On3’s Andy Staples Dubs Utah Big 12 Favorites in 2024
With the Big 12 Conference adding four new teams in 2024, many sports experts have begun placing their picks for which team will win the Big 12 in the upcoming season.
On3’s Andy Staples recently spoke on the Utah Utes, expressing his belief that Kyle Whittingham’s team should be the league favorite in 2024.
Staples spoke on the pick saying, “Utah was one of the best programs in the Pac 12 last year. Utah was in a very strange situation with Cam Rising coming off a knee injury in the Rose Bowl that was very serious. And I think they knew before the season started, that they weren’t gonna have Cam Rising all year. So they move into the Big 12, which is a much easier league than the version of the Pac-12 they left. The Pac-12, last year, was so deep that this will be an easier road for Utah. If you look at their schedule, every game is winnable. There is no game that you look at on this schedule for Utah, where you think that’s a loss.”
In their first season of Big 12 play, Utah takes on Arizona, BYU, TCU, and Iowa State at home, and will hit the road for games against Arizona State, Colorado, Houston, Oklahoma State, and UCF.
“They lost Jonah Ellis who was their best edge rusher to the draft,” Staples said. “But almost everybody else who contributed on the defensive line is back, all three starting linebackers are back and of course Kyle Whittingham is their coach and Kyle Whittingham is one of the best coaches in America. Utah seems like a team that I would consider one of the favorites along with maybe Kansas State to win the new Big 12 in 2024.”
While the Utes 2023 season was a bit of a mixed bag following the loss of senior quarterback Cam Rising for the season, Utah has a shot to contend for a Big 12 title in 2024 as first-year members of a new league.
