We ranked the offensive line dead last in our position group rankings, and nobody argued. So the Position by Position series heads to the trenches, because no group on this roster will decide more about the 2026 season than this one.
The math is brutal. Utah lost all five starters from a line that paved the way for 3,462 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns. Spencer Fano won the Outland Trophy and went 9th overall to the Browns. Caleb Lomu joined him in the first round. Jaren Kump and Tanoa Togiai signed NFL deals too. That's not turnover, that's an extinction event.
And yet, inside the building, there's no panic. Here's why.
The Man Rebuilding It
Start with the new offensive line coach, because the hire tells you how seriously Morgan Scalley took this problem. Jordan Gross played tackle at Utah, went 8th overall to Carolina in 2003, and put together an 11-year NFL career with three Pro Bowls. The man now coaching a room that just lost two first rounders was once the highest drafted Ute lineman ever until Fano's draft night got close.
Gross's philosophy is three words he keeps posted in his office: clearheaded, aggressive, confident. And his message to a room full of guys who waited behind NFL talent is exactly what they needed to hear: "It's a fresh start for everybody. Everybody's kind of got the same fair shot."
The Projected Five
Here's how the line shakes out entering camp:
- Left tackle: Zereoue Williams. Lomu's former backup steps into the premier spot. The staff loves his length and athleticism.
- Left guard: Solatoa Moea'i. Veteran presence with real snaps banked.
- Center: Alex Harrison. The leader of the group, and the guy quoting teammates putting on "20 pounds of lean mass" under new strength coach Steve Saunders this summer.
- Right guard: Keith Olson. Steady, experienced, and the kind of name only line nerds knew until now.
- Right tackle: TBD. More on that in a second.
The four projected returners have combined for 1,469 career snaps. That's not nothing. It's just not Fano and Lomu, and nobody's pretending otherwise.
The Battle: Right Tackle
The one true camp fight on this line is at right tackle, and it's a good one. In one corner: Cedric Jefferson, the Montana State transfer who started every game for the FCS national champions last season and did not allow a single sack. In the other: Ike Garcia, the former four star from Corner Canyon who missed 2025 hurt but turned heads all spring.
Jefferson brings over 1,276 snaps of experience and enters camp with the edge. Garcia brings the higher ceiling and the local kid storyline. Either way, Utah wins: whoever loses the job becomes the best sixth lineman in the Big 12, and Garcia's ability to slide inside gives the staff options.
The Wild Card: Kelvin Obot
Every rebuild needs a lottery ticket, and Utah's is a five star true freshman. Kelvin Obot enrolled with elite physical tools, is listed behind Moea'i at left guard with the flexibility to kick out to tackle, and here's the wrinkle nobody's talking about enough: his high school coach at Fruitland was Jordan Gross. The man rebuilding this line has already coached its future. Freshmen linemen usually redshirt at Utah. Five star freshmen with his frame usually don't stay buried. If Obot forces his way onto the field by October, this line's ceiling changes completely.
Behind the top five, Roger Alderman, Reece Parmenter, and Ohio State transfer Isaiah Kema are fighting for the remaining travel spots. Gross says he has about ten linemen he considers game-ready, which is more optimism than outsiders expected. The honest concern: game-ready and Big 12-proven are different things, and one bad injury week still gets scary fast.
Why It Matters More Than Anything Else
Devon Dampier accounted for 34 total touchdowns last season. The receiver room got a massive portal upgrade. Wayshawn Parker is a legit RB1. None of it matters if the line can't protect Dampier or open lanes for a run game that averaged over 260 yards per game.
Vegas set Utah's win total at 8.5, and the entire gap between 8 wins and 11 lives in this position group. If you've got a read on how this line comes together, that's exactly the kind of opinion our partner Underdog lets you put to work. Our link at the bottom gets new users a deposit bonus and supports the site.
Bold Prediction
Here's ours: this line gives up more sacks than last year's group, struggles in September, and is quietly good by November, with Jefferson locking down right tackle and Obot starting by the BYU game. The drop from historically great to solid costs Utah one game, not four. Gross has more to work with than the panic suggests, and line play is the most coachable thing in football when the room buys in. This room has bought in. Just ask Harrison: "I love the fact that nobody believes in us. I think we'll show a lot of people this year."
What's Next
Next up in the Position by Position series: the other side of the trenches. The defensive line lost roughly 16 sacks of production, and we break down exactly how Utah plans to replace them. Follow @toptierutes so you don't miss it.
And if you want skin in the game this season, sign up with Underdog through our link. You get a deposit bonus, and you support Top Tier Utes at the same time: play.underdogsports.com/vgwg/p-ttutes
Go Utes.