Utah Utes give football coach Kyle Whittingham four-year contract extension
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Utah Utes give football coach Kyle Whittingham four-year contract extension
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff Writer
Nov 4, 2020, 04:49 PM ET
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Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has signed a contract extension through the 2027 season, adding four years to his current deal, the school announced Wednesday.
The third-longest-tenured FBS coach in the country, Whittingham has been in his current role since taking over for Urban Meyer at the end of the 2004 season. He was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year and the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year last season, when he guided the Utes to the Pac-12 championship game.
“We want to thank our athletics director Mark Harlan and our president Ruth Watkins for their unwavering support of our coaching staff and for their commitment to our football program,” Whittingham said in a statement. “This vote of confidence makes it very clear to recruits that our program has the full backing of our university, which is vital to our long-term success.”
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Whittingham has a career record of 131-64 and has been on the coaching staff in various capacities since 1994.
“Kyle Whittingham has established a culture in the Utah football program that not only achieves success on the field, but also in the classroom, the community and in the development of student-athletes for their future beyond their time on campus,” Harlan said. “This has been especially evident throughout the pandemic, as he has steadily demonstrated leadership, patience and flexibility, putting the priority of health and well-being for student-athletes above all else.”
Utah opens the season at home against Arizona on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
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College football Future Power Rankings through 2026
Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Jun 19, 2024, 08:00 AM ET
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After an active winter and spring of coach and player movement, rosters are more or less set for the 2024 season. The Future Power Rankings series wraps up with the team rundown, designed to provide the most complete forecast for both the short term and the seasons that will follow.
As a reminder, FPR is not a one-year projection, but sets out to predict the best in college football during the next three seasons (2024, 2025 and 2026). The personnel picture will continue to fluctuate, but FPR must take into account what is known at the moment, both with current players and committed recruits, while also noting track records for coaches, units and overall teams.
The 2024 season will be historic for its realignment entries, as the SEC (Texas, Oklahoma), Big Ten (USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington), Big 12 (Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado) and ACC (SMU, Cal, Stanford) all add new members. Teams moving leagues typically struggle in Year 1, but a three-year projection looks beyond the immediate.
There’s also significant change in college football’s upper crust, as Nick Saban, considered the greatest coach in the sport’s history, retired in January after winning seven national titles, six at Alabama. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL after leading the Wolverines to their first national title since 1997. Of the teams in the final four-team College Football Playoff, three (Alabama, Michigan and Washington) had coaching changes and the other (Texas) is set to move conferences.
The previous FPR rankings for quarterbacks, defenses and offenses inform the comprehensive team rankings, but so do other factors such as coaching continuity and recent record. Oklahoma State didn’t appear in any of the first three top 25s but made the team rundown. Finally, here’s a look at the most recent FPR team rankings.
Let’s get to the new top 25.
1. Georgia Bulldogs
Heisman Trophy contender Carson Beck looks to give Georgia a run at the CFP. Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire
2024 Future QB ranking: 4
2024 Future defense ranking: 1
2024 Future offense ranking: 3
2023 Future team ranking: 1
Scouting the Bulldogs: Georgia retained the top spot in the team rankings and the choice wasn’t very difficult. If the Bulldogs had stayed healthier down the stretch last season, they might have claimed a third consecutive national title after being ranked No. 1 for most of the fall. They will enter 2024 as one of the frontrunners for a championship, led by Heisman Trophy contender Carson Beck at quarterback and a deep and talented defense. Georgia also has more stability than many perennial top-five teams, as coach Kirby Smart is signed through 2033 and the team is still viewed as the one to beat in the SEC. The team signed ESPN’s top-rated 2024 recruiting class, headlined by cornerback Ellis Robinson IV, inside linebacker Justin Williams and three other defenders ranked in the top 26 nationally.
Georgia’s defensive setup is unmatched, as a front seven loaded with depth and emerging star power, including linebackers Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams, will lead the 2024 team. Notable senior returnees include linebackers Smael Mondon Jr. and Chaz Chambliss, and interior linemen Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson. All-America safety Malaki Starks is back, and if Georgia can fortify the cornerback spot in the short term, the unit seemingly has no weaknesses. The Bulldogs also recently added a commitment from outside linebacker Zayden Walker, ESPN’s No. 15 recruit in the 2025 class.
