- Utah's 2026 football schedule starts with games against Idaho and Arkansas.
- Idaho's return to Utah since 1993 features QB Joshua Wood leading the Vandals.
- Arkansas, under new coach Ryan Silverfield, poses a challenge with revamped roster.
SALT LAKE CITY — The start to the 2026 football season is still a few months away, but we begin our look into each of the teams Utah will play this season, starting with the first two games and then progressing each week with two more games before the unofficial start of the season with Big 12 media days in July.
Utah opens up its slate this season with a manageable early portion of the schedule before shifting to the tougher part (at least on paper). That should help Morgan Scalley and his squad in his first season as head coach as the team ramps up before the most pivotal games of the season later in the year.
Though the early part of the schedule should be easier, there's enough of a challenge to give the Utes a good test that could help the team should it be in contention for a Big 12 title. The first two games, in particular, present good challenges to test Utah in different ways.
The early sportsbooks have Utah leading the conference (with BYU) with 8.5 wins. Could it be another 10-win season for the Utes, or will Scalley's first season fall short of that mark?
Let's start our look with the first two games of the season: FCS Idaho and Arkansas.
To see a more thorough breakdown of these games, click on the YouTube video below.
Idaho Vandals
Date: Thursday, Sept. 3 (TBA)
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City, UT
2025 record: 4-8 (2-6 Big Sky)
Final AP ranking: N/A
Last meeting: Oct. 2, 1993 (Idaho win, 28-17)
It's a tradition old as time: Utah starts off its season with a Thursday night game. The season-opener against Idaho should provide enough intrigue, especially with Morgan Scalley taking over the reins after a 20+ year stint of Kyle Whittingham calling the shots.
The Vandals return to Utah for the first time since Oct. 2, 1993, where Idaho earned a 28-17 win over the Utes. The return game should look drastically different with a Utah team seemingly in contention for a power conference title.
The Vandals come into Salt Lake City after having a down season in the Big Sky and some ensuing changes to the offensive staff, including the addition of Ian Shoemaker as the team's new offensive coordinator after the previous OC was fired.
The offense and defense were average last season and middle of the pack in FCS. While there are pieces for a potential upgrade, there's not an expected jump this season, even with a new coordinator and a good recruiting class.
Quarterback Joshua Wood is the star of the team and a strong veteran leader for the Vandals, but he needs more help to really make a splash on offense. Last season, Wood threw for 1,898 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. He added 589 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground as the team's leading rusher.
Wood isn't the most accurate, though, finishing at just 58.5% last season. He will be tested early against Utah's rebuilt defensive line that is more focused on a better run defense.
Though the season-opener won't provide a splash name coming into Rice-Eccles Stadium, Idaho presents an early look into Utah's new offensive line and how well it can gel early. Though a good showing won't fully predict success this season, it would go a long way to ease some initial concerns.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Date: Saturday, Sept. 12 (TBA)
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City, UT
2025 record: 2-10 (0-8 SEC)
Final AP ranking: N/A
Last meeting: Never
Preseason win projection: 4.5 wins (Bovada)
Don't let the Razorbacks' record last season lull you into a false sense of security as they come into Salt Lake City the second week of the season. Arkansas lost 10 games last season, but half of those were by one-score games against quality opponents (Ole Miss, 41-35; Tennessee, 34-31; Texas A&M, 45-42; Mississippi State, 38-35; and LSU, 23-22).
The offense had veteran leadership and did more than enough to win games, but the defense let the team down — for example, the offense averaged 32.9 points per game, but the defense gave up 33.8 points. That's not an easy way to try to win games.
Midway through the season, Arkansas went in a different direction and fired head coach Sam Pittman. The program turned to a proven winner in Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield, who brought his offensive coordinator (Tim Cramsey) and several players with him to Arkansas to help rebuild a program picked last in the SEC this season.
Silverfield is more than capable of winning at Arkansas, but a quick jump is not likely with the turnover of the roster and several veteran players out. The biggest question for Arkansas will come at quarterback, where the Razorbacks will be forced to replace proven QB Taylen Green.
The Razorbacks will look to settle its quarterback battle this fall, where it's down to sophomore returner KJ Jackson and Memphis transfer AJ Hill. Neither has a ton of experience, so this season will be a big learning experience for either QB.
Jackson threw for 441 yards and three touchdowns in five games for Arkansas last season, while Hill had just 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception in two games. From reports in Arkansas, Jackson has been more consistent and the mechanics have been better, but Hill has a leg up with Cramsey's offense.
Either way, Arkansas will be working in a new quarterback, with Utah being the first true test for whichever player is named starter. One advantage the two quarterbacks will have is that Cramsey's scheme attempts to get the ball out quickly, which could limit a Utah defense's ability to get in the backfield and disrupt.
Arkansas will have two proven rushers is Braylen Russell and Memphis transfer Sutton Smith, who led Memphis last season with 669 yards and seven touchdowns. They'll be joined by a rebuilt receiver room that returns CJ Brown and tight end Jaden Platt, and infuses proven talent from Memphis transfer Jamari Hawkins and Boise State transfer Chris Marshall.
Both Hawkins and Marshall had over 500 receiving yards last season and will likely be the focal point of the receiving game.
On defense, there's a lot of turnover, but one of the biggest mainstays is defensive end Quincy Rhoades Jr., who had a team-high 15.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, who comes to Arkansas after two years at Florida, will look to create havoc with his simulated pressures and two-high safety looks.
This will certainly test Utah's new offensive line with the different looks Roberts will dial up, while making Utes quarterback Devon Dampier make smart decisions against a defense that runs a hybrid zone/man scheme.
Arkansas certainly has the roster and talent to make it a difficult game for Utah, even with several questions surrounding the team. It's a steep learning curve and a lot has to go right for Arkansas, but Silverfield knows what it takes to win. The biggest question will be whether that can come in his first season with the program.
