When to watch former University of Utah players in the 2026 NFL preseason

The 2026 NFL preseason begins Thursday with an unusually heavy presence of former University of Utah players: 39 ex-Utes are on league rosters, including nine rookies, four of whom were selected in the 2026 draft. Across the 48 preseason games over three weeks, 44 will feature at least one former Ute. Veterans such as Garett Bolles, Jaylon Johnson and Devin Lloyd are expected to see little or no preseason action, while rookies—like first-round picks Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu—have chances to stand out before the regular season. Week 1 matchups include the Lions at Bengals, Packers at Steelers and Colts at Patriots.