Fansided

College football rankings: Post-spring Top 25 – Clemson, Alabama vie for top spot

By Cody Williams

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 26
Next
PASADENA, CA – OCTOBER 26: Zack Moss #2 of the Utah Utes runs past Leni Toailoa #26 of the UCLA Bruins in the second half at the Rose Bowl on October 26, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA – OCTOBER 26: Zack Moss #2 of the Utah Utes runs past Leni Toailoa #26 of the UCLA Bruins in the second half at the Rose Bowl on October 26, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /
  • Notable Losses: Chase Hansen, Marquise Blair, Cody Barton, Corrion Ballard, Jackson Barton, Jordan Agasiva
  • Notable Returners: Zack Moss, Tyler Huntley, Julian Blackmon, Jason Shelley, Briain Covey, Bradlee Anae
  • 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 45th

In truth, National Signing Day and all of the movement spurred on by players entering the transfer portal wasn’t going to affect the Utah Utes in too many major ways heading into the 2019 season. This is a team that, for better or worse, is going to be one of the more experienced teams in the Pac-12 and, frankly, in the entire top 25.

The Utes will bring back seven starters from their defense a year ago and eight starters from the offensive group. Obviously, where they’re going to butter their bread is with that experience and veteran leadership. That’s good considering they’re coming off of a nine-win 2018 season that was actually more impressive than the record might show.

For one, the defense that returns a ton of experience ranked 17th in the country in scoring last season, which bodes well for them heading into this coming season. On top of that, their offensive leaders in quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss are both going to be back in Salt Lake and have the ability to carry the Utes on that side of the ball.

So, while Utah barely managed to crack the top 50 in terms of their 2019 recruiting class and while they won’t have many new faces contributing early on for them, the Utes are a viable threat to win the Pac-12 and not a team to be taken lightly in any regard.

Home/College Football Rankings