Where Utah ranked in Phil Steele’s College Football preseason poll

The Utah Utes are in the midst of the offseason between camps before the start of the college football season. This is the time of year when things get interesting and everyone gives their predictions for the upcoming season.

One of the most respected voices in the sport recently broke down how the Big 12 Conference will shake out in 2026. With that said, both Beehive State teams have to feel pretty good about their respective chances going forward.

Phil Steele’s college football preview hit shelves this month and is packed full of knowledge. The longtime contributor believes Utah's first season under Morgan Scalley as head coach will be a hit. He's putting them at No. 3, which is lower than last year but still on the contender side. Who's above the Utes in Steele's rankings?

Texas Tech is No. 1 after falling flat in last year's College Football Playoff to Oregon and losing quarterback Brendan Sorsby to the NFL after a gambling scandal rocked the team. Even with Steele's analysis being published before this week's decision from Sorsby, he still called Tech the best team in the conference with Will Hammond as the starter. This put to bed any speculation that the Red Raiders were put there because of Sorsby.

The BYU Cougars were just ahead of Utah at No. 2, setting the stage for one of the biggest Holy War games in recent memory. If both schools remain undefeated going into the Nov. 7 contest, expect a ton of national attention coming to Salt Lake City.

Steele believes Scalley and the Utes won't face many growing pains after Kyle Whittingham's transition to Michigan. There will be some slight adjustments with six new coaches on the Utes staff. Scalley has held the coach-in-waiting title for years, and now it's time to prove why he stuck around for the opportunity to take over for Whitt.

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Scalley has to be excited for this season. Being about to retain quarterbacks Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin will be huge. Not to mention, one of the best rushers in Wayshawn Parker will balance out the attack. Utah lost a few playmakers on both sides of the ball and will still be just as edgy as last year.

Utah has the talent to compete if they put it all together properly. That's where Scalley with "earn his keep," especially on the defensive front. Losing a pass rusher like John Henry Daley stings, but isn't insurmountable.

As the season grinds down to the final month, Scalley and his staff will be fighting injuries while positioning themselves for a Big 12 title run.