Which Utah players have opted out of Las Vegas Bowl vs. Nebraska?

For postseason teams not competing in the College Football Playoff, there's a chance some players who were on the roster for the final weekend of the regular season won't be there for whatever bowl game is on the calendar.

That's because the time in between the last week of November and Christmas is — unofficially — draft declaration season for the top NFL prospects in the country. It's also a period some players use to make their transfer portal intentions known — even though the two-week window to switch schools doesn't open until Jan. 2.

Needless to say, it's a hectic time in the sport. Especially when factoring in all the coaching changes going on as well.

Utah's roster situation going into its matchup against Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl (1:30 p.m. MT, Dec. 31) is no exception. A few NFL-bound Utes have gotten a head start on their draft preparation, which means they won't be suiting up for Kyle Whittingham's final game as the team's head coach on New Year's Eve.

Here's a look at who's opting out and a couple of notable opt-ins for Utah heading into its bowl game.

Who's opting out

RT Spencer Fano (NFL draft)
LT Caleb Lomu (NFL draft)
DE Logan Fano (NFL draft)

Utah's personnel for its bowl game won't look the same as it did for its 12-game regular season slate. The offensive line, especially, will feature some different faces with both Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu opting out while declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.

It'll be interesting to monitor how the Utes — who averaged the second-most rushing yards per game (269.8) in the Football Bowl Subdivision in the regular season — function without their two best offensive linemen bookending their front line against a Cornhuskers defense that allowed the third-highest yards per carry average in the Big Ten (4.8).

When put that way, it sounds like the Utes could still have success moving the ball via the ground game when they meet the Cornhuskers at Allegiant Stadium. But it'll be worth keeping an eye on how the two players who step in for Fano and Lomu, respectively, at right and left tackle.

Keith Olson, a 6-foot-6 junior, is a likely candidate to start at right tackle. He started at right tackle for the Kansas game and has allowed one pressure and one hurry in 64 pass blocking opportunities this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

At left tackle, redshirt senior Zereouse Williams could be a viable option. The 6-foot-8 Arizona native played in all 12 regular season, mainly at left tackle, and recorded 79 total snaps, including 59 on run plays.

As for the other side of the ball, Utah will be down without its main edge rushers in John Henry Daley and Logan Fano. Daley's absence has been felt since his season-ending injury against Kansas State in November; Logan, meanwhile, has missed just one game and really stepped up his game without Daley in the lineup.

Logan recorded a season-high 10 total tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and 0.5 sacks during Utah's 31-21 win over Kansas in the regular season finale, a week after Daley went down with an injury in the Utes' home finale.

With their top edge rushers out, the Utes could turn to Kash Dillon and Lance Holtzclaw to step in on the defensive line.

Dillon, a 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman, has played an impactful role in his first season on the field, totaling 31 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks across 12 games. Holtzclaw didn't see as much action as Dillon, though he was still productive; 24 total tackles, including 3.0 for loss and 0.5 sacks.

Notable opt-ins

QB Devon Dampier
LB Lander Barton

Devon Dampier confirmed his availability for the Las Vegas Bowl after a historic regular season, becoming the first Utes signal-caller to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 600 yards in a single season since Alex Smith accomplished the feat in 2004. Dampier had 2,180 passing yards, a career-high 22 passing touchdowns and only five interceptions after throwing 12 picks last season. He also had 687 rushing yards and seven touchdowns going into Utah's postseason game.

"I chose to finish out this season with my team," Dampier said during a media availability session. "I'm gonna play in the game. But some people, it's a lot higher stakes; got a couple first rounders and things like that."

Likewise, Lander Barton has made it clear he'll play in Whittingham's last game as Utah's head coach. The 6-foot-5 senior and East-West Shrine Bowl invitee will have appeared in 46 games for Whittingham once he takes the field against the Cornhuskers, dating back to his freshman season in 2022. Barton's third on the team in total tackles (51) and has 3.5 tackles for loss in 2025.

Dampier and Barton are just a couple of players who've made their availability for the Las Vegas Bowl known to this point — several other starters and key contributors for the Utes will play as well.

In fact, Whittingham doesn't expect any more Utah players will opt out ahead of the Dec. 31 matchup at Allegiant Stadium.

"I would assume — you never know for sure — but I assume that we're in place now," Whittingham said during a media availability session. "And going forward, those will be [the only players opting out]."

Who's opting out

Notable opt-ins

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