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What ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings say about expectations for BYU, Utah and Utah State

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What ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings say about expectations for BYU, Utah and Utah State


There are widespread expectations for the three FBS programs in the state of Utah this fall.

For BYU, the Cougars are hoping to use an 11-2 season last year to springboard to further success in 2025 and are viewed as one of the favorites to win the Big 12.

For Utah, the Utes are looking to overcome a rare losing campaign and regain their footing as one of college football’s top 25 programs — all with a new offensive identity.

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For Utah State, the Aggies are trying to forge ahead and regain some stability under a familiar face — first-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who was the coach at BYU from 2005-2015.

Those expectations are reflected in the post-spring ESPN SP+ rankings from Bill Connelly, which were updated last week.

There are three main factors that go into Connelly’s rankings — the returning production for a team, its recent recruiting efforts and the program’s recent history.

Connelly explained that his SP+ rankings “aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the year. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date.”

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What do these post-spring rankings — with the transfer portal closed — say about the 2025 prospects for BYU, Utah and Utah State?

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake pauses on the sideline during game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake pauses on the sideline during game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. | AP

Where does BYU football rank in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings?

  • BYU is ranked No. 27 overall in the SP+ rankings with a 11.5 rating, including No. 29 on offense, No. 30 on defense and No. 10 on special teams.
  • The Cougars are ranked fourth among Big 12 teams, behind only Kansas State (No. 18), defending league champion Arizona State (No. 22) and Texas Tech (No. 26).
  • BYU is ranked No. 64 nationally in strength of schedule, with nonconference matchups against the ACC’s Stanford (No. 88), the American Athletic Conference’s East Carolina (No. 90) and FCS opponent Portland State (not ranked).
  • Connelly said the SP+ rating gives BYU a 7% chance of going 11-1 or better, tied for second in the Big 12 — Kansas State is at 17% and Texas Tech is tied with BYU at 7%, with Arizona State next at 5%.
  • The Cougars are 52nd in returning production at 59%, including 38th on offense at 65% and 72nd on defense at 52%.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, center, comes onto the field with his team before an NCAA college football game against Houston Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) | AP

Where does Utah football rank in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings?

  • Utah is ranked No. 31 overall in the SP+ rankings with an 11.0 rating, including No. 54 on offense, No. 16 on defense and No. 36 on special teams.
  • The Utes are ranked sixth among Big 12 teams, behind only Kansas State (No. 18), defending league champion Arizona State (No. 22), Texas Tech (No. 26), BYU (No. 27) and TCU (No. 29).
  • Utah is ranked No. 55 nationally in strength of schedule, with nonconference matchups against the Big Ten’s UCLA (No. 51), the Mountain West’s Wyoming (No. 105) and FCS opponent Cal Poly (not ranked).
  • The Utes are 17th in returning production at 65%, including 11th on offense at 75% and 60th on defense at 56%.

Big 12 teams in the ESPN post-spring SP+ rankings

  • No. 18: Kansas State
  • No. 22: Arizona State
  • No. 26: Texas Tech
  • No. 27: BYU
  • No. 29: TCU
  • No. 31: Utah
  • No. 32: Iowa State
  • No. 35: Baylor
  • No. 50: Kansas
  • No. 52: Colorado
  • No. 57: West Virginia
  • No. 58: Oklahoma State
  • No. 59: Houston
  • No. 60: Arizona
  • No. 61: UCF
  • No. 66: Cincinnati
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) runs past Iowa State defenders during the second half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game, in Arlington, Texas, Saturday Dec. 7, 2024. | Josh McSwain, Associated Press

Big 12 observations from ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings

