8 Best Utah Utes Football Players

The Utah Utes have won 26 conference titles since the program was founded in 1892. 

Today, you can wager on CFB odds for the Utes at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Before you dig into some football betting, check out my list of the top eight Utes to suit up. 

8 Best Utah Utes Football Players

1. Alex Smith

Smith was at Utah for three seasons but didn’t earn meaningful snaps until his second sophomore year. 

Over his time at Utah, he racked up 5,203 passing yards (eighth), 47 touchdown passes (sixth), 6,313 total yards (seventh), and 62 total touchdowns (sixth). 

In 2004, Smith finished fourth in the Heisman voting. He threw 32 touchdown passes and scored 42, which are single-season Utah records. 

Smith was the Sporting News Player of the Year, a first-team All-American, the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Mountain West, and second-team All-Mountain West. 

He led Utah to wins in the 2003 Liberty Bowl and 2005 Fiesta Bowl. 

Today, Smith is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

2. Eric Weddle

Weddle had some overlap with Smith, playing at Utah from 2003 to 2006. 

He recorded 18 interceptions, which is second in Utah history. 

Weddles was a consensus All-American, two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, two-time first-team All-Mountain West, and a second-team All-Mountain West nod. 

Weddle finished his career at Utah with five sacks, 18 interceptions, three pick-sixes, two forced fumbles, and one fumble return for a touchdown. He also ran the ball 52 times for 232 yards and six touchdowns. 

3. Jordan Gross

Gross was a sensational offensive lineman for Utah, where he was a consensus All-American and first-team All-Mountain West in 2002. 

Additionally, he was an Outland Trophy finalist that same year. 

4. Zack Moss

Moss played in Utah from 2016 to 2019, rushing for 4,067 yards and 38 touchdowns, both program records. 

While there, he was named second-team All-Pac-12 and first-team All-Pac-12 and was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. 

He had three straight seasons with double-digit rushing touchdowns. 

5. Steve Smith Sr.

Smith Sr. initially played college football at Santa Monica College but transferred to Utah and played there for two seasons. 

Over two seasons, he played 21 games and caught 78 passes for 1,603 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

Smith Sr. was also a punt returner, taking four back for touchdowns. 

He was first-team All-Mountain West and second-team All-Mountain West.

6. Star Lotulelei

An interior defensive lineman, Lotulelei recorded 107 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and four forced fumbles. 

He was a first-team All-American, two-time first-team All-Pac-12, and won the Morris Trophy. 

Lotulelei was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. 

7. Luther Elliss

Elliss, another interior defensive lineman, played at Utah from 1991 to 1994. He was a consensus All-American, WAC Defensive Player of the Year, and three-time first-team All-WAC. 

He recorded 18 sacks, eighth in program history. 

8. Britain Covey

Covey was a wide receiver and punt returner for the Utes, playing in 2015 and again from 2018 to 2021. He missed the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to an LDS mission in Chile. 

He had 184 receptions (second) for 2,011 yards (seventh) and 11 touchdown catches as a receiver. 

As a punt returner, he had 92 returns, including four touchdowns. He also returned 33 kicks, including one touchdown.