Utah tops Big 12 Conference teams in AP Preseason Top 25 at No. 12

Utah is in its first year in the Big 12 Conference and is already bringing some preseason gravitas to the proceedings, leading the way for five Big 12 teams in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 rankings at No. 12.

Other Big 12 teams to make the Top 25 were No. 17 Oklahoma State, No. 18 Kansas State, No. 21 Arizona and No. 22 Kansas. Georgia was ranked No. 1, followed by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Alabama to round out the top five.

It’s the sixth consecutive season Utah has been ranked in the AP Preseason Top 25. The Utes have some preseason buzz thanks to a pair of seventh-year players coming back after injuries in former All-Pac-12 quarterback and 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game MVP Cam Rising and former All-Pac-12 tight end Brant Kuithe.

Utah opens the season on Thursday, Aug. 29 at home against Southern Utah and plays its first Big 12 game on Sept. 7 at home against Baylor.