Six Breakout Candidates For Utah Football In 2025
Jun 18, 2025, 1:38 PM
Aug 29, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; The Utah Utes student section raises a TIFO before the game against Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
SALT LAKE CITY—As Utah football enters the final phase of preparation for the 2025 season, several players stand out as breakout candidates—or players ready to level up in production.
Utah will lean on familiar contributors like cornerback Smith Snowden, linebacker Lander Barton, and offensive tackle Spencer Fano in 2025. However, the season could be influenced by a handful of players taking big leaps in their games.
Below are the six breakout candidates who could be critical to Utah’s success in 2025.
Utah football’s breakout candidates for 2025
Caleb Lomu, OT
This one is obvious, given the buzz around him this offseason. Lomu’s cool demeanor and unflinching play have him on a very promising trajectory. He earned freshman All-American honors and as a redshirt sophomore, has already generated healthy NFL Draft buzz around his name.
In his first year as a starter, Lomu surrendered just two sacks on 425 pass-blocking snaps in 2024. He has all the athletic and physical qualities of an NFL-caliber tackle. If he keeps bulking up and improves as a run blocker, opposing edge rushers will have a hard time all season.
ESPN projects Utah’s line—where Lomu and his counterpart Spencer Fano lead the way—as one of the nation’s best. This season is all about taking that next step in his development, which is dominating.
RELATED: Utah Football’s Second-Year LT Caleb Lomu Emerging As NFL Draft Prospect
Wayshawn Parker, RB
In his true-freshman campaign at Wazzu, he racked up 735 rushing yards on 137 carries with four touchdowns, plus 11 catches for 108 yards and a score. Lured to Salt Lake by position coach Mark Atuaia, he’s set to be Utah’s bell-cow back in Beck’s offensive attack.
The reason Parker is an easy add to this list, his workload is going to grow. In Jason Beck’s New Mexico offense, the top running back, Eli Sanders, carried the ball 147 times. At Utah, Micah Bernard notched 197 carries.
His blend of vision, toughness, and athleticism, combined with the projected increased workload and the offensive line blocking for him, suggests Parker is primed for greater production.
RELATED: Mark Atuaia Feeling Good About Utah, Offense, His Running Backs
Rabbit Evans, SS
After joining the program last summer from the JUCO ranks, Evans hit the grind and flashed promising potential in moments throughout the season. Ultimately, he ended the season with 34 tackles, two TFLs, a QB hurry, and a pass breakup.
During spring ball, Evans built upon his late-season emergence. He now appears to be en route to locking down the starting strong-safety job. He displayed the ballhawking instincts Morgan Scalley covets, as well as the toughness Whittingham demands.
Evans needs to continue to make strides this summer, but he seems poised for an impactful ’25 campaign.
RELATED: Rabbit Evans Feeling More Comfortable With The Utah Defense
Hunter Andrews, TE/RB
A former 1,000-yard rusher in high school with a reported 4.4-second 40-yard dash at his size, Andrews has been a prospect that offensive and defensive coaches have been fighting over. At 6-3, 235 lbs, Andrews gives Beck’s offense a multi-positional defensive stresser—and he’s only starting to figure out how to maximize his toolkit.
This spring, he split time between tight end and backfield duty. More importantly, he was consistently making plays in both phases of the game. He seems capable of big producer for Utah this fall.
RELATED: Utah Football’s X-Factors For 2025 Season
Kash Dillon, DE
Dallas Vakalahi is an obvious choice along the defensive line, but to explore off the beaten path a little bit, Kash Dillon is also one who should be up for a larger role in 2025. The defensive end was a prized recruit in the 2024 class, who redshirted this past season.
He checks in at 6-5, 240 pounds, and has a motor that never shuts off. Utah has depth and options along the edges of the line, but Dillon had a positive spring camp. There were a lot of positive reviews about him throughout the spring and winter workouts.
This is mostly a nod to Dillon’s hard work this offseason. When players work hard at Utah, it tends to translate to the field.
Tobias Merriweather, WR
Make no mistake about it, Utah needs Merriweather and a few other receivers, such as Larry Simmons, Creed Whittemore, etc., to emerge this season.
Standing 6-5 and possessing a large catch radius, Merriweather was a big transfer portal addition in the spring window. After three seasons split between two with Notre Dame and one with Cal, Merriweather comes to Utah hoping to contribute in a major way.
Both Whittingham and Beck talked about the need to add an outside vertical threat. Though his production has been minimal through three seasons, Merriweather is an ideal fit for that role.
Fall camp will be vital to establish chemistry with Devon Dampier. Given his fit and untapped potential, he should see a leap in production and value in the passing game.
RELATED: Utah Lands Former Cal, Notre Dame Transfer Receiver Tobias Merriweather
