“You’ll be back” — Chad Bumphis’ return to Utah fulfills promise Morgan Scalley made to him
Mar 30, 2026, 3:19 PM | Updated: Mar 31, 2026, 11:02 am
SALT LAKE CITY — For Chad Bumphis, the path back to Utah didn’t start with the job opening — it started with a promise.
A couple years ago, in the aftermath of another Rose Bowl game, Bumphis and Morgan Scalley stood alone in a locker room.
“The last real conversation we had was after the Rose Bowl,” Bumphis shared. “We were in the locker room — just the two of us — and I was cleaning out my locker. He looked at me and said, ‘Did you like it here?’ I told him I loved it.”
Scalley responded, now in hindsight, almost prophetically.
“He just nodded and said, ‘Alright… you’ll be back’ that was it, that was the last time we talked,” Bumphis explained.
In his three seasons back in Starkville, Bumphis really upped his resume. He oversaw the development of MSU’s Brenen Thompson on the way to All-SEC Second and Third Team recognition. He finished the season with 53 receptions for 948 yards and six touchdowns.
The season prior, Bumphis coached Kevin Coleman Jr., the first Bulldog receiver to earn All-SEC honors since 2016. Coleman was named Third Team All-Conference after having one of the best seasons in program history, hauling in 74 receptions for 932 yards and six touchdowns.
“Fast forward, I texted Scalley and said, ‘Hey, do you remember that conversation?’ About three minutes later, he called me and said, ‘I can’t hire you directly, but I can recommend you to Coach McGiven.’ So, I got on the phone with Coach McGiven, we had a great conversation, and from there, everything just kind of took off,” Bumphis shared.
The return to Utah feels like home
Bumphis’ return wasn’t just about opportunity — it was about fit. After time away at his alma mater Mississippi State in the SEC, his takeaway was honest: the game doesn’t change.
“Honestly… it’s not a whole lot different. Ball is ball. It doesn’t change,” Bumphis said. “It’s just the terminology, the things you say, the way you do things. But as far as coaching styles… it’s really hard to beat what goes on in this building.”
. @Devonddampier ➡️ @4shoels for the 1st time in @Rice_Eccles ‼️ pic.twitter.com/x0NKzoprFW
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) March 29, 2026
And in his eyes, Utah still sets a strong standard.
“It’s been really good, it’s been awesome,” he said of returning to Utah. “The energy’s new, it’s exciting, but Utah football is Utah football, there’s still not a whole lot that’s different.”
More than anything, it feels like home, not only for him, but his family.
“I know I went back home to Mississippi, but this place has been so good to us,” Bumphis said. “My wife was thrilled. Our kid was born here, it really does feel like home.”
Comfort, leadership for Braden Pegan
Bumphis pointed to and credited Braden Pegan’s game, more specifically his comfort level — not just in execution, but in presence early on in spring ball.
“He’s been good, he’s just comfortable,” Bumphis said. “He’s able to go out and play full speed because he knows the system.”
Pegan transferred to Utah after a breakout season under Coach McGiven at Utah State. He led the Aggies with 60 receptions for 926 yards, and five touchdowns— second most on the team, all of which led to First Team All-Mountain West honors.
And the comfort he plays with shows up off the field as well.
“He got voted to the leadership council, so just that presence in the room, it’s been huge,” Bumphis said. “Not only for them, but for me as well.”
For a position group in the early stages of building chemistry, that kind of internal leadership accelerates everything — from install to execution. And right now, Utah’s receiver room needs that acceleration.
Brought something with him from Mississippi State
“I look at my room and there’s three different types of receivers… and Ricky’s a true combo,” Bumphis said of Mississippi State transfer Ricky Johnson. “He can play inside, outside. He’s comfortable doing either.”
Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 185 pound receiver capable of lining up anywhere and fixing problems on the fly. He joins a room that already includes experienced pieces — and as an emerging option, Johnson is a player who, as Bumphis put it, can “make things right” when plays break down.
“He’s able to do different things, and always make things right,” Bumphis said. “So it makes me feel a little better just having him on the field.”
Why this WR group has real upside
There’s a clear shift happening in Utah’s offensive identity under Kevin McGiven.
More flexibility. More spacing. More responsibility on the quarterback.
And because of that, more demand on receivers. The encouraging part? The pieces fit the direction.
- Veterans who understand the system in Pegan & Shoels
- Returning players who are familiar with Coach Bump
- A good quarterback looking to elevate his game
- An offense and coaches that seem tailored to it
That combination gives Utah something it hasn’t consistently had in a couple years — a receiver group built not just to support the offense, but to potentially unlock it.
The Bottom Line
Chad Bumphis didn’t come back to rebuild a room. He came back to elevate it and the belief inside the building is clear.
“It was exciting just to have people that want you back in the building,” Bumphis said. “And then to actually see it come through, it was really exciting for us.”
The foundation is there — familiarity, leadership, and a quarterback capable of stressing defenses in ways Utah hasn’t fully leaned into before.
If the chemistry continues to develop the way Bumphis describes, this group won’t just be improved. It’ll be one of the defining position groups in Utah’s push to modernize its offense in 2026.