  • The Big 12’s highest-ranked team in the SP+ rankings — Kansas State at No. 18 — is lower than the highest-ranked program from each of the other power conferences, with the SEC having 10 teams ahead of the first Big 12 team, the Big Ten four and the ACC two.
  • Half of the the Big 12’s 16 teams are ranked in the top 35. That’s behind the SEC (12 in the top 35) and the Big Ten (nine).
  • The Big 12’s lowest-ranked team in the SP+ rankings — Cincinnati at No. 66 — is higher than the lowest-ranked program from each of the other power conferences, including the SEC (Mississippi State, No. 71), Big Ten (Purdue, No. 101) and ACC (Stanford, No. 88).
  • The average ranking of Big 12 teams in the SP+ rankings is 42.7, with an average rating of 6.3. By comparison, the SEC has an average ranking of 22.4, with an average rating of 15.3, the Big Ten with averages of a 38.2 ranking and a 9.5 rating and the ACC with a 47.3 ranking and a 5.0 rating.
  • The Big 12 has the highest average returning production amongst all FBS conferences, at 61.8%, per Connelly’s numbers.
  • The Big 12 is fourth in average strength of schedule rating by conference (0.902), just below the ACC (0.891).
Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes (16) celebrates after defeating San Diego State in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Logan, Utah. | Eli Lucero, The Herald Journal via AP

Where does Utah State football rank in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings?

  • Utah State is ranked No. 119 overall in the SP+ rankings with a minus-14.8 rating, including No. 88 on offense, No. 132 on defense and No. 76 on special teams.
  • The Aggies are ranked 10th among Mountain West teams, ahead of only Nevada (No. 124) and New Mexico (No. 130).
  • Utah State is ranked No. 82 nationally in strength of schedule, with nonconference matchups against the SEC’s Texas A&M (No. 15) and Vanderbilt (No. 55), Conference USA’s UTEP (No. 123) and FCS opponent McNeese State (not ranked).
  • The Aggies are 133rd in returning production at 31%, including 135th on offense at 19% and 98th on defense at 43%.

Mountain West teams in the ESPN post-spring SP+ rankings

  • No. 33: Boise State
  • No. 75: UNLV
  • No. 83: San Jose State
  • No. 89: Fresno State
  • No. 94: Air Force
  • No. 97: Colorado State
  • No. 102: San Diego State
  • No. 105: Wyoming
  • No. 108: Hawaii
  • No. 119: Utah State
  • No. 124: Nevada
  • No. 130: New Mexico
Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen (4) runs through the UNLV defense on a touchdown run in the first half of the Mountain West Championship NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Boise, Idaho. | Steve Conner, Associated Press

Mountain West observations from ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings

  • Boise State, at No. 33, is the highest-ranked Group of 6 conference team in the SP+ rankings. The Broncos are 15 spots ahead of the next-highest Group of 6 team, No. 48 Tulane of the American Athletic Conference.
  • The AAC has five teams — Tulane, Memphis (No. 53), UTSA (No. 62), Army (No. 67) and Navy (No. 68) — before the second-highest ranked MWC team, UNLV at No. 75.
  • Half of the Mountain West’s 12 teams are ranked in the 100s in the SP+ rankings.
  • The average ranking of MWC teams in the SP+ rankings is 96.6, with an average rating of minus-8.6.
  • The Mountain West’s average rating per school of minus-8.6 is third among Group of 6 conferences, behind the AAC (minus-7.8) and Sun Belt (minus-8.1).
  • The MWC has an average returning production of 46.5%, per Connelly’s numbers.
  • The Mountain West is seventh in the nation in average strength of schedule rating by conference (0.959) and third among Group of 6 conferences.



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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon

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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon


A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.

A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.

He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.

MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche

In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.

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“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.

A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas


CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.

LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.

Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.

The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.

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MORE | Murder-Suicide

Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.

10:33 a.m. — Call 1

After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.

Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.

“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”

11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3

As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.

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“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”

11:26 a.m. — Call 4

Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.

“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”

She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.

Police indicated officers were on the way.

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2:26 p.m. — Call 5

Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.

Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.

“They found a note on the door.”

2:35 p.m. — Call 6

Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.

“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”

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A dispatcher responded:

“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”

2:36 p.m. — Call 7

Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:

“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”

2:39 p.m. — Call 8

Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.

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“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”

He repeats the details he knows for the second time.

3:13 p.m. — Call 9

Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.

“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”

Dispatch responded:

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“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”

4:05 p.m. — Call 10

More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.

“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”

The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.

Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.

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The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.

5:23 p.m. — Call 11

Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.

“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”

She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.

Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference

Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.

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The investigation remains ongoing.

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing


AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”

Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.

“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.

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Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.

“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.

2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:

  • Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
  • Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
  • Does it support a ban from classrooms?

Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.

“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.

MORE | Utah State Legislature:

Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.

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“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.

“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.

The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.

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