Utah Comes In At No. 15 In Phil Steele's Preseason Rankings

One of the few preseason college football polls to be high on Utah entering the 2021 season, Phil Steele says the Utes are one of five Pac-12 teams in his top-25 and one of three teams ranked in his top-15

Fall camp is just under a month away, which means the college football season is just under two months away. For Utah, there is still a significant number of battles that need to play out before the season-opener against Weber State on Sept. 2 at Rice-Eccles stadium. 

Will Cam Rising be fully healthy enough to hold off incoming grad transfer Charlie Brewer from Baylor as QB1? And who will emerge from a crowded running back room to take the play of the late Ty Jordan?

Despite the question marks at crucial positions, college football guru analyst Phil Steele believes Utah is primed for a big season. According to his 2021 College Football Season Preview, Steele has Utah checked in at No. 15 in top-25 preseason rankings. 

He also named 11 Utes to 12 different positions across the four all-Pac-12 teams.

While most publications aren't extremely high on Utah — with question marks at quarterback and running back as the primary reason — Steele believes this is a team that could be a major player in determining the outcome of the Pac-12 title.

"This may be Kyle Whittingham's best team yet as he has a talented team with 19 returning starters and then enriched it with the Transfer Portal," Steele wrote. "The Utes may be a dog in only one game this year and make my Surprise Team list again."

Washington was Steele's top-rated Pac-12 team, checking in at No. 9, followed by USC (No. 13), Oregon (No. 19) and Arizona State (No. 21). Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia round out the top five.

Nov 21, 2020; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes linebacker Nephi Sewell (29) picks up the fumble and runs to the end zone against the USC Trojans at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Among the biggest wins for Utah in the NCAA transfer portal has been Brewer, the dual-threat leader from Baylor. If he wins the starting job over Rising — who's recovering from a shoulder surgery — he will give the Utes offense an immediate veteran presence who's played in some of the biggest games in college football.

Nov 28, 2020; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Charlie Brewer (5) rolls out against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first quarter at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Redshirt freshman Sataoa Laumea was the only Ute named to Steele's first-team offense, somewhat surprising considering the play of lineman Nick Ford and tight end Brant Kuithe over the past few seasons.

Utah is expected to be dominant on defense again, so it comes as no surprise that linebacker Devin Lloyd and defensive end Mika Tafua were named to the first-team defense. While both players could be taken in the early part of the 2022 NFL draft, Lloyd should be in the running for the Pac-12 defensive player of the year after being named a second-team all-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

Britain Covey and Jadon Redding were both named to the first team for special teams. Covey is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous punt returners in college football while Redding appears to be the next great Utah kicker.

Covey was named to the second-team offense as a wide receiver, joining Kuithe. Both of them have the potential for a breakout season, especially Kuithe. If he can rekindle some of the magic from two years ago, he's matchup nightmare and could really elevate his stock around the country.

Dec 6, 2019; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Utah Utes tight end Brant Kuithe (80) catches a pass against Oregon Ducks safety Brady Breeze (25) during the first half of the Pac-12 Conference championship game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Long snapper Keegan Markgraf was selected to the second team on special teams.

While no Utes were named to Steele's third team, four were named to the fourth team.

Joining Ford was transfer running back TJ Pledger, an interesting choice by Steele considering no running back has been named a starter despite the competition expecting to be tough and rigorous. Converted linebacker Nephi Sewell and cornerback JaTravis Broughton were named to the defense.

Be sure to like us on social media for future coverage: Twitter — @UtahUtes_SI and Ryan Kostecka at @Ryan_Kostecka