SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 2, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The University of Utah is expected to make an impressive debut in the Big 12 Conference.
The Utes are picked to finish first in the new-look Big 12, according to the 2024 preseason football media poll released Tuesday.
Utah, which joins the Big 12 after spending the past 13 seasons in the Pac-12 Conference, received 906 total points — including 20 first-place votes — to top Kansas State (889 points, 19 first-place votes) in the preseason poll.
Oklahoma State was third (829 points, 14 first-place votes), Kansas finished fourth (772, five first-place votes) and Big 12 newcomer Arizona was fifth (762 points, three first-place votes).
The Utes bring 28 past conference championships with them into the Big 12, including back-to-back Pac-12 titles in 2021 and 2022.
BYU, now in its second year in the Big 12, was picked by the media to finish 13th (215 points) among the newly expanded conference’s 16 teams.
Utah also placed three players on the preseason All-Big 12 team: seniors Brant Kuithe (tight end) and Junior Tafuna (defensive tackle), and junior Jack Bouwmeester (punter).
Kuithe, a three-time All-Pac-12 tight end, has played in 51 career games, making 26 starts. He’s totaled 148 career receptions for 1,882 yards (12.7 yards per catch) and has scored 20 total touchdowns (16 receiving and four rushing).
The 6-foot-2, 236-pound native of Katy, Texas, enters the 2024 season leading all active FBS tight ends in receptions and receiving yards. He’s had 30 games with at least three receptions and has caught at least one pass in 32 consecutive games he’s played.
Tafuna, a former Bingham High School star, also is a three-time All-Pac-12 selection, playing in 38 games and making 36 consecutive starts at defensive tackle. The 6-3, 308-pound Taylorsville native has amassed 77 total tackles (44 solo), 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks in three seasons at Utah.
Bouwmeester, a native of Bendigo, Australia, was an All-Pac-12 selection and a Ray Guy Award semifinalist in 2023. The 6-3, 197-pound transfer from Michigan State has spent the past two seasons at Utah, playing in 27 games and averaging 42.9 yards per punt.
BYU defensive end Tyler Batty also was named to the preseason All-Big 12 team, selected by members of the media who cover the conference.
Batty, a 6-5, 275-pound senior, was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection in 2023, and received honorable mentions for the conference’s defensive player and defensive lineman of the year.
Batty led the Cougars in sacks (5.5) in 2023 for the third consecutive season and totaled nine tackles for loss. The former Payson High School star finished the season with 57 total tackles to lead the defensive line, eight quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado officially became members of the Big 12 on Monday, while Oklahoma and Texas departed for the Southeastern Conference.
2024 Big 12 Conference Football Media Poll
- Utah, 906 points (20 first-place votes)
- Kansas State, 889 (19)
- Oklahoma State, 829 (14)
- Kansas, 772 (5)
- Arizona, 762 (3)
- Iowa State, 661
- West Virginia, 581
- UCF, 551
- Texas Tech, 532
- TCU, 436
- Colorado, 400
- Baylor, 268
- BYU, 215
- Cincinnati, 196
- Houston, 157
- Arizona State, 141
2024 All-Big 12 Conference Football Team
- Offensive Player of the Year: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
- Defensive Player of the Year: Travis Hunter, Colorado
- Newcomer of the Year: KJ Jefferson, UCF
Offense
- QB: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
- RB: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
- RB: Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
- FB: Stevo Klotz, Iowa State
- WR: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
- WR: Kobe Hudson, UCF
- WR: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
- WR: Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State
- TE: Brant Kuithe, Utah
- OL: Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona
- OL: Luke Kandra, Cincinnati
- OL: Dalton Cooper, Oklahoma State
- OL: Joe Michalski, Oklahoma State
- OL: Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
- PK: Tyler Loop, Arizona
- KR/PR: Drae McCray, Texas Tech
Defense
- DL: Tyler Batty, BYU
- DL: Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
- DL: BJ Green II, Colorado
- DL: Lee Hunter, UCF
- DL: Junior Tafuna, Utah
- LB: Jacob Manu, Arizona
- LB: Nick Martin, Oklahoma State
- LB: Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State
- DB: Tacario Davis, Arizona
- DB: Travis Hunter, Colorado
- DB: Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State
- DB: Cobee Bryant, Kansas
- DB: Mello Dotson, Kansas
- P: Jack Bouwmeester, Utah
