Talent Perspective: Arizona Wildcats Vs Utah Utes

Sep 24, 2024, 9:00 AM | Updated: 10:56 am

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY – In this one, we’ll get a better idea of the talent in the showdown between the No. 10 Utah Utes and the Arizona Wildcats.

Basing game previews on recruiting rankings doesn’t always provide the most accurate reflection of teams. However, it is still a valuable piece of the puzzle when assessing matchups both individually and amongst position groups.

Utah and Arizona have been on different levels in recruiting for the majority of the last decade. In recent years, the Wildcats had been improving as a recruiting power but Jedd Fisch’s departure from Arizona has left that trajectory in limbo.

Arizona-Utah Position Group Talent Averages

The position group talent averages are generated by 247 Sports’ Industry-Generated Composite Ratings for each player. This is a fairly even matchup in terms of talent averages between position groups. Utah has an advantage at most positions but this is a tight matchup from a talent perspective.

	Utah Utes	Arizona Wildcats
Quarterback	0.9274	0.8691
Running back	0.8857	0.8724
Wide Receiver	0.8887	0.8765
Tight End	0.8734	0.8551
Offensive Line	0.8813	0.8541
Defensive End	0.8771	0.8539
Defensive Tackle	0.8704	0.8367
Linebacker	0.8761	0.8821
Cornerback	0.8788	0.8788
Safety	0.8745	0.8461
Overall	0.8786	0.8600

Top Five Talents For Arizona-Utah

Arizona

Justin Flowe, LB – .9967; Tetairoa McMillan, WR – .9779; Marquis Groves-Killebrew, CB – .9535; Kendrick Reescano, RB- .9377; Rayshawn Luke, RB – .9178

Utah

Lander Barton, LB – .9587; Spencer Fano, OT – .9564; Caleb Lomu, OT – .9458; Van Fillinger, DE – .9276; Cameron Rising, QB – .9096

Intriguing Talent Arizona-Utah Matchups

Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan vs Utah CBs

After facing a tremendous talent at running back talent last week, the Utes face an even better talent at receiver this weekend. McMillan (.9779) is a tremendous receiver with a ton of talent. He has a great combination of athleticism and size at 6-foot-5, 212 pounds. Through three games this season, he’s totaled 458 yards and 4 touchdowns on 23 receptions. He’s a threat at all three levels and a major point of focus for the Wildcats. Limiting McMillan is going to take a top-notch effort from Utah’s secondary. That will be spearheaded by Zemaiah Vaughn (NR), while Elijah Davis (.8685) and Cam Calhoun (.8942) will also likely see snaps against him.

Arizona LBs vs Utah RBs

Arizona’s top-rated position group is the linebackers. They’ve brought in transfers and some highly touted high school prospects in recent years. However, it’s not the most highly rated players that are leading this group. Jacob Manu (.8637) and Taye Brown (.8500) were mid-three-star prospects coming out of high school, yet they are the heart of the defense. They are the top two tacklers for Arizona, Manu with 26 and Brown with 20. With the way that Utah has run the ball this season, this will be another good test for Micah Bernard (.8644) and the other running backs.

Arizona Ss vs Utah TEs

The Wildcats like to play three safeties in their 4-2-5 defense. Dalton Johnson (.8444), Gunner Maldonado (.8719), and Treydan Stukes (.8715) give the Wildcats three versatile defenders who will be primarily responsible for defending Utah’s tight ends. Brant Kuithe (.8451) obviously headlines the group but Utah has plenty of options like Carsen Ryan (.9010) and Dallan Bentley (.8667) to take advantage of the matchup.