Utah comes in at No. 14 in preseason coaches poll

The Utes are well respected by the coaches of college football

With the season just a couple weeks away, the USA TODAY released the preseason  Sports AFCA college football coaches poll.

For Utah, they came in at No. 14 in the country behind programs such as Washington, Texas, and Notre Dame. They also were ranked behind USC who was ranked as the No. 6 team in the country. Utah is headlined by quarterback Cam Rising who they hope will be ready to roll in time for their first game against Florida. 

Utah's quest for another Rose Bowl berth could hinge on the answer to this: Is quarterback Cam Rising healthy? If he's recovered from the knee injury suffered in January's bowl loss to Penn State, the veteran gives the Utes an elite starter and a steadying presence for an offense that still needs to lock down on a lead back. On the defensive side, Utah may struggle to replace cornerback Clark Phillips II but has a number of options, including Mississippi transfer Miles Battle. Elsewhere, the defense is deep on experience up front. Coach Kyle Whittingham also shored up his kicking game with the addition of Colorado transfer Cole Becker.

 Utah is looking to win the Pac-12 title for not only what would be the third year in a row, but what will now be their final time as they are set to join the Big 12 in 2024.