5 Utah football players who will define the season after NFL Draft losses

Looking at new and familiar faces who will define the Utes' 2026 campaign

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4). | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

With the transfer portal calming down and the NFL draft in the rearview mirror, Utah football fans can turn their full attention to the 2026 season.

After reeling in 16 transfers to help replace the team's 20 portal departures, and following send-offs to Spencer Fano, Caleb Lomu and others in the NFL draft, Utah's roster looks a bit different than when fans last saw the Utes take the field on New Year's Eve against Nebraska. According to ESPN, Morgan Scalley's squad returns 55% of its production from the 2025 season, ranking No. 54 in the country in that category.

That being said, let's take a look at some of the familiar and new faces who will help define Utah's season.

Devon Dampier (QB)

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4). | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

• 2025 stats: 212-of-334 passing (63.5%) for 2,490 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions; 146 rushes for 835 yards (5.7 per carry) and 10 touchdowns

Once again, everything on the offensive side of the ball for Utah is going to start and end with Devon Dampier, who's coming off a superb debut season that saw him take home Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors and be named a finalist for the Manning Award after leading the Utes to a 10-2 record as the starting quarterback (he missed one game due to injury).

The rising senior's ability to handle the transition to Kevin McGiven's schemes and the bonds he forms with some of the team's new pass catchers will indicate just how efficient and explosive Utah can be in 2026.

Braden Pegan (WR)

Former Utah State Aggies and current Utah Utes wide receiver Braden Pegan (11). | Photo courtesy of Utah State University Athletics.

• 2025 stats (Utah State): 60 receptions for 926 yards and five touchdowns; four rushes for 11 yards (2.8 per carry) and a touchdown

Braden Pegan appears set to claim No. 1 wide receiver duties with the Utes after arriving from Logan, Utah, as a four-star transfer who helped the Aggies finish 2025 as the Mountain West's No. 2 offense by yardage. He's also reunited with the man behind Utah State's play-calling (McGiven) in Salt Lake City, bringing some sense of familiarity to an offense that's been retooled since fans last saw it take the field.

In addition to a revamped starting offensive line, the Utes have some new faces in the wide receiver room after their top two players at the position in 2025 — Ryan Davis (graduated) and JJ Buchanan (transfer) — departed in the offseason (the team's top tight end, Dallen Bentley, also left to pursue the NFL).

If Pegan shows he can create separation against Big 12 corners and make explosive plays through the air, Utah's offense could be more dynamic than what it was in 2025. At the very least, his production will help make up for the loss of Davis.

Jackson Bennee (DB)

Utah Utes safety Jackson Bennee (23). | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

• 2025 stats: 64 total tackles (four for loss), 0.5 sacks, five passes defended and four interceptions (one returned for touchdown); 33 scrimmage yards (18 receiving, 15 rushing)

Jackson Bennee's versatility as a safety/nickel corner makes him one of the Utes' most important players on defense in its own right; the 6-foot-2 junior's production and penchant for finding the football further underscores his immense value to first-year defensive coordinator Colton Swan's unit. Especially when considering how vital cornerback play was to Utah finishing among the Big 12's top teams against the pass last season.

Expecting Bennee to produce similar stats in 2026 wouldn't be fair for just about any defensive back. If he continues to improve his coverage skills and defends the run consistently, he'll be in the running for all-conference honors once again.

Karson Kaufusi (DT)

• 2025 stats: 13 total tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks

A sophomore who rarely saw the field as a freshman will somehow help define the Utes' 2026 season? We believe so, mainly because Utah will need someone on the interior of the defensive line to step up after losing quite a bit of talent in the offseason.

It'll be important for Kaufusi, a former three-star recruit in the 2025 class, to take a step forward in his development in 2026. Utah wasn't necessarily rock-solid in the middle last season, as evidenced by its inability to slow down the run down the stretch of the regular season.

The Utes' ability to get after the passer will also play an important role to their success on defense, but we expect that Ethan Day, Lance Holtzclaw and Kash Dillon will get the job done.

The Starting O-Line

The Cal Poly Mustangs defense lines up against the Utah Utes offensive line. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

• 2025 stats: 14 sacks allowed; paved way for 3,462 rush yards and 41 rushing touchdowns

Yes, technically the O-line is five players alone. Picking just one lineman to help define Utah's season would've just felt wrong, though, given how important it is for all five positions to be connected with one another. And because O-line play has always been vital to the Utes' success, grouping all the starters together just makes sense.

The starting tackle spots will especially be worth monitoring. Blue-chip prospect Kelvin Obot is a candidate to start at left tackle, though Utah could go with a more experienced option in Zereoue Williams or Keith Olson. Likewise, Montana State transfer Cedric Jefferson could line up at right tackle, but so Williams or Olson.