Morgan Scalley is focusing on what he can control.
“We have to trust the process,” Utah’s new football coach said at his introductory news conference earlier this month. “We’re going to continue to reload. We’re going to continue to get the right people in here. To those who are fearful and want to leave, that’s OK.”
Since longtime coach Kyle Whittingham left the program for Michigan on Dec. 26, the Utes have lost multiple players and assistant coaches to the Wolverines.
Former offensive coordinator Jason Beck left alongside assistant coaches Jim Harding, Micah Simon, Lewis Powell, Koy Detmer Jr. and Doug Elisaia.
But Scalley has done the work to replace them and replenish his staff with former Ute players and experienced coaches from other places.
Utah has also tried to keep multiple players from bolting to Ann Arbor. Some have ultimately left, but the Utes have been able to retain others.
So how have Scalley and the Utes fared?
Players who have left for Ann Arbor
(Ryan Sun | AP) Michigan Football head coach Kyle Whittingham greets the crowd during the first half of the Wolverines' basketball game against Southern California, on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich.
So far, only three of the Utes’ 22 transfer portal player entries have left for Michigan.
All-American defensive end and Utes sack leader John Henry Daley was the first to follow Whittingham to the Big Ten. He finished the season with 11.5 sacks but didn’t play in Utah’s final two contests after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury versus Kansas State.
Alongside Daley, former Utah defensive tackle Jonah Lea’ea announced his commitment to the Wolverines on Jan. 9, marking another significant loss for the Utes in the trenches. Lea’ea started 12 games for Utah this season, finishing with 34 total tackles and one sack.
Former Ute tight end JJ Buchanan also bolted for the Big Ten. Buchanan finished 2025 with 26 receptions, 427 passing yards and five touchdowns.
And there could be at least two more joining Utah’s former head coach.
Former Utah defensive back Smith Snowden recently had an official visit with the Wolverines last week. In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, Snowden’s father and agent, Will Snowden, said Michigan would be a top option for Smith in the portal.
Snowden has received portal offers from Colorado, the Wolverines, Oregon and Notre Dame.
“If Michigan comes and has an offer for him, obviously, that’s going to be very intriguing with how familiar he is with the guys who are going to be at Michigan,” Will told the Tribune on Jan. 2.
“He’s gonna have to break it down to a few schools and figure out what makes the most sense for him, for his family and financially. [It’s] about what makes the most sense and what’s the best opportunity for him to showcase his skill set.”
Utah four-star freshman Salesi Moa entered the transfer portal with a do-not-contact tag on Monday. According to 247Sports, Moa is projected to land with the Wolverines.
Transfer portal reinforcements
While the Utes have lost some players to the portal, Scalley has already gotten to work replenishing Utah’s roster.
The Utes recently added two high-caliber wide receivers — Braden Pegan from Utah State and San Jose State’s Kyri Shoels — to their roster. The Utes also replenished some depth on their offensive line, gaining a commitment from Ohio State transfer Isaiah Kema.
After losing Dallas Vakalahi to Penn State and Lea’ea to Michigan, the Utes also replenished their defensive line depth with commits from San Jose State’s Jireh Moe and Tennessee’s Jamal Wallace.
The Utes currently rank No. 40 in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings.
Time will tell if they will be impactful contributors for the Utes. But Scalley believes in his scouting and vision.
“We will bring the ones that want to be here, and we will develop them and love them,“ he said. ”The future is bright here. At the end of the day, you’re either in the boat or you’re out."
Expected outgoing transfers
• Sophomore quarterback Isaac Wilson
• Freshman linebacker Christian Thatcher
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Brendan Zurbrugg
• Redshirt freshman defensive end Jaxson Jones
• Sophomore wide receiver Bryan Spotwood
•Freshman cornerback Jaylen Moson
• Sophomore running back Omar Shah
• Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Justin Stevenson
• Sophomore running back Devin Green
• Freshman running back Raycine Guillory
• Sophomore cornerback Isaiah Brown
• Sophomore defensive tackle Jonah Lea’ea
• Freshman wide receiver/tight end JJ Buchanan
• Sophomore defensive tackle Dallas Vakalahi
• Redshirt junior cornerback Don Saunders
• Junior cornerback Smith Snowden
• Redshirt junior safety Tao Johnson
• Junior wide receiver Rayshawn Glover
•Sophomore defensive end Alex Cloward
• Freshman offensive lineman Kalolo Ta’aga
• Sophomore defensive end John Henry Daley
• Freshman quarterback Drew Cowart
Expected incoming transfers
• Montana State offensive lineman Cedric Jefferson (redshirt sophomore)
•Tennessee defensive tackle Jamal Wallace (redshirt junior)
• San Jose State defensive tackle Jireh Moe (freshman)
• Akron cornerback Elijah Reed (redshirt junior)
•San Jose State wide receiver Kyri Shoels (junior)
• Utah State wide receiver Braden Pegan (junior)
• Ohio State offensive lineman Isaiah Kema (freshman)
• Oklahoma safety Marcus Wimberly (freshman)
• Wyoming defensive tackle Lucas Samsula (sophomore)
• North Texas defensive end Ethan Day (sophomore)