What do opposing coaches really think about Utah’s football program and its prospects for the 2022 season?
The annual Athlon Sports college football preview recently posted a “Scouting the Utes” segment featuring comments from anonymous coaches.
Here’s what the anonymous coaches said about Utah:
On the state of the Utes’ program
“This is the best program in the Pac-12. I don’t think you’ll find anyone who would name another team. They could beat Florida to open the season and help the league out tremendously.”
On Utah’s culture
“They do a fantastic job recruiting to their culture, and they always have. They have cornered the market on what ‘physical football’ looks like, and coaches from other conferences will tell you that, too. Look at the Oregon games — Mario Cristobal made it a mission to make Oregon more physical on the lines, and the Utes just blew them up twice. It’s a testament to the fact it’s not easy to do what they do out there.”
On recruiting
“They do a really good job making Utah a recruiting priority and then complementing with California and Texas. It’s a good mix of players, and the success they had last year has helped them push forward on higher-profile talent. I think they could brand themselves better in the portal if they wanted to.”
On Utah’s scheme
“They’re schematically simple but fundamentally sound on defense, which is common when you’re trying to lead with your physicality. Don’t muck it up; let them make contact.”
On Utah’s offense
“Offensively, they run power with the right wrinkles. You can’t get too comfortable with it because they’ll slip into some RPO stuff and kill you.”
On the Utah’s future
“They’re going to get lapped by USC eventually, but not right now. As long as that staff is in place, they’re going to win games and compete for Rose Bowls.”
The Utes open the 2022 season on Sept. 3 at Florida.
Utah freshman running back Jaylon Glover gets in some work during the first day of practice Aug. 3, 2022, in Salt Lake City.
Hunter Dyke, Utah Athletics