Utah football transfer portal: Tracking every addition to the 2026 roster

With the 2025 season in the rearview mirror, the Utah football program has turned its attention toward the transfer portal.

Over the past few years, the Utes have benefitted from bringing in new and experienced talent from other schools, with John Henry Daley (BYU), Logan Fano (BYU), Devon Dampier (New Mexico) and Wayshawn Parker (Washington State) serving as recent examples of players making an immediate impact upon their arrival to Salt Lake City.

Filling in gaps and adding depth to positions of need won't look the same as it did in previous years, though. Kyle Whittingham is no longer at the helm of the program, and new rules dictating when players can enter the portal have been established for the 2026 cycle.

That being said, Morgan Scalley and his first-year coaching staff will have to navigate uncharted waters as they assemble the pieces that'll make up their 2026 roster.

Over the course of the offseason, this page will be updated with Utah's latest portal additions, plus brief breakdowns on each newcomer to the program.

Utah's 2026 Transfer Portal Class

Player	Previous School	Position	Hometown	Transfer Ranking (247Sports)	2025 Stats
Marcus Wimberly	Oklahoma	Safety	Bauxite, Arkansas	3-star, No. 107 safety	Didn't play
Lucas Samsula	Wyoming	Defensive tackle	Plano, Texas	N/A	15 total tackles, 1.5 sacks in 12 games played
Ethan Day	North Texas	Defensive lineman	Ripon, California	3-star, No. 18 defensive lineman	53 total tackles (7.0 TFLs), 4.5 sacks in 14 games played
Tanner Cragun	UTEP	Kicker	Frisco, Texas	N/A	Went 6-for-8 on field goal attempts in seven games
Braden Pegan	Utah State	Wide receiver	San Juan Capistrano, California	4-star, No. 21 wide receiver	Hauled in 60 catches for 926 yards and five touchdowns
Kyri Shoels	San José State	Wide receiver	Las Vegas	3-star, No. 61 wide receiver	Grabbed 59 catches for 768 yards and two touchdowns
Isaiah Kema	Ohio State	Interior offensive lineman	Lubbock, Texas	N/A	Appeared in four games

(For a look at the players leaving Utah via the portal, click here)

Marcus Wimberly, Safety — Oklahoma

Height/weight: 6-foot-1,185 pounds
2025 eligibility: Freshman
High school rating (247Sports): 3-star, No. 80 safety nationally in 2025 class
Was recruited by the Utes coming out of Bauxite High School (Arkansas) and took a visit to Utah in June 2024

Lucas Samsula, Defensive Tackle — Wyoming

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 306 pounds
2025 eligibility: Redshirt sophomore
High school rating (247Sports): N/A
Took a redshirt year as a freshman (2023) and missed the 2024 campaign due to injury

Ethan Day, Defensive Lineman — North Texas

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 250 pounds
2025 eligibility: Junior
High school rating (247Sports): N/A
Entering fifth year of college after spending one season at Modesto College (JUCO; 2022), two seasons at Wyoming (2023, 2024) and one season at North Texas (2025).

Tanner Cragun, Kicker — UTEP

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds
2025 eligibility: Redshirt sophomore
High school rating (Chris Sailer Kicking): 5-star
Started his career as a walk-on at Utah in 2020

Braden Pegan, Wide Receiver — Utah State

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds
2025 eligibility: Junior
High school rating (247Sports): 3-star
Was recruited by Utah wide receivers coach Chad Bumphis in 2021

Kyri Shoels, Wide Receiver — San José State

Height/weight: 6-foot-tall, 182 pounds
2025 eligibility: Redshirt junior
High school rating (247Sports): 3-star (JUCO)
Transferred from Palomar College (California) to San José State in 2024, teaming up with current Utes offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven

Isaiah Kema, Interior Offensive Lineman — Ohio State

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 312 pounds
2025 eligibility: Freshman
High school rating (247Sports): 3-star
Served two-year mission trip in New Zealand before joining Ohio State in 2025

New Transfer Portal Window

Last year, the NCAA Football Oversight Committee voted for a single transfer portal window to take place in January, doing away with with the spring transfer cycle in a significant change for the sport's offseason calendar.

The old transfer process included a 30-day window starting the day after the College Football Playoff selections, followed by another 15-day transfer period between April 16-30. In October, the NCAA modified its rules to make for a single transfer portal window from Jan. 2-16.

Players can still commit and transfer to their next school at any time after their names have been entered into the portal. Those competing in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Jan. 19 will get an additional five-day period from Jan. 20 to 24 to enter the portal after their season ends.