J.D. PicKell Ranks Utah At No. 12 In His Early 2024 Top 12 Rankings

It’s never too early to start up a preseason hype train, and after a bustling offseason, it's not a far cry from the truth to say the Utah Utes look primed for a big year in 2024.

With injured stars like Cam Rising and Brant Kuithe returning, multiple high-profile transfers joining the team, and several exciting high school prospects committing to the program, the sky's the limit for Utah in 2024.

With healthy captains and a flock of new talent, Utah has been a popular choice in many preseason power rankings. Most recently, On3 analyst J.D. PicKell placed the Utes at No. 12 in his reimagined CFB Top 12 ranking.

The ranking, which PicKell noted as following “portal madness and Nick Saban’s retirement” places Utah in a good spot as the list's highest-ranked Big 12 team.

In a segment on his show, The Hard Count, PicKell had quite a few great things to say about Utah's squad entering the 2024 season.

One of the biggest distinctions PicKell gave the Utes came when he deemed the team to be, “one of the highest floor teams in America”.

While PicKell’s prediction might seem high after the team’s lackluster campaign in 2023, many college football analysts share his optimism.

A week before the On3 analyst’s ranking, Fox Sports' Joel Klatt placed Utah at No. 8 in his own early 2024 ranking. In his ranking of the Utes, Klatt would deliver an all-time quote regarding Utah football: “

That’s right, they’re back. Death, taxes and Utah football”.

Another one of PicKell’s biggest reasons for ranking Utah at 12? None other than Kyle Whittingham.

One of the longest-tenured head coaches in college football for a reason, Whittingham has led Utah’s squad for almost two decades. The Utah Head Coach has built a career by putting together gritty squads that do the fundamentals well and aren't afraid to play tough football in the trenches, and Utah’s 2024 roster is no different.

While the Utes have been praised for their additions to skill positions this offseason, some might forget that the team is returning a large sum of their fantastic offensive and defensive line. The Utes did lose offensive linemen Sataoa Laumea and Keaton Bills, along with defensive end Jonah Elliss to the NFL Draft, but haven't seen many other changes to their trench units otherwise.

In addition to praising Whittingham and the Utes' toughness, PicKell also noted that the team's new conference is seemingly wide open.

Many analysts initially thought the Utes would be competing with Arizona for the 2024 Big 12 crown, and while this may still be the case, circumstances have changed since the departure of Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch.

Big 12 competitors like Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Kansas State all have great squads, but Utah will instantly enter their new conference with one of its most talented rosters.