The quarterback rankings were compiled before Jaden Rashada, an ESPN top-35 recruit in 2023, transferred from Arizona State to provide another capable option following Beck’s exit next season. Rashada will compete with Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi and should keep the offense on a strong trajectory. Despite losing Brock Browers, Georgia has the nation’s best tight end setup with junior Oscar Delp, Stanford transfer Benjamin Yurosek, incoming freshman Jaden Reddell (ESPN 300 No. 51) and the nation’s top two 2025 tight end recruits in Elyiss Williams and Ethan Barbour.
Running back depth also jumps out with Florida transfer Trevor Etienne, Roderick Robinson II, Branson Robinson and others, including freshman Nathaniel Frazier, ESPN’s No. 3 running back and No. 62 overall recruit. Senior guard Tate Ratledge, a second-team All-America selection in 2023, is back to lead an offensive line that should remain a team strength, as tackle Earnest Greene III and others will play through 2025. Wide receiver is the one iffy spot. Although Dominic Lovett provides short-term leadership, Rara Thomas and Miami transfer Colbie Young should help.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
2024 Future QB ranking: 1
2024 Future defense ranking: 5
2024 Future offense ranking: 1
2023 Future team ranking: 3
Scouting the Buckeyes: A team with no league titles since 2020 and just one CFP win since 2014 typically wouldn’t occupy the No. 2 spot in FPR. But questions around other contenders, plus the Buckeyes’ pedal-down personnel approach this offseason, has them poised to end their national title drought soon. Coach Ryan Day must deliver notable results this season, as Ohio State retained several NFL draft hopefuls on defense and made its strongest portal push yet, adding Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, Alabama safety Caleb Downs, Kansas State quarterback Will Howard and others.
Day has brought historically strong quarterback play to Columbus, which must continue this fall with Howard or another candidate from a loaded room. The Buckeyes have options with Devin Brown, Alabama transfer Julian Sayin and others to carry them through 2026. Emeka Egbuka leads a wide receiving corps that should remain among the nation’s best, especially with non-seniors such as Carnell Tate and incoming freshman Jeremiah Smith, as well as 2025 commits such as Quincy Porter. The short-term running back outlook is excellent with Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. Ohio State needs more from its offensive line, both in recruiting and development, although senior Donovan Jackson is a cornerstone piece. The Buckeyes added Alabama center Seth McLaughlin and bring back veterans such as tackles Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar.
Despite falling short of the CFP in 2023, Ohio State’s defense continues on a promising path under coordinator Jim Knowles. Few pegged ends JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer — both former top-five national recruits are back alongside tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton — forming a line with massive expectations. The secondary also projects very well, both in 2024 and beyond, as Downs will play at least two more seasons. The back end features experience and talent with Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock, Lathan Ransom and Davison Igbinosun.
Linebacker depth is a mini concern, although moving junior safety Sonny Styles to the group should help. Veteran Cody Simon is back alongside junior C.J. Hicks. The Buckeyes have ESPN’s top-rated 2025 recruiting class, which includes decorated defensive back prospects Na’eem Offord and Devin Sanchez, both top-12 prospects, safety Faheem Delane, ESPN’s No. 52 overall recruit, and defensive end recruits London Merritt (No. 36) and Zahir Mathis (No. 51). Ohio State has commitments from five defenders ranked among ESPN’s top-60 recruits, and quarterback Tavien St. Clair (No. 48).
3. Texas Longhorns
2024 Future QB ranking: 2
2024 Future defense ranking: 8
2024 Future offense ranking: 2
2023 Future team ranking: 15
Scouting the Longhorns: Texas didn’t even appear in these rankings two years ago but has rapidly risen under coach Steve Sarkisian and a premier personnel approach. The Longhorns finally have genuine stability after making their first CFP appearance, and are set up well on both sides of the ball for 2024 and beyond. Sarkisian has turned a corner in his career and views Texas as a long-term destination. My only hesitancy is the move to the SEC, which could bring some initial turbulence. But Texas returns enough to compete right away, including quarterback Quinn Ewers, offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. and defenders Anthony Hill Jr., Alfred Collins and Barryn Sorrell. The team also made several portal splashes, including UTSA pass-rusher Trey Moore, Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba, Louisville defensive lineman Jermayne Lole, Alabama tight end Amari Niblack and wide receivers Matthew Golden (Houston), Isaiah Bond (Alabama) and Silas Bolden (Oregon State).
