Utah football position preview: Special teams and final thoughts entering 2026 fall camp

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The Utah Utes enter fall camp with plenty of reasons to believe they can make a run at the Big 12 championship.

The Utes are coming off an 11-win season in which the offense averaged 41.2 points and 482.9 yards per game. They return their starting quarterback, their leading rusher and several important defensive pieces.

But this is not the same team.

Morgan Scalley is entering his first full season as Utah’s head coach. Kevin McGiven has taken over the offense. Utah officially lists more than 100 players on its 2026 roster, but plenty of roles will still be decided over the next month.

Here's the final installment of a six-part look at Utah's roster.

Special teams: B

Utah’s specialists will look different this season.

Orion Phillips returns at punter after handling the job last year. His experience gives the Utes some stability there.

Dillon Curtis returns as Utah's kicker.

The return game could feature several players.

Shoels, Nate Johnson, Bray and Carvalho all have the speed to become dangerous options, but Utah will also consider ball security and offensive workload before making that decision.

Shah oversees special teams, so this should remain a major emphasis under Scalley.

Biggest strengths

Utah’s biggest strength is quarterback.

Dampier is proven, Ficklin is capable, and the offense has multiple ways to use both.

Running back is not far behind. Parker is one of the conference’s most explosive backs, and Utah has several options behind him.

Safety should be the strength of the defense. Evans and Bennee give Utah an experienced starting tandem with real depth behind them.

The receiver room may have the highest ceiling of any group on the roster. Pegan, Shoels, Simmons, Whittemore and Johnson give Utah more speed and depth than it has had in a long time.

Utah’s biggest concerns

The offensive line is the biggest one.

Utah may have five capable starters, but replacing an entire offensive line is difficult. The group has to prove that it can protect Dampier and maintain the physical identity that made last year’s offense successful.

The defensive line is another concern.

Kaufusi and Sepulona have significant upside, but neither has played a full season as a starter. Utah needs the young players and transfers to become dependable quickly.

Five potential breakout players

Lance Holzclaw has the clearest path to becoming Utah’s next productive edge rusher.

Cyrus Polu could force his way into a major role at linebacker.

Daniel Bray has the speed to become one of Utah’s most dangerous offensive weapons.

Kyri Shoels could become Dampier’s primary big-play threat.

Karson Kaufusi has the talent to become a disruptive player in the middle of the defense.

Overall roster outlook

This roster is good enough to win the Big 12 and make a run at the College Football Playoff.

That does not mean it is complete.

Utah has one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. It has a proven running back, a deep receiver room, talented offensive linemen and enough defensive depth to remain competitive every week.

But the Utes are also replacing a good amount of starters.

That is why fall camp matters.

Utah needs to find its best offensive line combination. It needs to establish a rotation on the defensive front.

The talent is there. The ceiling is high.

Now Utah has to turn a roster with plenty of individual pieces into a team capable of winning the conference.