Utah loses key offensive player to the transfer portal

A pass-catcher with tons of potential has decided to test his value on the open market

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley lost a big piece of his offense to the transfer portal. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

JJ Buchanan, coming off an impressive freshman season at Utah, has entered the transfer portal.

The versatile pass-catcher who served in a hybrid role for the Utes in 2025 was in line to play a key role for the team as a sophomore, though that thought was put on hold once his name appeared in On3's transfer portal tracker on Wednesday.

Buchanan was listed as a tight end early on but operated more like a wide receiver over the course of the season, developing into one of Devon Dampier's top targets by the end of the campaign. Buchanan finished with 427 receiving yards, third-most on the team, and five touchdowns on 26 receptions, including a career-high 76 yards on four catches in Utah's 44-22 victory over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl.

With the Utes' top two options in the passing game — Ryan Davis and Dallen Bentley — departing in the spring, it was expected that Buchanan would return to Salt Lake City and compete for the role of No. 1 receiver in 2026. But following the changes to the Utah coaching staff since the 2025 season ended, Buchanan decided to test his value on the open market, becoming potentially the biggest portal loss for the Utes in the current transfer cycle.

Buchanan was unquestionably Utah's most productive offensive player to enter the portal at the time of his entry. On the other side of the ball, the Utes were set to lose All-American edge rusher John Henry Daley, defensive lineman Dallas Vakalahi and starting defensive backs Smith Snowden and Tao Johnson, among others.

As has been the case for many of Utah's impending departures, Buchanan has been viewed as a player Kyle Whittingham could soon recruit to Michigan. Buchanan would be viewed as an upgrade to for the Wolverines, considering they got a combined 604 receiving yards and 56 catches from the five tight ends who saw the field last season: Marlin Klein, Zack Marshall, Hogan Hansen, Deakon Tonielli and Max Bredeson.

Buchanan enrolled at Utah in June as a four-star and 247Sports' No. 9 athlete nationally in the 2025 recruiting class. The 6-foot-4 Coronado High School (Nevada) product was recruited as a wideout, tight end, linebacker and safety while garnering interest from several schools, including Cal, BYU, Iowa State and Oregon State, among others. ESPN rated him as the No. 31 athlete in the country heading into his senior season.