The Scalley Era begins/ Utah football 2026

Many players with starter potential. Check your value. Then compare with your teammates and internally to get the right level, the right decision for you.

Any player like Cam Calhoun (last year) should take that kind of money - $1M - and go. He may not have beat out Blake Cotton here, certainly not Scooby. And rode the bench at Bama.

Somebody like Buchanon might be north of $1M maybe 1.5M. Dampier is probably $2M, at least. My guesses.

Compensation is never going to be perfect, and you need to get guys who will gel.

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These days as a college football fan it’s best not to get too attached to the players, they’ll go where the money is.

Frankly it’s almost easier being a fan of a player on a pro team. At least there you know they’re going to be with the team for a certain contracted period of time unless the team trades them. And as players stay with one team longer, they get ties to the community and are inclined to give their home team a discount for their services. They are set financially and other factors come into play.

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Absolutely. I’m not even that attached to the program anymore. Sure, it would be nice to see Utah win, but it’s just another pro team. Universities are just as much to blame, if not more.

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There are reportedly 4,300 players in the portal as of this moment. Utah currently has around 16 in the portal (outside of Snowden, Johnson and Daley, they’re mostly guys you’ve never heard of and/or who will never crack the two-deep).

Even if another 15-20 Utes enter the portal in the next few days, it’ll just be par for the course in today’s CFB. And probably very low for a program undergoing a coaching change.

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Excited to see coach Swan as the DC
Also, hoping a lot of good things announced by Scalley at Tuesday’s introductory presser

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Great listen from Weddle. Podcast Player Archives - KSL Sports - Hans & Scotty G

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Good insight from Weddle. Without revealing any names, he says we’re going to be fine. I’m glad he’s close with Morgan, it’s good for him to have his kind of perspective.

Interesting tease about the Safeties coach. Guess: Derrick Odum

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I also really liked the he kept saying we and our university.

Could Odum be a place holder for a couple of years?

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He’s said publicly in the last week that if he coaches in college he’ll only coach at Utah.

He’s hinted it will happen after Gaige heads to college.

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Good question.

He had worked up to being the DC at San Jose State, but got fired.

Having another guy who’s been a DC can’t hurt.

The guys rumored at OC are Marcus Arroyo from ASU and Texas State’s Landon Keopple. They beat Rice today, 41-10, have only been a FBS school for 3 years. Wouldn’t hurt having a Texas recruiter.

It seems like recruiting has changed, but you still need to evaluate talent, have HS connections and get a lot of “regulars”. What Texas Tech did with their defense was impressive, the 2 DEs are really extraordinary… but you can’t have an entire roster of high paid stars.

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Bill Busch?

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Alex Markum posted that Scalley has his DE coach and he is a Ute Legacy. Jason Kaufusi or Anton Palapoi? Palepoi did not play at Utah, but a brother or someone did.

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Pretty sure it’s Kaufusi.

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Mark Harlan sits across the tunnel from us at gymnastics.

He was texting almost non stop last night.

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And Odum it is. Derrick Odum Named Utah Football Safeties Coach - University of Utah Athletics

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UW is reportedly backing up the Brinks truck to try and keep Kaufusi. It’s quite tiring to follow all this.

Similar to what @NewbombTurk said above about the players.. nudge me when the coaching staff is filled out.

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Odum’s record at SJSU was lengthy & pretty impressive. We’ll have two former DCs to help Swan make that transition.

I can’t believe he graduated from the U in '93. He was a 170 lb CB under Mac.

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Odum’s last season at Utah was 1992. Frankly, he was an average player, but it seems as though he’s a pretty good coach, which is what Scalley and program need.

Of interest, Odum did start at Utah as a true freshman on a dreadfully awful 1989 defense. He got less and less playing time as his career progressed and Utah’s defense got better.

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Just heard we hired…Utah State’s offensive coordinator. Awfully tough to get excited about that.

I can’t imagine that’ll get Dampier excited to stay.

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Hmmm. Doesn’t sound that bad. Seems a little quick, but what do I know? Hope we’re not hiring a new offensive coordinator in two years.

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