Ewers will have a largely new-look receiving corps, while Texas has big expectations for young wideouts such as Ryan Wingo, ESPN’s No. 33 recruit in the 2024 class. The offense has lost elite running backs in each of the past two years, but sophomore CJ Baxter and junior Jaydon Blue, as well as decorated incoming freshman Jerrick Gibson, should maintain the trajectory. Texas’ offensive line is once again a strength with Banks, Jake Majors and others back and several good options for after 2024. The quarterback setup is excellent with Ewers for 2024 and then Arch Manning set to take over next season. Texas continues to recruit well behind Manning.
Sarkisian was hired in part to upgrade Texas’ offense, but his defense also finds itself on a promising trajectory. The short-term priorities are replacing standout interior linemen Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat, both top-40 picks in the NFL draft, and improving a secondary that struggled against the pass at times last season. The additions of Lole and Arizona’s Tiaoalii Savea and Bill Norton will help, especially alongside seniors Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton. Texas should excel in the pass rush with Moore joining Sorrell and junior Ethan Burke.
The back seven includes experience with seniors Jahdae Barron, David Gbenda and Morice Blackwell Jr., and transfers like Mukuba and San José State cornerback Jay’Vion Cole should help. Hill is only a sophomore, and Texas has recruited very well with defensive end Colin Simmons and cornerback Kobe Black, both ESPN top-15 national recruits, as well as safety Xavier Filsaime (No. 39). Lineman Lance Jackson, ESPN’s No. 70 recruit for 2025, is committed to Texas. At linebacker, Hill and Gbenda are joined by veteran Morice Blackwell Jr. Texas has a 2025 commitment from ESPN 300 prospect Elijah Barnes and a 2026 commitment from No. 9 prospect Dia Bell.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
2024 Future QB ranking: 6
2024 Future defense ranking: 6
2024 Future offense ranking: 5
2023 Future team ranking: 2
Scouting the Tide: Alabama certainly could have slid more following Saban’s departure, and it would be lower in a one-year projection. But Kalen DeBoer has quickly established himself as a nationally elite coach and would have been on the wish list for every program of Alabama’s caliber. He could endure a few bumps this fall but will have the Tide competing for the CFP and the national title in most seasons. DeBoer showed at Washington what he could accomplish with inherited talent, which he got in Tuscaloosa with players like quarterback Jalen Milroe and safety Malachi Moore. Alabama hired a strong defensive staff led by Kane Wommack, most recently South Alabama’s coach, who will face some Year 1 challenges in the secondary and elsewhere but has a lot of young talent to mold alongside veterans like Moore, lineman Tim Smith and linebackers Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell.
Given the secondary losses to the NFL and the portal, Alabama’s development of younger players such as Jaylen Mbakwe, ESPN’s No. 2 overall recruit for 2024, and its recruitment for 2025 and beyond will be key. The 2024 class includes Mbakwe, Zay Mincey and Zabien Brown, both top-65 recruits. There’s enough experience up front, where Texas A&M transfer LT Overton joins Smith, Tim Keenan III and others. Lawson and Campbell stabilize the linebacker group, and both can play through 2025. Senior Quandarrius Robinson also is back, and Alabama is recruiting well with 2025 commitments from top-35 prospects Darrell Johnson, Jaedon Harmon and Abduall Sanders Jr.
DeBoer transformed a Washington offense that ranked 107th nationally in scoring the year before his arrival to a unit that supplied three of the first 20 picks in the 2024 NFL draft. He gets Milroe for at least another season, and has other 2025 options in Ty Simpson, Washington transfer Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Dylan Lonergan. Earlier this month, Alabama flipped SMU quarterback commit Keelon Russell, ESPN’s No. 81 overall prospect in the 2025 class. Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor’s return — after he briefly transferred home to Iowa — should help stabilize a line going through some transition but brings back junior guards Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts this coming season and adds Washington transfer Parker Brailsford.
