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Utah football will kick off fall camp exactly two weeks from yesterday, and they will look to build off of a strong 2025 season. This offseason was filled with change, but fans should still feel a good amount of optimism about this year’s squad. On a scale of one to five, with five being the highest, here is my confidence level in each position room before fall camp.
SAFETY:
The returners: Jackson Bennee, Rabbit Evans, Nate Ritchie, Nate Tilmon, Manny Fuller
The additions: Marcus Wimberly, Davis Andrews, Luke Bryant
Confidence level: 4.5 out of 5. This room was decimated by injuries last year, and for the most part they held their own when the numbers got thin. Almost all of the key pieces of that room are back this fall, and from the looks of it the room appears to be healthy as we head into the season. Bennee and Evans will most likely be the day one starters, but there is a lot ot like about their backups as well. Ritchie is one of the most veteran players on this entire roster, and Tilmon is the future. The only reason why this room is not a five out of five is because of the tackling issues that plagued the room last year. We’ve heard that improving in that area has been a massive focus for the room this offseason, and if that shows itself this fall and we see the same nastiness from last season, this room could easily jump into the five-out-of-five category.
CORNERBACK:
The returners: Scooby Davis, Rock Caldwell, JC Hart
The additions: Elijah Reed, James Chenault, Nick Brown, Major Hinchen, Dylan Waters, Brandon Holmes, Earl Parker
Confidence level: 4.5 out of 5. No room was decimated as much as the cornerback room this offseason. With the amount of spots Utah had to work with, Sharrieff Shah did a really good job bringing in a mixture of size and speed. Spring started rough for the group due to the amount of things the coaching staff asks their corners to do, but it sounds like they rounded a corner by the time spring ended. Sharrieff Shah is one of the coaches on this staff I don’t have concerns with when it comes to figuring out who will start. He has proven that he will get the best guys on the field and they will do things the right way. This group reaches five out of five if they can limit the defensive pass interference we saw in the spring.
LINEBACKER:
The returners: Johnathan Hall, Trey Reynolds, Cyrus Polu, Elijah Elliss, Brock Fonoimoana
The additions: Tayson Reid, Preston Pitts, LaGary Mitchell
Confidence level: 4.5 out of 5. The linebacker play last season wasn’t as bad as people make it out to be. That’s not me saying they didn’t make some mistakes, they did. In run defense, a lot of the issues can be traced back to defensive tackles not being gap sound. With the revamped tackle room (more on that later), the hope is that the backers can get back to doing what they are known for this fall. Hall and Reynolds both had some really good moments in 2025, but Polu might be the x-factor in this year’s room. During spring ball, the sophomore was flying around the field and made many high-level plays. This room is stacked with talent, and very easily can get my full confidence if they can get back to the same high level of play they did in previous years, especially with the help in the trenches.
DEFENSIVE END:
The returners: Lance Holtzclaw, Kash Dillon, Paul Fitzgerald, Alex Cloward
The additions: Ethan Day, PJ Takitaki, Nick Igwe
Confidence level: 4 out of 5. Last year’s edge room was a strength for this team mainly due to the play of John Henry Daley. But with him gone, there is a major need for a new Mayor of Sack Lake City to emerge. A lot of the guys in the room have just been waiting for their chance, and with no incumbent returning, it makes for an open competition. This room feels eerily similar to last year; no one has truly been a game-wrecker, but that doesn’t mean someone won’t step up. The four-man rotation will most likely consist of Holtzclaw, Day, Dillon, and Fitzgerald this fall, which gives Utah some fun combinations they can play with. This room gets 4 out of 5 because while we saw people getting into the backfield in the spring, we need to see it in a live game. I don’t think we will see someone in the double-digit sack total, but as a group, if they can do that, then this will be a successful room.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE:
The returners: Karson Kaufusi, Pupu Sepulona, Dilan Battle, Mike Tauteoli
The additions: Lucas Samsula, Jireh Moe, Jamal Wallace, Stanley Raass, Fa Siale
Confidence level: 4 out of 5. From a sheer size perspective, this year’s room from top to bottom is bigger than last year’s room, which gives me more confidence. The big issue with last year’s room was a mixture of that lack of size and also youth. While there are still a good number of underclassmen in this room, they all played a substantial amount of football during their careers. I am going with a four out of five for just one reason. While we saw the guys getting after it in spring, it’s different when the stadium lights are on. If they can showcase the same nastiness this fall while also limiting opposing teams on the ground, this group will have mt full confidence.
