Utah football transfers who could play big roles in 2026

Most college football programs look vastly different year over year thanks to the transfer portal, and Utah isn't an exception.

For Morgan Scalley's first season as head coach, the Utes will have 55% of their production from last season's 11-2 squad on the roster and 16 newcomers via the portal after losing 20 to college football's free agency.

Some of Utah's additions will likely wind up being depth pieces who rarely see the field, though several others are in line to play vital roles following the team's NFL draft departures and graduates.

Here's a look at four newcomers who could play big roles 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.

Wide receiver isn't a position Utah has prioritized historically. In fact, the Utes haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Dres Anderson crossed the threshold in 2013 with 1,002 yards.

Pegan, a four-star transfer who tallied 926 receiving yards at Utah State last season, has an opportunity to snap Utah's 1,000-yard drought in 2026. With Ryan Davis graduated and JJ Buchanan at Michigan, the 6-foot-3 junior should be Utah's top receiving target going into the regular season. His familiarity with Kevin McGiven, his former Utah State offensive coordinator who's now at Utah, will help ease the transition for Devon Dampier and the other returners from last season.

"That's one of those dudes that you wish you had 20 of them," Scalley said of Pegan after spring practice. "He's such a good kid, smart football player, athletic, can jump out of the gym. We're excited to have him."

Ethan Day (DE)

Former North Texas Mean Green and current Utah Utes defensive end Ethan Day. | Photo courtesy of Ethan Day's X account (@EthanDay42).

The departures of John Henry Daley (Michigan) and Logan Fano (NFL) created some voids for Scalley and company to fill along the defensive line going into the offseason.

Utah addressed the need right away with the addition of Day, a 6-foot-4, 250 pound defensive end who recorded 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks at North Texas, in early January.

In addition to his productivity, the junior from California brings experience and leadership to the Utes defense, as evidenced by his appointment to the team's leadership council in March. As far as his role on the field is concerned, he's likely poised to start on one side of the defensive line, across from either Lance Holtzclaw or Kash Dillon on the other.

Getting after the quarterback at a consistent rate is a major key to Utah's defense being successful in 2026. Expecting Day to put up Daley's All-America numbers would be asking too much; if he can apply pressure and force quick throws at a steady rate, the Utes would be in good shape.

Cedric Jefferson (OT)

How the Utes plug their offensive line holes after losing all five of last season's starters to the draft and graduation remains to be seen at this point. A few veterans who've logged snaps as backups, like Zereoue Williams and Keith Olson, for example, are potential candidates to replace either (or both) Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu at the tackle spots, but it wouldn't be surprising if blue-chip prospect Kelvin Obot got a starting nod at left tackle, either.

For now, we're picking Jefferson, a transfer from Montana State who started every game for the national champion Bobcats in 2025, to start for the Utes at right tackle because of his experience in a run-heavy offense (Montana State was No. 2 in the FCS in rush attempts and No. 5 in rush yards per game last season).

Regardless of offensive scheme, O-line play has been pivotal to Utah's success over the past two decades. If Jefferson does end up starting at right tackle, he'll need to be able to handle Big 12 pass rushers and establish the edge in the run game for the Utes' offense to be effective.

Elijah Reed (CB)

Former Akron Zips defensive back Elijah Reed. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Utah was one of the best defenses against the pass in the Big 12 last season because its defensive backs and pass rush essentially worked hand-in-hand; Daley and Fano brought the heat off the edge while their teammates on the backend were sound with their coverage.

With Smith Snowden (Michigan), Blake Cotton (graduated), Don Saunders (Purdue) and Tao Johnson (UCLA) gone, Utah went into the offseason needing to replenish its depth at defensive back. Snagging Reed, a transfer from Akron who recorded a pair of interceptions while allowing just one touchdown in 2025, helped address the team's need at the cornerback position.

If Reed is as effective in coverage against Big 12 wide receivers as he was against Mid-American Conference pass catchers, Utah's defense will hardly miss a beat in 2026.

Add us as a preferred source on Google