What Early Previews Say About Utah Football In 2023
Jun 6, 2023, 11:42 AM | Updated: Jun 8, 2023, 10:26 am
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah football, along with the rest of college football just started summer workouts, but that’s not stopping pundits from taking an early stab at what they think teams will look like in 2023.
The Utes have been on the rise since 2014 and they kicked it into high gear in 2018. In the last five years Utah football played for the Pac-12 Title four times and won two championships. This begs the question; will Utah football be a good team in 2023?
While the hype around the Utes might be a little quieter than it was a year ago, based on three recent previews, it appears there is still confidence in the 2023 Utah football team.
Back in business 💪 pic.twitter.com/7YQIHY4pj0
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) June 2, 2023
Athlon Sports High On Utah With Conditions
Athlon Sports had positive things to say about 2023 Utah football, but with the one caveat that every preview shared – Will Cam Rising be ready to play?
It’s a fair question and could greatly change the outlook for the Utes. A healthy Rising in his fourth year starting at Utah gives a markedly different feel to the 2023 Utes rather than the possibility of having to go with Bryson Barnes, Brandon Rose, or Nate Johnson.
It’s the known versus the unknown.
With that being said, Athlon Sports sees eight wins being the floor for the Utes in 2023 with 10 or 11 games being the ceiling for a team with high aspirations.
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Saturday Blitz Has “Harshest” Viewpoint Of The Utes
The Saturday Blitz seems to be the “harshest” critic of the Utes in 2023, but even their early prognostications are hard to complain about.
This outlet took a heavy inventory of the opponents Utah faces in the upcoming football season and made no punches about the fact the Utes face several challenges to three-peating.
Especially if Rising isn’t ready to go.
Saturday Blitz sees the realistic expectations for Utah football in 2023 landing around an 8-4 or 9-3 record.
Sportskeeda Expects Utah Football To Continue Rising
Much like the other two outlets, Rising’s health is a big question mark as to expectations for the Utes this season. Additionally, Sportskeeda mentions having to replace talent like first-round pick Dalton Kincaid, and lockdown cornerback Clark Phillips III, but also acknowledged Utah has been good about having guys step up.
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While Sportskeeda didn’t mention any particular records for the Utes in 2023, they did give three expectations they believe Utah will strive for and possibly check off the list.
- Finish the season with a Rose Bowl win.
- Get into the College Football Playoff.
- Three-peat as Pac-12 Champs.
What are your expectations for the 2023 Utah football team? Send me a note on Twitter with your thoughts.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports
