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SALT LAKE CITY — The two-time reigning Pac-12 champions are not the favorite to win it all for a third straight season.
Utah football, which is pursuing a rare three-peat in the Pac-12, was picked to finish third in the preseason media poll that was released Thursday ahead of the conference's football media day in Las Vegas on Friday.
Despite returning a majority of its starting production from last season, Utah garnered six first-place votes (the second-most first-place votes) in arguably the deepest Pac-12 since its expansion in 2011. Utah was one of four teams that received first-place votes in a year where those same teams have been a consensus favorite to be the top tier of the conference in 2023.
In the program's last season in the Pac-12 before it embarks on a new course in the Big Ten, USC was picked to win the Pac-12, with reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams leading the charge on a stacked Trojans team that features some of the top offensive talent in the conference, and maybe even the sport. The Trojans received 25 first-place votes and 413 total points in the media poll.
Washington, which finished in second in the preseason poll, collected four first-place votes and 367 total points, while Oregon had only one first-place vote and 344 total points. Oregon State, which has been seen as a potential title contender, finished in fifth (309 points), and UCLA rounded out the top half of the conference at sixth (248 points).
The Pac-12 returns six quarterbacks that threw for over 3,000 yards last season and highlight some of the top quarterbacks in the country, including Williams, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon's Bo Nix. There will be no shortage of offensive production from these players in the last season of the current makeup of the Pac-12.
With these QBs, 2023 #Pac12FB is going to be 🔥
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) July 17, 2023
All six will be at Pac-12 Football Media Day this week! 👀 pic.twitter.com/tlsI0yJJC2
Of the six returning quarterbacks, Utah's Cam Rising remains questionable for a Game 1 start against Florida as he recovers from ACL surgery performed shortly after his injury in the Rose Bowl. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham remained optimistic in spring camp that Rising would be available to start the season.
Should Rising not be available to play on Aug. 31, redshirt freshman Brandon Rose, who made a significant push in spring for the QB2 spot, is expected to get the nod as starter.
Preseason Pac-12 All-Conference Team
USC may have secured the top spot in the media poll, but Utah leads the conference in players who earned first-team honors in the preseason Pac-12 All-Conference selections with six split evenly on offense and defense.
The first-team offense included returning senior tight end Brant Kuithe, and offensive linemen Sataoa Laumea and Keaton Bills, with defensive tackle Junior Tafuna, linebacker Karene Reid and safety Cole Bishop tabbed to the defensive team. Defensive end Van Fillinger and linebacker Lander Barton, who is the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, were named to the second team.
An additional four Utah players — three of which are on the defensive side of the ball — were named honorable mentions.
USC and Oregon State each landed five players on the first team, while Washington had three, and Oregon and UCLA had two — Colorado had two selections for do-it-all athlete Travis Hunter, who was named to the first team as both a defensive back and all-purpose/special teams.