DeBoer brought assistant JaMarcus Shephard, who oversaw the nation’s top wide receiver group at Washington in 2023. Shepherd gets a familiar face in Washington transfer Germie Bernard, but will need to develop others, including Ryan Williams, ESPN’s No. 3 recruit for 2024. Running back is another spot with some short-term questions, although Milroe (531 yards, 12 touchdowns in 2023) will help and junior Jam Miller was solid in limited work. Alabama has a commitment from ESPN top-100 recruit Anthony Rogers for 2025.
5. Michigan Wolverines
Alex Orji will fight for Michigan’s starting quarterback position this fall. David Buono/Icon Sportswire
2024 Future QB ranking: 19
2024 Future defense ranking: 3
2024 Future offense ranking: 10
2023 Future team ranking: 4
Scouting the Wolverines: The defending champions are oddly one of the harder teams to project because of who departs Ann Arbor, both on the field and on the sideline. Michigan would be lower in a one-year projection after saying goodbye to a team-record 13 players selected in the NFL draft, as well as Harbaugh and several vital assistants, such as defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert. New head coach Sherrone Moore played a huge role in Michigan’s rise the past three seasons, but he has never led a program and only became a coordinator in 2021. Moore’s first team is fascinating, as it includes several higher-level draft prospects — cornerback Will Johnson, tight end Colston Loveland, defensive linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant — but significant questions at quarterback, offensive line and other spots.
Moore’s short-term work with the offense he oversaw will be critical, as Michigan must support an unproven quarterback — Alex Orji or another candidate — this fall. Myles Hinton is the only returning offensive lineman with significant starting experience at Michigan, although Northwestern transfer Josh Priebe should help immediately. Michigan’s track record up front under Moore suggests success in the future. The same goes for spots such as tight end and running back, where Donovan Edwards gets his chance to be the featured ball carrier in 2024. Veteran Kalel Mullings is back to play behind Edwards, and Benjamin Hall or incoming freshman Jordan Marshall which will help beyond this season. Tight end Brady Prieskorn, ESPN’s No. 72 recruit for 2024, is set to take over for Loveland. A revamped wide receiver room is worth watching, especially multiyear players like Semaj Morgan and Fredrick Moore, and Amorion Walker, who transferred back to Michigan from Ole Miss. The team’s recruiting at receiver will be worth watching.
Michigan will be led by its defense, at least initially, as the front seven projects well with Graham, Grant, Josaiah Stewart, Derrick Moore, Rayshaun Benny and others up front, as a linebacker group featuring holdover Ernest Hausmann and adding Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham. The Wolverines have been targeted in the portal with a strong hit rate, and added four defensive back transfers in the spring — Aamir Hall (Albany), Ricky Johnson (UNLV), Wesley Walker (Louisville) and Jaden Mangham (Michigan State). They join holdovers like Will Johnson and safeties Makari Paige and Quinten Johnson in a unit now being overseen by veteran NFL coordinator Wink Martindale.
Michigan’s recruiting under Moore is worth monitoring, as the team hasn’t been nearly as splashy as other perennial contenders. After a slower start to the 2025 class, Michigan made a recent surge with four ESPN 300 commitments, including four-star safety Kainoa Winston, the No. 42 overall player. Michigan also must develop its younger linemen to take over in 2025, especially if both Graham and Grant make expected jumps to the NFL. Michigan also got a commitment recently from Brady Hart, ranked 120th in the 2026 ESPN 300 and is the No. 8 pocket passer in his class.
Scouting the Ducks: I’m tempted to rank Oregon even higher, as the team boasts rosy personnel outlooks on both offense and defense and a committed coach in Dan Lanning, whose approach in traditional recruiting and the portal has been very impressive. Oregon has a nice mix of returnees and transfers on both sides of the ball, coming off of a year where it finished in the top-10 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The main hesitancy is the move in conferences, which could bring challenges for Oregon and its West Coast brethren. Also, Lanning hasn’t delivered a conference title yet despite having arguably the most talented roster in the Pac-12 in each of the past two seasons.
Oregon returns a team capable of reaching the 12-team CFP this fall, and likely in 2025 and 2026. The defense returns familiar names such as Jordan Burch and Jeffrey Ba
