Pac-12 Preview: Are Cam Rising and the Utes being overlooked in 2023?
As June starts to roll into July, and July eventually leads us to the start of fall camps at the beginning of August, the 2023 college football season will be here before we know it. What a season it projects to be in the Pac-12 Conference, as well. With a handful of College Football Playoff contenders, and a group of Heisman Trophy candidates leading their prospective teams, we could be set up for one of the best football seasons out west that we’ve seen in decades. To help get us prepared, we at Ducks Wire wanted to go through each team in the conference and give a comprehensive breakdown of each school, breaking down their 2023 outlook. Welcome to our Pac-12 Previews. New editions will be published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday leading up to the start of fall camp.
Check out our previously published previews: Arizona Wildcats — Arizona State Sun Devils — California Golden Bears — Colorado Buffaloes — Oregon State Beavers — Stanford Cardinal — UCLA Bruins — USC Trojans
If you were to ask any semi-knowledgable fan of college football this offseason who the teams to focus on in the Pac-12 were, you’d likely get the same three answers: USC, Oregon, and Washington.
None of those teams are coming off back-to-back Pac-12 championship victories and a pair of Rose Bowl appearances in the last two years. None of those teams arguably have the best single coach in the conference.
The Utah Utes do, though. So why are we not talking about them more?
It’s not as if quarterback Cameron Rising took off for the NFL this offseason. Like Bo Nix and Michael Penix, he also chose to return for one last ride at this level and will look to go out on top. Sure, Rising is coming off of a knee injury, and it’s not a guarantee that he is 100% healthy by the first week of the season, but he’s still the dynamic gun-slinger that we’ve seen dominate the conference over the past two years.
Is there a world in which we see that dominance span three years? It’s incredibly possible. Here’s our full 2023 season breakdown of the Utah Utes.
Toughest Games on the Schedule
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Toughest Games
Week 1 vs. Florida
Week 2 at Baylor
Week 5 at Oregon State
Week 8 at USC
Week 9 vs. Oregon
Week 11 at Washington
Analysis: It’s safe to say that the Utes have a pretty tough schedule this year. With a brutal non-conference slate against both Florida and Baylor, Utah then has to turn around and play the four other best teams in the Pac-12 — Oregon, USC, Washington, and Oregon State. That’s not easy sledding.
Easiest Games on the Schedule
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Easiest Games
Week 3 vs. Weber State
Week 7 vs. California
Week 12 at Arizona
Analysis: Some of Utah’s games are pretty easy, and should be surefire wins. Chalk up a W next to Weber State, Arizona, and California, and move on.
Record Projection
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Ducks Wire Record Projection: 10-4 (7-2)
Analysis: The fact that Cam Rising may not be 100% healthy by the start of the regular season could be a major factor in Utah’s overall record. The Utes kick off the season with a home game against Florida, and then they travel to Baylor in Week 2. Two weeks later, they have UCLA and Oregon State back-to-back, and then a stretch in October and November where they play USC, Oregon, and Washington in the span of four weeks. In those seven games I just mentioned, I don’t think it’s crazy to think that Utah could end up losing at least half of them. If they do better than that, it’s a major success.
Bowl Projection
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Ducks Wire Bowl Projection: Holiday Bowl
Analysis: I don’t project a Pac-12 three-peat for the Utes this year, but I do see them being bowl-eligible and playing someone like NC State in the Holiday Bowl.
Key Players to Know
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Players to Know
QB Cameron Rising
RB Ja’Quinden Jackson
RB Micah Bernard
WR DeVaughn Vele
WR Mikey Matthews
TE Brant Kuithe
Defensive Players to Know
DT Junior Tafuna
LB Karene Reid
LB Lander Barton
S Cole Bishop
Notable Offseason Additions and Departures
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Notable Additions
WR Mycah Pittman
RB Micah Bernard
EDGE Logan Fano
LB Levani Damuni
Notable Departures
RB Tavion Thomas
Recruiting/Transfer Portal Outlook
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
The success that Utah is able to produce on the field is remarkable considering what they get out of the recruiting world each and every year. The highest-rated recruit in school history was 4-star CB Clark Phillips, who did not crack our Pac-12 Top 100 recruits of the past decade. Rarely are the Utes near the top of the rankings in the conference, but the coaching allows them to get the most out of what they have. The same goes for the transfer portal, where they get a bit better results.
Recent History
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It’s been two straight Pac-12 championships and two straight trips to the Rose Bowl for the Utes. Of course, the two bowl game results were not what Utah wanted, but they at least are getting to the big game. No team has been as consistently great as Utah over the past few years in the conference.
Coaching Hot Seat Temperature Check
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I’m not sure there is anyone in the Pac-12 outside of maybe Lincoln Riley who is further away from the “hot seat.” Based on what he is able to do with the level of skill on his roster, it’s not at all hyperbole to say that Kyle Whittingham is among the best coaches in the nation. He won’t be losing his job any time soon.
Five Year Outlook for the Program
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It’s going to be interesting to see how conference realignment impacts the Utes. With USC and UCLA leaving for the Big Ten next year, the Utes should be able to step up and be one of the best teams in the Pac-12 based on talent alone. However, they aren’t a big enough brand nationally to carry much water in the conference. Should more realignment come, where will the Utes be left standing?
