Transfer portal · 2026
Utah Utes
Both windowsProjected two-deep impacti
+14
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
Utah added 14 transfers projected into the two-deep (7 as starters) against 20 departures whose next roles aren’t tracked here. Every number on this page is counted, not modelled — no composite portal grade is published because no defensible one exists yet.
20
Arrivals
0
20
Departures
0.86
Avg rating in
-0.01
0.87
Avg rating out
14
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
12 of 20
’25 production in
—
10 of 20
’25 production out
What changed
Depth concern
More players out than in with no two-deep answer — depth, not the starting line, is the exposure.
Still unresolved
Departures with no portal answer yet. Replacement must come from the returning roster or signing class.
How the roster changed
40 moves · 11 rooms touchediOffense0 net players
Replaced+1 player
WR
+3 in · −2 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
Braden Pegan in from Utah State drives the room.
Replaced+1 player
TE
+2 in · −1 out
InOut
Will Monney in from Oklahoma State drives the room.
Upgraded+1 player
OL
+2 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Isaiah Kema in from Ohio State drives the room.
Depth concern-1 player
RB
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
?
Steve Chavez-Soto in from San José State drives the room.
Unresolved-2 players
QB
+0 in · −2 out
InOut
No arrivals
Isaac Wilson out to Colorado drives the room.
Defense-1 net players
Replaced+1 player
DL
+3 in · −2 out
InOut
Dallas Vakalahi out to Penn State drives the room.
Replaced+1 player
S
+2 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
B
Tao Johnson out to UCLA drives the room.
Replaced—
LB
+1 in · −1 out
InOut
S
Christian Thatcher out to Memphis drives the room.
Replaced-1 player
EDGE
+1 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
John Henry Daley out to Michigan drives the room.
Depth concern-2 players
CB
+4 in · −6 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
G
Smith Snowden out to Michigan drives the room.
Specialists+1 net players
Replaced+1 player
K
+1 in · −0 out
InOutNo departures
Tanner Cragun in from UTEP drives the room.
No movement—
P
+0 in · −0 out
InOutNo arrivalsNo departures
No portal movement in this room.
No movement—
LS
+0 in · −0 out
InOutNo arrivalsNo departures
No portal movement in this room.
ArrivalDepartureHeavy ring · proj starter inThin ring · rotation inDotted · depth role or no ’25 recordMarker size = ’25 usage share (smallest = none recorded)
Did Utah replace what it lost?
Role slots, not player-for-playerReplaced4 chains
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Michigan
JJ Buchanan
rating 0.94 · 6% ’25 usage · 26 rec · 427 yds · 5 TD
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from Utah State
Braden Pegan
rating 0.92 · 12% ’25 usage · 60 rec · 925 yds · 5 TD · z1 starter
Jan 7
▾ Detail
OL
Starting slot
Out · to Washington State
Kalolo Ta'aga
rating 0.85
Replaced
Low confidence
In · from Montana State
Cedric Jefferson
rating 0.85 · rt1 starter
Jan 12
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to Purdue
Don Saunders
rating 0.86 · 7 tkl · 2 PD
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Garden City CC
G
Rock Caldwell
no ’25 production record · nb1 starter
—
▾ Detail
S
Starting slot
Out · to UCLA
Tao Johnson
rating 0.87 · 50 tkl · 2.5 TFL · 2 INT
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Blinn College
B
Rabbit Evans
no ’25 production record · ss1 starter
—
▾ Detail
Partially replaced5 chains
TE
Rotation slot
Out · to North Texas
Drew Clemens
rating 0.86
Partial replacement
Low confidence
In · from Weber State
Noah Bennee
rating 0.85 · te2 rotation
Jan 18
▾ Detail
EDGE
Starting slot
Out · to Michigan
John Henry Daley
rating 0.93 · 45 tkl · 17.5 TFL · 11.5 sk
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from North Texas
Ethan Day
rating 0.87 · 54 tkl · 7 TFL · 4.5 sk · rde1 starter
Jan 6
▾ Detail
DL
Rotation slot
Out · to Penn State
Dallas Vakalahi
rating 0.87 · 11 tkl
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Wyoming
Lucas Samsula
rating 0.86 · 15 tkl · 1.5 TFL · 1.5 sk · rdt2 rotation
Jan 6
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to Michigan
Smith Snowden
rating 0.92 · 37 tkl · 2 TFL · 2 INT
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Akron
Elijah Reed
rating 0.85 · 44 tkl · 2 TFL · 1 sk · 2 INT · rcb1 starter
Jan 10
▾ Detail
CB
Rotation slot
Out · to Colorado
Jason Stokes Jr.
