Dorian Singer and safety Alaka'i Gilman, they return experience all over the field, and most importantly the Big 12 is very much up for grabs. 

It is also worth noting that Whittingham is expecting a handful of transfers to join the siege for the Big 12 come spring. While Utah was knocked down in 2023, they are rising with a vengeance in 2024.