Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham acknowledges the student section after the game against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Will the Utah Utes win the Big 12 in 2025?

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 8:48 PM ET

With just about three months to go until the 2025-26 college football season, a clear-cut favorite to win the Big 12 title at this stage of the offseason has yet to emerge.

It might just be that the league isn't as top-heavy as some of the other power conferences around the country. Even then, parity should make for an intriguing conference championship race to monitor all throughout the regular season.

According to nationally-acclaimed analyst Phil Steele, the Big 12 could see a three-way tie atop the league's standings. Utah, Baylor and Iowa State are projected to share the league's regular season title in Steele's preview of the conference, followed by Arizona State, Texas Tech and Kansas State in a tie for second place.

Steele has the Utes' offensive line ranked No. 1 in the league, with three of its members featured on his all-conference teams. Spencer Fano is listed on Steele's All-Big 12 First team as expected, while Caleb Lomu appears on the second team and Tanoa Togiai on the fourth team.

The Utes have another four on the defensive side of the ball mentioned on Steele's All-Big 12 teams, including Landon Barton, Logan Fano, Dallas Vakalahi and Smith Snowden. Utah's defensive units have received high praise from Steele, with its linebacker corps ranking No. 1 and its defensive line and defensive backs coming in at No. 3, respectively, among the Big 12's other units.

Notably, Utah's skill position groups weren't as highly rated in Steele's preview. The Utes' running back room is ranked No. 10 in the Big 12 by Steele, while their wide receivers come in at No. 12. Utah's quarterback room, headlined by New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier, is ranked as the fourth-best in the Big 12.

It's anyone's guess as to how the Big 12 will shake out in 2025. ESPN's FPI projects Kansas State finishes atop the standings, with Arizona State, BYU, Kansas and TCU rounding out the top five. Granted, the FPI's win projection totals aren't separated by much — BYU, Kansas, TCU and Baylor all fall in the 8-9 win range.

In a year without a dominant preseason favorite to win the Big 12, perhaps an opportunity to rise to the top is upon the Utes this upcoming season.