rating 0.86 · 3 tkl · 1 PD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from South Florida
James Chenault
rating 0.86 · 32 tkl · 1 TFL · 2 INT · rcb2 rotation
Jan 13
▾ Detail
Not replaced3 chains
QB
Production lost
Out · to Colorado
Isaac Wilson
rating 0.86
Unresolved
Loss not replaced
In
No portal addition
Jan 7
▾ Detail
RB
Production lost
Out · to LSU
Raycine Guillory
rating 0.85 · 1% ’25 usage
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No starter/rotation addition
1 depth arrival in room
Jan 5
▾ Detail
CB
Production lost
Out · to UTEP
LaTristan Thompson
rating 0.83 · 4 tkl
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
3 two-deep arrivals answer other losses · 1 depth arrival in room
Jan 12
▾ Detail
Quality vs experience
Portal rating
0.750.800.850.900.951.00
No ’25 usage recordHigh-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depthChavez-SotoPeganBuchanan
0%20%40%60%
’25 usage share of previous team’s snapsets
7 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger
How much Utah depends on transfers
Projected 2026 two-deep · 52 slotsQuarterback50%
1
1
Skill (RB/WR/TE)80%
2
4
4
Offensive line20%
8
2
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)50%
5
2
3
Secondary (CB/S)45%
6
1
4
Specialists33%
6
1
2
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
46%
Projected two-deep from transfers
24 of 52 two-deep slots
12 of 28
Projected starters from transfers
7 from the 2026 cycle, 5 held over
13th
Big 12 percentile · transfer share
14th-most transfer-dependent two-deep of 16 Big 12 teams
Returning portal corePrior-cycle transfers still in the two-deep
Paul Fitzgerald
EDGE · from Utah State · 2024 cycle · LDE2 rotation
7 tkl
’25 · Utah
Devon Dampier
QB · from New Mexico · 2025 cycle · QB1 starter
53%
’25 usage · Utah
Orion Phillips
P · from Missouri · 2025 cycle · PT1 starter
38 punts
’25 · Utah
Creed Whittemore
WR · from Mississippi State · 2025 cycle · SL2 rotation
6%
’25 usage · Utah
Wayshawn Parker
RB · from Washington State · 2025 cycle · RB1 starter
17%
’25 usage · Utah
Lance Holtzclaw
EDGE · from Washington · 2025 cycle · LDE1 starter
26 tkl
’25 · Utah
JC Hart
CB · from Auburn · 2025 cycle · LCB2 rotation
6 tkl
’25 · Utah
Larry Simmons
WR · from Southern Miss · 2025 cycle · X1 starter
4%
’25 usage · Utah
Tobias Merriweather
WR · from California · 2025 cycle · X2 rotation
5%
’25 usage · Utah
Where Utah’s transfers came from — and where they went
Sources · 20 arrivals20 departures · destinations
Mountain West
5 players
SEC
3 players
Non-FBS
3 players
Unlisted
3 players
+
American Athletic
2 players
Pac-12
1 player
Other
3 players
+
Big Ten
8 players
American Athletic
3 players
Big 12
2 players
Non-FBS
2 players
+
Unannounced
1 player
SEC
1 player
+
Other
3 players
Utah
0 net moves
Arrived from · 20
Mountain West
5 players
SEC
3 players
Non-FBS
3 players
+
Unlisted
3 players
American Athletic
2 players
Pac-12
1 player
+
Other
3 players
Departed to · 20
Big Ten
8 players
American Athletic
3 players
Big 12
2 players
Non-FBS
2 players
+
Unannounced
1 player
SEC
1 player
+
Other
3 players
5arrivals came from Mountain West programs — the single largest source.
14arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (5 of 20 arrivals came from P4 leagues).
2departures stayed inside the Big 12.
How the window developed
Cumulative net moves · in − out4 undated moves not plotted
All portal moves
40 of 40 moves match · 25 shownShow
Role in
Sort
PlayerPosDirectionOrigin / destinationRating’25 productionEligProjected roleDate
BP
Winter window · 4★
SC
Winter window · 3★
ED
Winter window · 3★
LS
Winter window · 3★
IK
Winter window · 3★
KS
Winter window · 3★
JM
Winter window · 3★
JW
Winter window · 3★
JC
Winter window · 3★
MW
Winter window · 3★
ER
Winter window · 3★
JJ
Winter window · 3★