​Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
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Tess Crowley, Deseret News
The calendar has finally, mercifully, turned over to August, which means we’re ever closer to football season.Sure, summer is fun — and so is the sun.It’s no football season, though.The cool, crisp air on a Saturday morning in the fall, the smell of freshly cut grass, the long lines for the restroom (and food, and everything else) on the concourse at Rice-Eccles Stadium. It takes you back — and you can’t wait for those few fall months to return again. Dream on!Utah kicks off fall camp Monday, and with that, the news cycle will fire up in anticipation of the upcoming season.Then will come that long, long, looooooooooooong four weeks of camp where the only news is usually bad (i.e. injury) news before the season actually begins.With that in mind, I decided to have a little fun — and copy off the work of my BYU-covering colleague, Jackson Payne — and make some bold predictions for Utah football this season.Are some of them meant to be silly? Yes.Are some of them serious? Also yes.Are they entertaining? I have no idea — I’m sarcastic by nature, so if you enjoy that, you might find this funny.No matter what, hopefully I gave you some enjoyable reading (or engagement time, as we call it in the journalism biz).With that, let’s get into these ever-so-serious (but some of these are legit) five BOLD predictions for the 2026 season I made from the safe confines of my couch.
Utah running back Wayshawn Parker smiles while on set during an interview at Big 12 football media days at The Star, the practice home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
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Brandon Judd, Deseret News
Wayshawn Parker will do more than hit the century markAt Big 12 football media days in July, Wayshawn Parker expressed his disappointment for missing out last year on a 1,000-yard rushing season by just 19 yards.That personal goal is squarely on his to-do list in 2026. “This year, I want to go all gas, no brakes,” Parker said. Utah RB Wayshawn Parker has his sights set on a 1,000-yard season“This ye