Transfer portal · 2026
Utah Utes
Both windowsProjected two-deep impacti
+15
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
Utah added 15 transfers projected into the two-deep (7 as starters) against 22 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.
21
Arrivals
-1
22
Departures
0.86
Avg rating in
-0.01
0.87
Avg rating out
15
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
13 of 21
’25 production in
—
12 of 22
’25 production out
How the roster changed
43 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
QB
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
Brandon Rose in from Massachusetts drives the room.
Depth concern-2 players
RB
+1 in · −3 out
InOut
?
?
Steve Chavez-Soto in from San José State drives the room.
Defense-2 net players
Replaced+1 player
DL
+3 in · −2 out
InOut
Jireh Moe in from San José 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-3 players
CB
+4 in · −7 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
G
?
Elijah Reed in from Akron 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 production percentile (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 · 77th pctl ’25 production · 26 rec · 427 yds · 5 TD
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from Utah State
Braden Pegan
rating 0.92 · 97th pctl ’25 production · 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 unannounced
?
Blake Cotton
72nd pctl ’25 production · 27 tkl · 2 TFL · 7 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 · 88th pctl ’25 production · 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 replaced6 chains
RB
Rotation slot
Out · to unannounced
?
NaQuari Rogers
70th pctl ’25 production · 387 rush yds · 3.9 ypc · 11 TD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from San José State
Steve Chavez-Soto
rating 0.88 · 71st pctl ’25 production · 448 rush yds · 5.1 ypc · 7 TD · rb2 rotation
Jan 13
▾ Detail
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 · 99th pctl ’25 production · 45 tkl · 17.5 TFL · 11.5 sk
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from North Texas
Ethan Day
rating 0.87 · 97th pctl ’25 production · 54 tkl · 7 TFL · 4.5 sk · rde1 starter
Jan 6
▾ Detail
DL
Rotation slot
Out · to Penn State
Dallas Vakalahi
rating 0.87 · 36th pctl ’25 production · 11 tkl
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Wyoming
Lucas Samsula
rating 0.86 · 55th pctl ’25 production · 15 tkl · 1.5 TFL · 1.5 sk · rdt2 rotation
Jan 6
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to Michigan
Smith Snowden
rating 0.92 · 83rd pctl ’25 production · 37 tkl · 2 TFL · 2 INT
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Akron
Elijah Reed
rating 0.85 · 86th pctl ’25 production · 44 tkl · 2 TFL · 1 sk · 2 INT · rcb1 starter
Jan 10
▾ Detail
CB
Rotation slot
Out · to Purdue
Don Saunders
rating 0.86 · 43rd pctl ’25 production · 7 tkl · 2 PD
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from South Florida
James Chenault
rating 0.86 · 76th pctl ’25 production · 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 · 3rd pctl ’25 production
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No starter/rotation addition
1 depth arrival in room
Jan 7
▾ Detail
RB
Production lost
Out · to LSU
Raycine Guillory
rating 0.85 · 4th pctl ’25 production
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
1 two-deep arrival answers other losses
Jan 5
▾ Detail
CB
Production lost
Out · to Colorado
Jason Stokes Jr.
rating 0.86 · 29th pctl ’25 production · 3 tkl · 1 PD
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
3 two-deep arrivals answer other losses · 1 depth arrival in room · 2 producing losses unanswered
Jan 14
▾ Detail
Quality vs experience
Portal rating
0.750.800.850.900.951.00
No ’25 production record
High-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depth0th pctl25th pctl50th pctl75th pctl
’25 production · national position percentile
10 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger
How much Utah depends on transfers
Projected 2026 two-deep · 51 slotsQuarterback50%
1
1
Skill (RB/WR/TE)90%
1
4
5
Offensive line20%
8
2
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)50%
5
2
3
Secondary (CB/S)42%
7
1
4
Specialists29%
5
1
1
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
47%
Projected two-deep from transfers
24 of 51 two-deep slots
12 of 27
Projected starters from transfers
7 from the 2026 cycle, 5 held over
20th
Big 12 percentile · transfer share
13th-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
36th pctl
’25 production · Utah
Devon Dampier
QB · from New Mexico · 2025 cycle · QB1 starter
90th pctl
’25 production · Utah
Orion Phillips
P · from Missouri · 2025 cycle · PT1 starter
35th pctl
’25 production · Utah
Creed Whittemore
WR · from Mississippi State · 2025 cycle · SL2 rotation
44th pctl
’25 production · Utah
Wayshawn Parker
RB · from Washington State · 2025 cycle · RB1 starter
95th pctl
’25 production · Utah
Lance Holtzclaw
EDGE · from Washington · 2025 cycle · LDE1 starter
78th pctl
’25 production · Utah
JC Hart
CB · from Auburn · 2025 cycle · LCB2 rotation
36th pctl
’25 production · Utah
Larry Simmons
WR · from Southern Miss · 2025 cycle · X1 starter
68th pctl
’25 production · Utah
Tobias Merriweather
WR · from California · 2025 cycle · X2 rotation
50th pctl
’25 production · Utah
Where Utah’s transfers came from — and where they went
Sources · 21 arrivals22 departures · destinations
Arrived from · 21
Non-FBS
6 players
Mountain West
5 players
SEC
3 players
American Athletic
2 players
Mid-American
2 players
Pac-12
1 player
+
Other
2 players
Departed to · 22
Big Ten
8 players
+
Unannounced
3 players
American Athletic
3 players
Big 12
2 players
Non-FBS
2 players
SEC
1 player
+
Other
3 players
6arrivals came from Non-FBS programs — the single largest source.
15arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (5 of 21 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
43 of 43 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★